Cranberries - this is perhaps the most famous and popular bog berry. It can be bought on the market at any time of the year, because of the high content of antioxidants in its composition, it is kept fresh for a long time.
Of this acidic berries also make and different blanks: frozen, dried; close compotes, fruit drinks and juices; cook jams, pastille and jam from cranberries .
Dried cranberries completely retain their useful properties and in no way inferior to freshly picked berries. Dried berries are used mainly for medicinal purposes.
To ensure that dried cranberries are stored for as long as possible, the berries are fully ripened, free from damage and contamination, away from busy trails and industrial plants. On the collection it is better to go out into the dry cool weather, the berries that are ripped in the heat deteriorate faster.
Freshly picked berries can not be put in galvanized dishes, because the interaction of berry juice with zinc produces a toxic to human body zinc oxide.
The recipe for dried cranberries
Ingredients:
- berries of cranberries - 3 kg.
Preparation
Berries sorted, sorted and cleaned from plant debris and inedible parts. Rinse under running water and blanch the berries in boiling water or hold over hot steam (80-90 degrees) for 3-5 minutes. Blanching is necessary in order to limit the active action of enzymes that are in the composition of cranberries. The loss of vitamins and the color of berries, in this case, will be much less than when drying fresh berries. The more acid berry, the higher the temperature for blanching. Dry the cranberries in a natural and artificial way.
In the natural way, the berries are laid out in a thin layer on a wide plane with a linen or wooden coating in a well-ventilated room or in the shade in the fresh air. You can also dry it in the sun. Drying in fresh air is faster than in the room. We collect the berries in a linen bag after they stop sticking together and staining their fingers.
Artificially dry the cranberries with hot air in the oven or in a special dryer. For quick drying, you can even use a microwave.
Berries begin to dry at a low temperature, about 40-45 degrees. And when the cranberries get a little puffy, put the temperature at 60-70 degrees and stand the fruits of cranberries until completely dry.
In a microwave oven, the berries are laid out on a dielectric lattice in one layer. Turn the oven on for three minutes, then take a break for one minute, during the break, gently mix the berries. Turn the microwave oven back on for three minutes and turn it off one. Turn on and off with stirring alternate until the berries dry completely.
The shelf life of dry berries of cranberries is three years. From time to time they are desirable to sort out and throw out the darkened berries.
What is useful dried cranberry?
From dried cranberries prepare broths for colds, for the treatment of kidney and bladder diseases. Berries are used for food to prevent the formation of kidney stones. Cranberry helps lower blood pressure, increases stamina, improves sleep.
Compotes made from dried cranberries, increase the body's immunity in the cold season, and also improve the overall well-being and mood of a person.