Dried Cranberries

Cranberries are another food that is hard to use up. One bag of whole, raw cranberries will make a good size bowl. And since it is served more like a condiment, with a dollap alongside the turkey, or a smear on the rolls, it doesn’t get used up quickly.

Cranberries are actually pretty versatile. I suggest buying whole raw cranberries (in the produce section usually) as opposed to the canned version. The flavor is so much better with fresh! Cranberries are one of those miracle foods that can be used in a lot of things: breads like muffins and cakes, dinners, cereals, yogurt, or dried and put into snacks or trail mixes, or just eaten plain. And they are really good for you! I recommend trying to use up as much already cooked cranberry sauce in the above ways first.

But if you are at your wits end with these berries and ready to be done with them for awhile, drying is a definite win. There are two ways to dry cranberries.

First, drying the cranberry sauce. The easy way (method 1a) would be to dump the entire jelly onto a dehydrator tray and spread it out into a single layer. (it might be a good idea to put down a layer of silicone or parchment paper until it dries enough to not drip through the little holes in the tray) Turn it over when it dries enough to handle to dry the bottom. This will be more like a fruit roll up, but it will be chunky with the berry pieces. Taste test after a day or two in the dehydrator. It should be chewy like a raisin but not wet or gooey. When it is dried completely, tear it up into individual or clumps of berries.

If you don’t want to dry it in a big roll like that, you could use method 1b. Before dumping the whole smear on the dehydrator tray, dump it into a strainer and run some water over it to strain out the excess jelly. you’ll be left with just the cooked berries, which can then be spread onto the dehydrator tray. Taste one before drying them. Washing them might have washed away some of the sweetness. If it is bitter, sprinkle some sugar on it and then dehydrate as normal.

During this time of year, when cranberries are on sale (or available at all) I like to buy a lot and dehydrate them all. You can also dehydrate the raw berries. I cut them in half and soak them in sugar water. (you can heat them slightly but don’t boil or you’ll get jelly.) Then strain, spread them on the dehydrator trays, sprinkle sugar on top, and dehydrate.