Drying cherries at home - how to dry cherries for the winter correctly
Not only compotes can be made from dried cherries. This can be a great addition to baked goods instead of raisins, or just a treat for children and adults. There are several ways to dry cherries, and you can choose any of them, or come up with your own.
Drying cherries in the fresh air
This is the easiest way to dry cherries for compote. Here you just need to sort out the cherries, wash them, lay them out on a lattice tray and put them in the sun. Pallets must be brought home at night. The process is long, but not labor-intensive.
However, pitted cherries are not suitable for filling pies. And so that the cherries do not leak juice during natural drying, drying must be accelerated, and this can be done using an electric dryer or a conventional oven.
Drying cherries in an electric dryer
Wash the cherries, scatter them on a baking sheet and let them wilt a little. You can turn on the oven at 70 degrees and dry them for 30 minutes with the door ajar. This will make it easier to remove the pit and the cherries will not leak juice as much.
Now proceed directly to removing the seed, being careful not to greatly damage the integrity of the berry.
Prepare syrup from 1 liter of water, 0.5 kg of sugar and 1 teaspoon of ascorbic acid. You don’t have to add acid, but it’s what makes the cherries transparent and beautiful.
Boil the syrup and blanch the cherries for 2-3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the cherries and place them in a sieve.
When the syrup has drained, place the cherries on an electric dryer rack or on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.
In the electric dryer, immediately set the temperature to 50 degrees, and at this temperature, let the berries dry for 2 hours. Then, you should increase the temperature to 80 degrees, and after another 2 hours lower it again to 50 degrees.
In the oven, drying occurs at a higher temperature. Preheat it to 165º, place the baking sheet in the oven and watch for 3 hours so that the cherries do not burn.
The oven door should be slightly open for ventilation. Next, reduce the temperature to 100º and dry until ready.
Blanching and using syrup is a matter of taste; you can completely do without it and dry it as is.
Cherries should be stored in glass, tightly closed jars, where pests will not reach them, and they can be stored in this form until spring.
How to dry pitted cherries in an electric dryer, watch the video:
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