HOW TO MAKE DRIED CRANBERRIES IN A DEHYDRATOR
Let's preserve cranberries! Keep reading to learn how to make dried cranberries in a food dehydrator.
Equipment
- food dehydrator or see below for oven instructions
- knife, food processor or hand chopper
Ingredients
- 7 cups fresh cranberries
- 1 orange juiced
- ¼ cup sugar use as much or as little as desired
Instructions
- Use your favorite fruit wash to soak and wash the whole cranberries. Pick out the bad and unripe berries. Once the cranberries are done soaking, be sure to rinse them and dry them thoroughly with a clean dish towel or paper towels.
- Chop the cranberries into smaller pieces. They need to be cut in half at minimum. **This is VERY important** Place cranberries in bowl and squeeze the juice of one orange over them and then toss them around.
- Place the orange tossed cranberries in a single layer on the dehydrator trays. Then place the trays in the dehydrator.
- Turn on the dehydrator and let it run for 8 to 12 hours. Your dehydrating time will vary depending on the size of the chopped cranberries. Check the cranberries after 8 hours and see if they need more dehydration.
Notes
Hint: Cranberries dehydrate at the same temperature and length of time as orange slices, so I like to fill any remaining trays with oranges while I'm processing the cranberry pieces!
VARIATIONS OF DRIED CRANBERRY RECIPES
- Unsweetened dried cranberries - Once the cranberries are washed and chopped, you can place them into your food dehydrator tray into the dehydrator without tossing them in anything and proceed with the dehydrating process.
- Lemon Sugar Dried cranberries - Once wash and slice cranberries, you can place them in a large bowl, sprinkle the juice of one lemon over them and then add ⅛-¼ cup of sugar in it and toss them around to evenly coat the berries. Then proceed with dehydrating. The amount of sugar you use will depend on your taste preference. You can use honey or maple syrup as a sugar substitute, but keep in mind it will change the flavor some.
- Cranberry grape - Once the cranberries are washed and chopped you can toss them in a ¼ cup of grape juice. Then proceed to place them on the dehydrator tray using a slotted spoon, making sure you do not dump the excess grape juice onto the tray as well.
- Cranberry Apple - Once the cranberries are washed and chopped you can toss them in a ¼ cup of apple juice. Then proceed to place them on the dehydrator tray using a slotted spoon, making sure you do not dump the excess apple juice onto the tray as well.
TIPS AND TROUBLESHOOTING
- If you can control the temperature of your dehydrator, it is best to dehydrate them at the low temperature of 150 degrees Fahrenheit.
- If the cranberries seem to not be dehydrating, check that you cut them in half. If they stills seem to not be dehydrating, you may have to cut them even smaller and check the temperature of your dehydrator.
- You can rehydrate the cranberries by placing them in a microwave safe bowl with some water or another liquid of your choice. Cover the bowl and microwave for 30-45 seconds, then let it sit for about 5 minutes.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
I recommend using your dehydrated cranberries in baking recipes, whether it be cookies or bread. You can rehydrate them and use them in place of raisins in the recipe.Can you tell me how to make dried cranberries without a food dehydrator?
A second method to dehydrating cranberries is in the oven. If you do not have a dehydrator, you can simply place the raw cranberries on a baking sheet that is lined with a piece of parchment paper. Preheat the oven temperature to 155 and then add the trays of cranberries.
Nutrition
Calories: 48kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 0.4gFat: 0.1gSaturated Fat: 0.01gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.03gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.01gSodium: 1mgPotassium: 67mgFiber: 2gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 60IUVitamin C: 14mgCalcium: 9mgIron: 0.1mg
Tried this recipe?Share it with us @NinnescahHomestead