Homesteader Posted December 14, 2013 Share Posted December 14, 2013 Kroger had an 'in store' special on cranberries this week. The 12-oz pgk was .50 each. I couldn't resist. I purchased 10 bags of the tart little fruities. So far, cranberries are taking the longest to dry, and I've dried many different foods. Last night I transferred the dehydrator to the bedroom, turned down the house heat and let it run all night. The room is cozy and the berries are almost dry. One more load of these little tart fruities and I'm done. The touch of corn syrup on each may have slowed down the drying process but they were started in boiling water to pop the skins. Not sure I'd do this recipe again, but the price was right and we eat a great deal of dried cranberries in hot cereals and cold salads. Quote Link to comment
Midnightmom Posted December 16, 2013 Share Posted December 16, 2013 (edited) Last year when I tried to dry cranberries, they shriveled up into hard little shrivels. Did yours stay moist like the ones you can buy in the store? I've been buying reduced sugar ones at Walmart. Reduced Sugar Craisins®Reduced Sugar Craisins® Dried Cranberries offer the sweet and tangy burst of cranberry you know and love – but now with 50% less sugar than Original Craisins® Dried Cranberries! And if that wasn’t enough, they still provide 25% of your daily recommended fruit needs and are an excellent source of fiber – all for only 100 calories per serving! Can raisins do all that? Edited December 16, 2013 by Midnightmom Quote Link to comment
Homesteader Posted December 16, 2013 Author Share Posted December 16, 2013 So far, they are more like little shrivels. The recipe said to freeze them after drying. Me thinks I'll stop the drying process early and freeze them. It's not what I wanted as I don't have much freezer space to work with. That's why I like to dry foods. Quote Link to comment
ArmyOfFive4God Posted December 16, 2013 Share Posted December 16, 2013 Last year when I tried to dry cranberries, they shriveled up into hard little shrivels. Did yours stay moist like the ones you can buy in the store? I've been buying reduced sugar ones at Walmart. What do/did you do with yours? Mine did the same thing. Quote Link to comment
Mt_Rider Posted December 16, 2013 Share Posted December 16, 2013 You can always rehydrate. Are y'all finding decent bags of fresh cranberries? The past few years, you have to buy two bags to get one bag's amount after picking out the unripe [white] ones and squished ones and rock-hard ones.... Yuk. I buy canned mostly now. We also buy the Crasins [Midnight's pic] and are quite annoyed when we have to search to find "CRANBERRY-flavored" dried cranberries. So many people want cherry flavored, or some such. Hellloooo....I'm buying cranberries! MtRider Quote Link to comment
Midnightmom Posted December 16, 2013 Share Posted December 16, 2013 Last year when I tried to dry cranberries, they shriveled up into hard little shrivels. Did yours stay moist like the ones you can buy in the store? I've been buying reduced sugar ones at Walmart. What do/did you do with yours? Mine did the same thing. I believe I tossed them. Quote Link to comment
Igarden2 Posted December 17, 2013 Share Posted December 17, 2013 You can always rehydrate. Are y'all finding decent bags of fresh cranberries? The past few years, you have to buy two bags to get one bag's amount after picking out the unripe [white] ones and squished ones and rock-hard ones.... Yuk. I buy canned mostly now. We also buy the Crasins [Midnight's pic] and are quite annoyed when we have to search to find "CRANBERRY-flavored" dried cranberries. So many people want cherry flavored, or some such. Hellloooo....I'm buying cranberries! MtRider This last October I had the pleasure of visiting Wisconsin's cranberry capital, Warrens. I had a tour of working bogs and learned a few things. The two preceeding years prices were high and lesser in quality, mostly due to weather. This year the crop was excellent in quantity and quality. Of course, wholesale prices were low for the producers. Let's hope the available berries are better than the last few years. Quote Link to comment
Homesteader Posted December 17, 2013 Author Share Posted December 17, 2013 The second batch of berries are dried less. The recipe said to pop them in the freezer to store. The reason I'm drying them is because I don't have freezer space. Duh If I can't get the first batch to rehydrate until their edible, I will grind them in a coffee grinder and use in cooked foods. Being a cheesehead, I grew up on cranberries in Wisconsin. I would love to visit a fruit drying factory in the future. Quote Link to comment
Mt_Rider Posted December 17, 2013 Share Posted December 17, 2013 lgarden2....thanks for that information! I haven't been inside a grocery store since late October so I haven't seen the bags for this year. I'll make a point of checking. Homesteader....have you tried rehydrating with boiling water? I've heard that helps. Would the juice of rehydrating be a good addition to muffins or something? I hate to waste nutrient and only barely cover anything with the water when rehydrating. About keeping in freezer..... ....is that for MAXIMUM storage quality? I have heard to freeze for bug larvae like we do with grains. But then take them out and store as usual. Cuz dehydrator temperatures aren't that hot for bug issues. Kept with O2 absorber in air-tight container would do the same as a short time in the freezer. MtRider -- I am concerned with some of my older dehydrated things....wonder about quality deterioration or serious flavor deterioration. Quote Link to comment
Homesteader Posted December 17, 2013 Author Share Posted December 17, 2013 I just dried the cranberries so haven't tried the boiling water. I made some oatmeal today and just popped the berries in. They didn't rehydrate before I ate the cereal. I'm thinking the freezing of the berries after drying is for shelf life in case they weren't all dry. I seldom do fruit. I think it's much more picky than veggies or herbs. Like herbs, I would rotate out anything older than a year. I generally store everything in glass jars and wrap in alum foil for darkness. I inventory everything so I know how many jars I have of each food. That way, rotation is more exact (and I know what I have). Quote Link to comment
Mt_Rider Posted December 18, 2013 Share Posted December 18, 2013 Couple tips: Making oatmeal...boil the water with the dried cranberries in the water. When hydrated, add the oatmeal. I do this with raisins and walnuts just to soften both a little. Might take longer with your really-dried cranberries. [i have added craisins too] For insurance that all fruit is dehydrated equally, put into air tight container with a desiccant [ bag of water-absorbing crystals]. Shake container around every day. After a few days I figure everything should have evened out any remaining moisture and I go ahead with whatever storage packaging I use. It really helps when dehydrating, to have uniform-sized bits of fruit so that it can dry evenly. Cranberries should be fairly even. My dehydrator is so ancient [30+ yrs] and well used but now only one side blows hot air so I have to turn the trays around to keep drying evenly. MtRider Quote Link to comment
Annarchy Posted December 20, 2013 Share Posted December 20, 2013 Welcome lgarden2 Quote Link to comment
Jeepers Posted December 20, 2013 Share Posted December 20, 2013 WELCOME lGARDEN 2 ! Quote Link to comment
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