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Drying currants at home is carried out outdoors or using household appliances. An electric dryer is best, but if you don’t have one, you can also use an oven, which should be set to a temperature of 50–55 °C. In small quantities, the pulp can be dried in the microwave: this is the fastest method and will take no more than 10–15 minutes.
Is it possible to dry currants?
Drying currants, like other berries, is not only possible, but also necessary. This is a storehouse of vitamins that a person needs in winter. Fruits of all varieties are suitable for drying - black, red, white currants. This method of preparation has several advantages over traditional methods (cooking, grinding with sugar):
- Many useful substances are preserved, including vitamin C, which is destroyed by boiling in 2-3 minutes.
- The berries have a more interesting, rich taste and aroma.
- If dried currants are placed in warm water, they will give the drink a bright color.This occurs due to the preservation of all pigments.
Currant berries can be dried for tea, as well as for other purposes, for example, for making fruit drinks, pies, decorating cakes, and candying. Thanks to drying, the pulp retains vitamins B, C, K, E, P, folic acid and minerals.
Regular consumption of dried currants helps strengthen the immune system, prevent diabetes, cancer, and vascular problems
Which berries to take for drying
Fresh and whole berries are suitable for drying. They must be collected on a sunny day (completely dry).
In order not to damage the skin, the berries are collected immediately with brushes, and not separately. Before you start drying, you must ensure ripeness and good taste. If you are going to buy fruits on the market, you should try several berries and evaluate not only the taste, but also the aroma. If the smell contains any foreign shades, it is not recommended to purchase them.
For drying, choose dense, undamaged berries without foreign odors.
Preparing berries for drying
Preparation for drying includes several steps:
- The fruits should be rinsed with low pressure running water.
- Remove leaves, twigs and other debris.
- Place the berries in one layer on a clean cloth and let them dry from the water. It is advisable that they do not lie too tightly.
It is better to do the initial drying (after washing) outdoors - under a canopy or on a loggia (but not in direct sunlight). When the drops disappear, the berries can be dried using any of the methods described below.
It is not recommended to mix black and red varieties, since the fruits differ in weight, i.e. they will dry at different speeds.
How to properly dry currants at home
You can dry currants at home in different ways: both outdoors and using household appliances. You can determine the readiness of the product by appearance and weight: due to the loss of water, the weight decreases by 5 times, i.e. 5 kg of fresh berries will yield 1 kg of dried ones. You can also check it manually by squeezing the pulp with your fingers: if the juice does not flow out, then the product is ready for further storage.
Air drying
Air drying is the simplest but longest method. It is not worth keeping the berries directly under open rays, since this destroys many useful components. The optimal place is under a canopy, on a covered loggia, in a dry attic (with the windows open). The technology is like this:
- The berries, washed and dried from moisture, are laid out in one layer on wooden sheets, which can first be covered with parchment.
- Cover the top with clean gauze.
- Placed under a canopy or in the attic (in any utility room).
- Open the windows and dry for 5–7 days. Stir occasionally so that the process proceeds evenly.
- The berries are placed in the oven and kept at a temperature of 50–55 degrees for 5 hours.
- Cool to room temperature and store.
To dry currants in air, you can use floor or hanging nets
How to dry in the microwave
You can dry currant fruits in the microwave. The method allows you to obtain blanks in small quantities, but quickly and without much effort. The instructions are:
- You will need a flat plate with dry surfaces.
- Place a paper napkin on the bottom.
- Currant fruits are poured onto it in one layer.
- Cover the top with the same napkin.
- Place in the microwave for 5 minutes (heating power 200 W).
- After this, periodically (2 times a minute) interrupt the heating and check the readiness of the fruits.
The total cooking time takes 10–15 minutes, but it all depends on the size of the berries and the material of the plate. Therefore, it is necessary to periodically open the door and monitor the condition of the currants.
How to dry blackcurrants in the oven
A simple way to dry currants - in the oven
To do this, take a baking sheet and cover it with a layer of foil or parchment. Lay out the fruits in one layer. The oven is heated to a temperature of 45 °C and kept for an hour.
Then remove, place the baking sheet on a stand and cool to room temperature (1 hour). After this, preheat the oven to 70 °C and leave the baking sheet for another 1.5–2 hours. The whole process will take a maximum of 4 hours.
How to dry currants in an electric dryer
Since it is not always possible to maintain the desired drying temperature in the oven, and the microwave is very small, the easiest way is to purchase an electric dryer. The device allows you to set optimal parameters. With its help, you can dry currants in almost any volume. The process occurs evenly and from all sides, which improves the quality of the final product and increases its shelf life.
The instructions are quite simple:
- Set the dryer to 55°C.
- Place currants in one layer on a tray.
- One minute after turning on the device, place the trays and close the door.
- Leave to dry for two days (48–50 hours). Almost all modern electric dryers have a timer that will automatically turn off the device. Therefore, there is no need to control its operation.
You can put 5-6 pallets in the dryer at the same time
How to properly store dried berries
After drying, the product can be stored in two ways:
- In clean, thoroughly dried glass or tin jars with screw-on lids.
- In bags made of natural fabric that allows air to pass through (linen, cotton). It is enough to tie them with a rope.
Containers or bags are placed in a dry, protected from direct sun and ventilated place - in a niche, on a balcony.
How long do dried berries last?
The optimal shelf life is 1 year. If the temperature does not exceed 8–10 degrees, then drying can be maintained for up to two years. You should periodically inspect the containers and ensure that the currants do not become moldy. If it has spoiled a little, all damaged fruits should be removed, and the rest should be used to prepare a fruit drink or other dish. It is also worth checking neighboring jars or bags, perhaps the fruits in them have also begun to deteriorate. In this case, they will need to be sorted again.
Conclusion
Drying currants at home is a fairly simple process. Winter harvesting does not require special skills. The main condition is to choose the right berry, rinse and dry it thoroughly, and then keep it in the open air, in the oven or dryer. If there are no instruments, the workpiece can be done under a canopy (without direct sunlight).When drying, you should periodically turn the fruits so that the process proceeds evenly. If this is not done, the berries will begin to mold and the preparation will not last long.
