Dried cherries: how to dry cherries at home? Dried cherries at home? Beneficial properties for the body.

Dried and frozen cherries best preserve vitamins and minerals. There are special electric dryers designed for preparing berries, fruits and vegetables, but you can completely get by regular oven or dry the berries outdoors.

You can dry cherries with or without pits (the duration of the process depends on this). It turns out very tasty sun-dried cherries. Canned cherry berries used in pure form(as an independent delicacy), added to pies and made into candies, dipped in melted chocolate.

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Preparing cherries

In order to prepare a cherry for a classic bitch, you need to:

Collect ripe but elastic cherries and peel them from leaves and stems;
Reject wormy, spoiled, rotten berries;
Rinse the cherries and drain the water through a colander. At the same stage, remove the seeds (if desired);
Leave the berries in a colander for a while to drain excess juice.

Classic drying

The finished cherries must be placed on a wire rack (mesh, baking sheet, etc.) in one layer and dried in one of the following ways:

In the oven. Dry with the door slightly open (to avoid excess moisture) at medium temperature. The juice will come out gradually. If the berries are very juicy, you need to dry them in several passes;
In an electric dryer. Process and arrange the berries in the same way as drying them in the oven, but due to good air circulation, the drying process occurs faster;
On open air. You need to dry it during the day, and at night put the cherries in a warm, well-ventilated area. If seeds have been removed from the fruit, cover them on all sides with gauze to protect them from insects;

Pitted cherries take longer to dry than pitted cherries. Drying is stopped when the berries stop releasing juice when pressed.

Drying with wilting

To prepare dried cherries, you need:

Peel and wash the berries, remove the seeds;
Place cherries in enamel pan and add sugar;
Leave the berries overnight to release their juice;
Place the berries on the stove and bring to a boil;
Cook the berries over low heat for 5-10 minutes, stirring;
Remove cherries from heat and cool;
Pour the berries into a colander to allow the syrup to drain completely. This may take several hours;
Dry the cherries in the open air, as with classic drying. Store the finished product in glass jar or in a paper bag in the refrigerator.

Dried cherries are extraordinary delicious preparation for the winter and an amazing snack for every day. This method of preparation will allow you to save everything useful material berries, as well as its rich aroma. The finished product can be used either independently or as an ingredient for various infusions. You can use dried berries when preparing various desserts, cakes, pastries, and muffins. This product will also add sophistication to the main dishes: stuffed meatloaf, sauces for meat, cream soups.

This method differs from simple drying due to the richer taste of the berries and the need for them preliminary preparation- boiling in steep sugar syrup.

Why is it useful to eat dried cherries?

Dried cherries have many beneficial properties for the body:

This is an excellent antiseptic; has expectorant and antiviral effects.
Rich source of vitamin B, which normalizes work nervous system, brain and heart.
Increases hemoglobin levels, prevents anemia and atherosclerosis.
A product rich in fiber and pectin helps remove toxins from the body, having a beneficial effect on digestion and appetite.
Due to the action of ascorbic acid, blood pressure decreases, vascular tone increases, and metabolic processes accelerate.

Dried cherries: cooking features

Prepare delicious snack not difficult, but this process has its own characteristics and tricks that you need to know about:

There should be enough water for cooking cherries so that they float freely in the container.
The syrup can be used several times if there are a lot of cherries and you will cook them in batches. The taste will be more intense.
Usually not added during cooking additional spices: berries have this bright taste that no additives are required.

Recipe for homemade dried cherries in an electric dryer

This original delicacy can be prepared at home. We offer you a simple, proven recipe for dried cherries with detailed instructions.

For harvesting, you can use any variety of berries. Lovers unusual taste can make an assortment: mix black, yellow, white cherries.
The berries are thoroughly washed, dried, pitted and put in the refrigerator overnight to infuse. To preserve them, you can sprinkle them with a little sugar.
Then the cherries are taken out of the refrigerator and warmed to room temperature. The syrup is prepared: water is mixed with sugar and brought to a boil. Boil for several minutes, then berries are added to the boiling syrup.
The mass is brought to a boil. The resulting foam must be removed. When the cherries in the syrup boil, turn off the heat, cover the pan with a lid and let cool.
When the berries have cooled completely, strain them through a colander. All excess liquid should drain off. The cherries are placed in the dryer and dried for 10 hours until ready.

You will need: cherries – 1 kg, sugar – 300 g, water – 300 ml.

Dried cherries with cognac

This recipe is just as easy to repeat at home. An electric dryer is also used to dry the berries.

Prepare the berries: wash, remove seeds.
Fill a three-liter jar halfway with cherries.
Heat water with sugar in a saucepan, bring to a boil, add cognac.
Bring the mixture to a boil again, then pour it into a jar, cover with a plastic lid and leave for 20 minutes.
Pour the syrup into another container. It can be reused for the next portion of cherries by first boiling it and adding cognac.
Place the prepared berries in a colander and allow all the liquid to drain.
Place the berries in an electric dryer for 5-6 hours. Try, if necessary, leave to dry for another hour.

You will need: cherries - half three-liter jar, cane sugar – 600 gr., water – 1 liter, cognac – 2 tbsp. spoons.

Homemade dried cherries in the oven

If you don’t have a special dryer for vegetables and fruits, you can get by with a regular oven.

Prepare the berries: rinse, dry, sort. Preheat the oven to 35-40 degrees and dry the cherries a little, after which the seeds will be easier to remove. Remove the seeds.
Prepare syrup. Mix water with sugar, boil until the sugar is completely dissolved, add cherries to the syrup and boil for 2-3 minutes. Remove the container from the heat and leave the berries to sugar for 10-13 hours. Then boil again and cool.
Leave the berries in a colander for several hours to allow all the liquid to drain completely. Place on a baking sheet and place in an oven preheated to 60 degrees for half an hour. Reduce the temperature to 40 degrees and wither until the cherries become soft.

You will need: 2.5 kg. cherries, 1 kg. sugar, 1 liter of water.

It is better to keep the oven door open during drying: this way the berries will not be baked and will dry better.

Spiced dried cherries

This recipe is perfect for those who love taste experiments and the aroma of spices. Cherries prepared in this way will acquire refined taste and a unique aroma.

Sort the berries, wash them, remove the stems and seeds and place them in a saucepan.
Prepare the syrup. Squeeze the juice from orange and lemon, add spices, sugar and keep on fire until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Pour the syrup over the berries and leave to soak for 6-8 hours, stirring from time to time.
Place the cherries in a colander for 2-3 hours to drain the moisture, shake occasionally.
Place the berries on a baking sheet, place in the oven and dry at 40 degrees until soft.

You will need: 2 kg. cherries, 1 kg. sugar, 2 lemons, 1 orange, spices: nutmeg, star anise, cardamom, cinnamon.

Homemade dried cherries recipe

If desired, the cherries can be replaced with sour cherries. Dried or sun-dried cherries are no less healthy and delicious product. The cooking principle will be the same: preparation of berries, aging in sweet syrup, drying, drying.

Prepare the berries: sort and rinse, dry, remove seeds.
Transfer the cherries to large saucepan, add sugar, mix well and leave to release the juice. Gently stir occasionally so that the sugar dissolves well. Let the berries stand for about 10-12 hours.
Place the cherries in a colander, and the colander in a large bowl to allow the juices to drain. Leave for another 8-10 hours. Cherry juice can be preserved by first bringing it to a boil.
Pour water into a saucepan, add sugar, bring to a boil. The sugar should completely dissolve. Add cherries, bring everything to a boil, reduce heat and simmer the berries over low heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring.
Remove the pan from the heat, cool the contents to 40-50 degrees, place in a colander and let the liquid drain, shaking. Leave for 10 hours.
Place the cherries in an electric dryer, set the temperature to 55-65 degrees and dry for 3 hours.

The finished berry should be soft, plastic and not release juice when pressed.

You will need: 2.3 kg. cherries, sugar for extracting juice - 800 gr., for sweet syrup - 360 gr., 420 ml. water.

A kilogram of fresh cherries yields about 300 grams. dried berries. It is better to store it in a dark place with room temperature V glass containers or paper bags.

Dried cherries or cherries - healthy and delicious home preparation. This natural product, without dyes and preservatives, great ingredient for baking, dessert for tea and a treat for children.

Cherry is very healthy berry, which can not only please its sour taste, but also even help in the treatment of certain diseases. There are many different methods for harvesting cherries for the winter. Below we will look at the methods and rules for drying this berry.

Dried cherries: general information

Dried and sun-dried cherries - what's the difference?

Drying differs from drying in that it occurs without prolonged exposure to high temperatures and the cherries do not dry completely and gradually, while remaining elastic and soft.

Benefits for the body

Due to the fact that cherries contain many vitamins and substances, these berries are very useful for human body. During drying, the fruits lose a small amount of these substances, but remain no less valuable for health.

Benefits of dried cherries:

Increases hemoglobin levels in anemia;
Improves digestion and removes waste and toxins from the body;
Helps with colds, improves immunity;
Reduces arterial pressure, removing excess liquid;

Improves the functioning of the nervous system.

Has a beneficial effect on the heart and blood vessels;
Speeds up metabolism and helps with weight loss.

Harm

Cherries can be not only beneficial for humans, but also harmful.

Situations in which these dried sour berries are contraindicated:

Stomach ulcers;
Increased stomach acidity;
Diabetes;
Obesity.

ATTENTION: Cherry pits contain amygdalin, which is transformed into hydrocyanic acid and is poisonous to humans.

Calorie content

The ratio of proteins, fats, carbohydrates in dried cherries:

Proteins: 1.5g. (6 kcal)
Fat: 0g. (0 kcal)
Carbohydrates: 73g. (292 kcal)

It turns out that the energy ratio (b:f:y): 2%: 0%: 99%.

Preparation process

Before you begin the process of drying the berries, you should prepare them for it:

First of all, it is necessary to sort through the collected fruits and remove spoiled and rotten ones;
It is advisable to rinse the berries in running water. You can also do this in a basin, but changing the liquid in it several times;
Remove all stalks;
Pull out the seeds using a pin or a special device;
Place the berries in a container and pour sugar into it (in the proportion of 1 kg of cherries to 2 kg of sugar).

Home methods

Preparation for all methods is the same.

First way

Actions:

After the berries have been covered with sugar, they need to be placed in a warm place (about 20-25 degrees) for 24 hours so that they release the juice;
The cherries are discarded in a colander and the juice is drained;
Then sugar syrup is prepared. To do this, take 700 ml of water and 600 g of granulated sugar (for 2 kg of cherries);
When the syrup boils, put the berries in it for 5-7 minutes;
Place the cherries in a colander again and drain the liquid;
Wait until the berry cools down;
Spread on a flat surface in one layer and put away in a suitable place;
After three days, each cherry is turned over and left to dry for another week.

Video recipe:

Second way

The sprinkled cherries with sugar are left for three days at a temperature of 4-5 degrees. Then everything is done as in the first method.

Third way

Is the shortest of all. Happens using an oven:

Boil berries in syrup;
Place on a baking sheet in one layer;
Preheat the oven to 80 degrees;
Place the cherries in it for half an hour;
Let cool and turn the berries over;
Place it in the oven for half an hour;
Repeat the previous steps 2 more times at an oven temperature of 60 degrees.

ATTENTION: There is no need to set the temperature higher than necessary, otherwise the berries will turn out dry and the beneficial substances in them will be destroyed.

You can also use an electric dryer. Unlike the oven, you will not need to take out, cool and turn over the cherries. It is enough to set the required temperature and leave the berries to dry for 12 hours.

What to use it for?

Cherries in this form are used in cooking to prepare:

Desserts;
Snacks;
Sauces;
Marinadov;
Baking;
Drinks.

Most often, dried berries are used as a filling for pies, muffins and Easter cakes. Also, because of their aroma, they are often used to make drinks.

Recipes

You can cook a lot of things with dried cherries. variety of dishes. Let's look at a few examples of the use of these berries.

Salad with rice and dried cherries

Ingredients:

Boiled rice – 200g;
Fresh cucumber – 1 piece;
Green onions - 2 feathers;
Dried cherries – 50g;
Parsley;
Lemon zest and juice;
Olive oil;
Salt and pepper.

Preparation:

Peel the cucumber and chop it;
Cut the onion into rings;
Mix oil, salt, pepper and lemon;
Mix ingredients and dressing;
Place in the refrigerator for one hour;
Serve.

You can also vary the recipe for creating the cherries themselves.

DIY dried cherries:

Dried cherries with cinnamon

Compound:

Pitted cherries – 1kg;
Sugar – 0.5 kg;
Orange juice;
Cinnamon – 2 tsp.

The preparation is no different from regular drying, but at the stage of sprinkling the cherries with sugar, you need to sprinkle them with orange juice and sprinkle with ground cinnamon.

You can use other spices to taste.

Storage method

Humidity 60-70%;
Temperature no more than 10 degrees Celsius;
Dark, dry, ventilated place;
The storage container should be glass or plastic with a tight lid.

REFERENCE: You can extend the shelf life a little by putting the berries in a paper bag and placing a plastic bag on top of it.

Is it possible to dry berries without heat treatment?

Yes. This process is very long and lasts 3-4 weeks depending on the weather. But its advantage is that the berries do not lose their properties. You can make cherries this way either with or without a pit.

Description of the method:

Preparation of berries;
Dehydrate by drying on a towel;
Place food foil on the drying surface;
Berries are placed on top of it in one layer;
Leave to dry in a clean, dry and ventilated place.

You can also dry it in direct sunlight, but the berries may lose their beneficial composition.

Drying is one of the ways to prepare cherries for the winter. It has its advantages and disadvantages, and can also be implemented different ways. The process is quite painstaking, but if you want to enjoy delicious culinary masterpieces, which will contain dried cherries, then it’s worth it.

Recipe in an electric dryer:

Cherry is one of the very first berries. She sings completely suddenly and just as quickly ends up on the tree. And sometimes we don’t even have time to gain the vitamin that this delicious fruit simply because we do not have time to eat everything that grows on the tree before the berries begin to rot or they are destroyed by starlings and sparrows.
I grieved about this for a long time, because I love cherries. At first I tried to freeze it for the winter, but when defrosted it completely loses its properties. taste qualities, does not look so tempting. Covering compotes made from just cherries is also not very prudent, and the rest of the fruits have not yet ripened by this time. You can at least make jam from white cherries, but for red cherries I found great way storage - drying. Today I will tell you in detail how to dry cherries in an electric dryer. Drying berries goes just fine!

Read also how to do it.
Cherry preparation will be very useful for mothers of small children. I have been giving “sweets” made from dried cherries to my baby since she was 9 months old, and we didn’t even talk about any chocolates or lollipops until she was two years old, since we got off easily with such a delicacy.
And although an electric dryer greatly simplifies the process of preparing dried cherries, there are some subtleties that you need to know.
So let's get started. To prepare sushi that will fit in a half-liter jar, you will need a bowl of ripe cherries.

This is such a big expense, but it’s worth it! Naturally, you need to wash the cherries and get rid of the tails and leaves.
Now you need to decide how you want to dry the cherries in an electric dryer - with or without pits. If the second option, then the cherries must first be blanched for some time, depending on the number and size of the berries. I'll tell you how to make pitted cherries. In this form, it is much more convenient to give them to a child, and it is also more pleasant to eat them yourself.
To easily cut cherries, you need to use a regular knife. Use it to cut the cherries down the pit and divide them into two halves, removing the pit. You can, of course, use special device to rid the cherries of pits, but then the cherries will be deformed, in addition, whole cherries will dry much longer than in halves.

Thus, we clean all the berries. This, of course, takes some time, but then you won’t have to gnaw the dried pulp from the pit. The finished halves need to be left for a little while (about 10 minutes) so that the juice can drain.

Now about electric dryers. They are completely different. Mine has five trays, so if possible, I spread berries on all five dishes, but as little as possible. If you have three trays, lay them out more often, but make sure that the berries do not overlap each other and are not in layers. Otherwise, it will turn out that the middle will already be dry, but the edges will be juicy and you will have to either overdry the middle or underdry the sides, which can lead to unsuccessful storage of the drying stock.

This time I laid out the cherries in an electric dryer onto four trays.

And again about this technique. Mine has a temperature indicator and an on/off button. If this is the case for you, then feel free to set the indicator to 50-60 degrees and turn on the machine. Sometimes there are only two temperature conditions, then for the first 10 hours you set it to “high”, and then change it to “low”.

The time spent can vary - from 8 to 30 hours. In my case, I set the electric dryer for 10 hours, then turned it off at night, and the next day it worked for another 8 hours, and it seemed to me that the cherries were ready. If you dry whole cherries, it will take more time.
This is what they look like ready-made drying cherries. After turning off the device, they must be left in this position for 30-40 minutes.

This is the product yield obtained from a bowl of cherries. Doesn't seem enough? You can't eat a lot of them, so it's enough. Moreover, you can make any number of such bowls allowed by your garden.

Enjoy great taste and a supply of vitamin B winter time! By the way, it is convenient to store drying in jars in a dark place.
Now you know how you can easily dry cherries at home, and not only them.
Author Julianne Welner
You can also find out

In the summer, you want to preserve as many fruits as possible, because they pass away so quickly, especially cherries - it seems that as soon as the berries have appeared, the cherry is already giving way to its relative, the sweet cherry. Dried cherries at home are an incredibly tasty and valuable product in all respects. But, most importantly, it is not difficult to prepare.

There is nothing special about drying technology. Sorting fresh fruits, preparation, cooking with sugar, slow drying in an oven or electric dryer, packaging in storage containers. Dried cherries are prepared in a similar way. But, there are some points due to which there is a difference in the characteristics and applications of the finished product:

Cherries can be dried with the pit. This option is not suitable for drying - the seeds must be removed from the fruit.
Drying implies the complete absence of moisture in finished product. After drying, the cherries remain soft and plastic.
You don't need sugar to make dried cherries. When drying, this ingredient is certainly used.
If the fruits are dried fresh air, hot sunlight is welcome. Drying cherries is allowed only in the shade.

The result is a product that is eaten simply as a sweet delicacy, used to prepare all kinds of desserts, confectionery, sweet pastries, hot and cold drinks, sauces, meat dishes, rice, vegetables. Decoctions, teas and infusions are prepared from dried berries. medicinal purposes. Cherries, dried together with the stone, do not differ in such variability of use. Dried fruits, for the most part, are used only in compotes.

Before processing, the fruits must be sorted, discarding green, rotten, spoiled, and wormy specimens. At the same time, the raw materials are cleaned of debris - leaves, color residues, cuttings, insects.

Wash thoroughly. You can do this under running water, pouring the berries in small portions into a colander, or in a wide basin. The second method is more convenient, as it allows you to remove small debris stuck to the cherries. To ensure that not the slightest trace of dirt remains, the water in the basin needs to be changed 2-3 times.

The washed, sorted fruits are placed on a sieve, allowing the water to drain. Pour in one layer onto clean kitchen towels so that the moisture is completely removed from the skin of the berries.

The longest, most labor-intensive and painstaking process at the stage of preparing fruits for drying is removing the seeds. You can remove the seeds the old fashioned way by squeezing them out with your fingers. But it is better to use improvised means - a special machine, wooden skewer, straws for cocktails. After this, the raw material is considered ready for further processing.

Sun-dried cherries, video

Basic recipe

Before you begin, you need to weigh the prepared pitted cherries. This is important because the proportions of sugar are calculated based on the weight of pure raw materials. On average, 350-450 g of sugar is taken per 1 kg of fruit. If the berries are very sour, you can add 100-150 grams, no more.

The basic recipe for making dried cherries looks like this:

the raw materials are sprinkled with sugar. To ensure even distribution, shake the container slightly;
leave at room temperature to release the juice;
after 12-15 hours, the juice is poured into a saucepan with a thick bottom and put on fire;
carefully place the fruits into the boiling juice, wait for the moment to boil again, reduce the heat to low;
Boil the cherries in juice for 10 minutes;
remove the pan from the stove and cool;
pour into a colander or sieve and strain off the juice.

Important! The less liquid remains in the fruit after cooking, the less time it will take for drying or drying.

The remaining juice is brought to a boil again, poured hot into sterilized jars, and sealed. If desired, you can also use it to make delicious cherry marmalade, winter compotes, sauces.

The cherries are slowly dried (dried) in an oven, electric dryer or in air.