Step 1: prepare the cherries.

To begin with, we select the ripe cherries with our hands from the rotten and crushed ones. Place the first ones in a deep bowl and place under running water. Gently wash the berries with your hands. And since we have a lot of ingredients, we can do this in portions. Transfer the washed cherries to another deep bowl and set aside. And we do this until we wash all the berries under water. Now, to pit the cherries, first remove the stems with your hands. Then, using a regular juice tube, we pierce the cherry with it in the place where the stalk was and, having touched the seed, we take the tube back. This is a very convenient way that will not only make it easier for you to peel the cherries, but will also preserve the beautiful appearance of the main component of the dish. Transfer the processed berries to a clean, empty bowl.

Step 2: prepare the syrup.

Pour purified water into a medium saucepan and place on high heat. When the water starts to boil, add all the sugar using a tablespoon and then mix everything thoroughly with the same spoon until the sugar component is completely dissolved. That's it, the sugar syrup is ready, so we can move on to the process of drying the cherries.

Step 3: prepare dried cherries.

As soon as the sugar syrup boils, do not turn off the burner, but simply turn the heat to medium. Carefully place the cherries in small portions into a saucepan and cook for 5-8 minutes. Then use a ladle to catch the berries from the container and place them in a colander directly over a clean, deep bowl. We leave them in this state until the syrup completely drains from them. Meanwhile, dip the next portion of peeled cherries into the boiling syrup. After the syrup has completely drained from the boiled cherries, transfer the main ingredient to a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Place the dish in the oven on the top level and cook for 3 hours at a temperature 165°C. Then lower the oven temperature up to 135°С and dry the cherries again 16-24 hours. Attention: In this case, the oven door must be slightly open so that there is not a lot of moisture left in the product being dried. The finished dish should be elastic, wrinkled and dark brown in color.

Step 4: Serve dried cherries.

Immediately after we have dried the cherries, they can be served. And so the dish is best stored in sterilized jars with a tightly closed lid. This delicacy can simply be served with tea or used to decorate all kinds of sweet dishes. Also, after drying, the berry retains beneficial substances and vitamins A, PP and C, so it is very healthy to eat, taking into account the fact that it is a natural product without preservatives. It also has an anti-inflammatory and rejuvenating effect on our body, which is very useful during the cold season. So enjoy your dried cherries and... Bon appetit!

- – If it is inconvenient for you to remove the seed using a juice straw, then the most common medium-sized paperclip or pin can come to your aid. To do this, we pry up the seed with the available equipment, pushing it through the pulp of the cherry in the place where the stalk was.

- – Also, to surprise guests and loved ones, dried cherries can be dipped in melted chocolate and left aside to cool to room temperature. This way you will receive a delicious delicacy.

- – If you have a dacha or a house, then you can dry the cherries in the fresh air. The main thing is that the process takes place away from the roadway, where there are practically no cars. To do this, place the processed cherries on a baking sheet or preferably on a large flat sieve and leave in the sunny side for the whole day. By evening, the berries should be brought indoors, and the next day the drying procedure should be repeated again. And this should take 3-4 days, depending on the size of the cherry.

- – In order for dried cherries to turn out both tasty and beautiful, it is necessary to select only ripe berries, dark red in color and preferably large varieties.

- – After you have sorted through the cherries, do not throw away the overripe berries, as you can make a very tasty compote or jelly from them.

First of all, it is worth saying that during drying, if everything is done correctly, cherries practically do not lose their beneficial properties. This berry is very rich in vitamins and minerals. They have bactericidal properties, which is why dried cherries are used in folk medicine often used to stop inflammatory processes, as well as for viral diseases.

Dried cherries are also rich in a substance that significantly reduces blood clotting. Because of this property Dried cherry dishes are recommended to be consumed as a preventive measure against atherosclerosis.

Also if a person has anemia, cherries will be very, very useful. This berry contains a lot of iron; the amount of this substance can be compared with apples.

Cherries are also beneficial for pregnant women due to their high iron content, which is so often lacking in the blood of pregnant women. It is useful to drink dried cherry compotes for epilepsy.

Cherry has a beneficial effect on the condition of nails, hair and skin.

A lot can be said about the benefits of cherries, some consider it almost a panacea. This berry is used in folk methods of treatment, in cosmetology, and in cooking.

So, cherries mainly have only benefits. Let's talk about exactly what processes in the body are improved thanks to this berry.

1. Weight loss. Dried cherries are an integral part of many diets. Various decoctions of this berry not only do not cause harm to the body, as with a regular diet, but also strengthen the immune system.
2. Normalization of sleep. Due to the fact that cherries contain melatonin, compotes made from them help improve sleep. Pies and other dishes with cherries contribute to this to a lesser extent, since you should not eat too much before going to bed.
3. Memory improvement. Train yourself to drink a glass of cherry compote every morning, this will significantly improve your concentration and memory.
4. Slowing down the aging process. Scientists have not come to a clear point of view, but after some research, many biologists have concluded that both dried and fresh cherries contribute to the renewal of skin cells.

In addition to a large amount of minerals Cherries have a wonderful taste. If you have children in your family, they will surely love this delicacy.

The calorie content of dried cherries is 292 kcal per 100 g of product, so don’t be afraid to gain weight from eating such yummy food.

Harm

There are many benefits of cherries listed here, however, this red berry is like fresh, and in dried form can be harmful. What is the danger of your favorite cherry?

Cherries are contraindicated:

• people with diabetes;
• children under 1.5 - 2 years old;
• for diseases of the digestive system.

Cherries contain a large amount of glucose, so if you have high blood sugar levels, it is better to refrain from eating cherries.

You should not overeat dried cherries, as this can cause quite severe heartburn.

What varieties are suitable?

When choosing cherries for drying First of all, pay attention to ripe berries of rich color. The pulp of such fruits should be dense, and the stone should be small. Cherry varieties that are well suited for drying are Shubinka, Lyubskaya, Vladimirovskaya.

Before you begin the drying process, you need to decide on the following aspect - do you need a bone? If you are going to use cherry To prepare compotes, it is quite possible to leave the bone.

If the berries will be used as a filling for pies, the seeds should be removed. In stores with various kitchen utensils Nowadays you can find special devices that make removing seeds much easier.

In addition, with the help of such a device you will do it more carefully; it is very important not to damage the berries too much so that they do not leak juice, but release excess moisture during drying.

To make the bones easier to remove, lightly dry the cherries at a temperature of 30-35 degrees. Drying cherries in an electric dryer (in a dryer), more on this later.

Cooking berries

Before the drying process, cherries should be sorted and remove the stalks and wash thoroughly. In order for the berries to dry faster, before drying they are blanched in a boiling lye solution for 2-3 minutes.

After these manipulations, you can begin to dry the cherries. How to dry cherries in the oven Read on to find out how to dry cherries in an electric dryer.

Drying

Under the sun

Now is the time to deal with the matter how to dry cherries correctly. It is very important to do this in such a way that all the beneficial properties listed above are preserved.

Drying cherries under the sun - why not? It is best to dry berries in the fresh air., where a warm breeze will blow over them. Many people use baking sheets or trays for these purposes, but it is better to take a large piece of thick, clean cloth.

The berries need to be dried for 4-5 days. During the day they should be under the sun, and at night bring the berries into the house so that they do not gain moisture again. As soon as the sun starts to warm up in the morning, the cherries need to be taken out again. Take a piece of fabric that you feel comfortable wearing, or get someone's help.

It is by drying in the fresh air that cherries preserve maximum vitamins and best dried. But this drying method is only suitable for cherries with pits.

If you remove the seeds, the cherries will release a lot of juice, which will greatly attract insects that will be impossible to get rid of.

Therefore, you need to dry cherries in the sun in a complete, undamaged form. Read more about how to dry cherries at home and how to dry cherries in the oven.

At home

For that, to dry cherries at home, you need an oven Of course, at room temperature the cherries will not dry out. Before you start drying berries in the oven, you need to remove all damaged cherries.

To dry cherries at home, you need to place the berries on a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper or foil. Drying occurs in several stages, which differ in temperature conditions.

There are always many questions regarding readiness. It is quite easy to determine that cherries are dried when done in the fresh air, since in this case there is no fear of drying out the berries.

If we dry it in an oven, we need to ensure that when you press the berry with your finger, no juice comes out of it. Well-dried cherries also have a dark brown color. skin tone. Well-dried berries taste sweet and sour.

The overall process of drying cherries at home will take approximately 8-9 hours., it all depends on the size of the berries and the degree of their ripeness. If you need to dry pitted cherries, the process will take two or even three times longer.

Do not forget that you cannot close the oven with cherries; it must be slightly open throughout the entire cooking process.

In the oven

In order to dry cherries in a real oven, you first need to adjust the temperature. To do this, sprinkle a few drops of water on the floor of the oven., it should boil. The process of drying berries in a real oven is quite simple; most often cherries are dried in this way in dachas or country houses.

After the sieves are installed, the oven does not need to be closed too tightly; there must be air access, because the moisture will need to evaporate. This is a very important point, which should definitely be taken into account. The chimney should also be slightly open.

Over time, the chimney must be gradually closed. In such conditions, drying cherries will last 10-12 hours. Read how to store dried cherries at home in the next section.

Storage rules

It is best to store dried cherries in small paper bags.

If you know you'll use dried berries quickly, you can put them in a jar.

You can store dried cherries for no more than a year., but it is very unlikely that you will not eat or cook something tasty from it during this time.

Conclusion

You won't have any difficulties drying cherries if you follow our tips. Dried cherries will delight you for a long time your family with the pleasant taste and smell of summer.

Useful video!

Excellent taste, delicious aroma, rich vitamin composition, healing properties - this is how you can briefly characterize the ripe fruits of the cherry tree. And the fact that they are stored fresh for only a short time is not a problem, because there are many ways to prepare cherries for the winter. For example, dried cherries at home are an incredibly tasty and valuable product in all respects. But, most importantly, it is easy to prepare.

There is nothing special about drying technology. Sorting of fresh fruits, preparation, cooking with sugar, slow drying in an oven or electric dryer, packaging in storage containers. Dried cherries are prepared in a similar way. But there are some points due to which there is a difference in the characteristics and applications of the finished product:

The result is a product that is eaten simply as a sweet delicacy, used to prepare all kinds of desserts, confectionery, sweet pastries, hot and cold drinks, sauces, meat dishes, rice, and vegetables. Decoctions, teas and infusions are prepared from dried berries for medicinal purposes. Cherries, dried together with the stone, do not differ in such variability of use. Dried fruits, for the most part, are used only in compotes.

Preparation for drying

Before processing, the fruits must be sorted, discarding green, rotten, spoiled, and wormy specimens. At the same time, the raw materials are cleaned of debris - leaves, color residues, cuttings, insects.

Wash thoroughly. You can do this under running water, pouring the berries in small portions into a colander, or in a wide basin. The second method is more convenient, as it allows you to remove small debris stuck to the cherries. To ensure that not the slightest trace of dirt remains, the water in the basin needs to be changed 2-3 times.

The washed, sorted fruits are placed on a sieve, allowing the water to drain. Pour in one layer onto clean kitchen towels so that the moisture is completely removed from the skin of the berries.

The longest, most labor-intensive and painstaking process at the stage of preparing fruits for drying is removing the seeds. You can remove the seeds the old fashioned way by squeezing them out with your fingers. But it is better to use improvised means - a special machine, a wooden skewer, a straw for cocktails.

After this, the raw material is considered ready for further processing.

Basic recipe

Before you begin, you need to weigh the prepared pitted cherries. This is important because the proportions of sugar are calculated based on the weight of pure raw materials. On average, 350-450 g of sugar is taken per 1 kg of fruit. If the berries are very sour, you can add 100-150 grams, no more.

The basic recipe for making dried cherries looks like this:

Important! The less liquid remains in the fruit after cooking, the less time it will take for drying or drying.

The remaining juice is brought to a boil again, poured hot into sterilized jars, and sealed. If desired, you can also use it to prepare delicious cherry marmalade, winter compotes, and sauces.

The cherries are slowly dried (dried) in an oven, electric dryer or in air.

Drying methods

The rules for drying cherries in the oven are the same for any recipe. The process looks like this:

Advice. To allow moisture to leave the berries faster, it is recommended to keep the oven door slightly open.

Drying cherries in an electric dryer is even easier:

The degree of readiness of the product in both the first and second cases is determined by the following parameters: the fruits have shriveled and acquired a darker, almost black color; the pulp has become plastic, the juice does not come out when pressed.

Attention! If everything is done correctly, from 1 kg of fresh cherries you get about 300 g of dried cherries.

At the end of the process, the finished dried cherries are cooled in air. Pour into glass jars with tight lids or place in paper and then plastic bags. Store in a cool (12-18 degrees) place at a relative humidity of 60-70%. Shelf life – 12 months.

The benefits and harms of dried cherries

The chemical composition of cherries is replete with components valuable for the human body. It is best, of course, to eat fresh berries, but dried and dried cherries are also very useful.

The product (incomplete composition) contains:

Particular importance is attached to the coumarins and hydroxycoumarins contained in dried cherries - substances that maintain the ability of blood to clot at a normal level. In addition, the product has the following medicinal properties:

• febrile conditions;
• vascular and heart diseases;
• arthritis, gout;
• atherosclerosis;
• acute bronchopulmonary diseases;
• thrombophlebitis;
• for problems with the functioning of the stomach and intestines;
• with irregular and/or heavy periods.

In addition, dried cherries help remove toxins and nitrogenous compounds from the body, increase overall immunity, and are often used to treat colds and viral diseases as an antipyretic and expectorant. Phenol compounds have made this unique product one of the safe and effective means for the prevention and treatment of benign tumors and even severe cancers.

As for contraindications, they are few. So, dried cherries should not be consumed in the following conditions:

Otherwise, home-made dried cherries are a very tasty and healthy product. For this reason it is incredibly popular in cooking, confectionery, and folk medicine.

Dried fruits are a real salvation during the long winter. When properly dried, they retain vitamins and minerals. They are easier to store than frozen, as they shrink in volume and do not take up space in the refrigerator. Today the subject of our conversation is dried cherries and different ways of drying them.

Preparing the berries

Sort the cherries, sort them, remove the stems. Small cherries are preferred as they dry faster.

Rinse the berries. Boil water, adding soda at the rate of 1 teaspoon per 1 liter of liquid. Prepare a large saucepan or bowl of cold water

Pour boiling water and soda over the cherries and immediately place them in cold water. Place in a colander and let the liquid drain. This procedure is called blanching. It helps soften the skins of the berries, which will speed up the drying process.

After this, you can remove the seeds. This is not necessary if you plan to use the berries only for making compotes. In other cases, it is more convenient to use pitted cherries, which can be removed with a special device, a juice straw, a stick, a knitting needle, or a hairpin.

Sun drying

Line a tray or baking sheet with thick paper. Place the berries on the surface. Place the tray outside in a sunny location. During the day, let the berries dry under the rays, and at night put the cherries under the roof.

If you dry whole berries, the process will take four days. The dried cherries should be elastic, not release juice when pressed, and have a slightly glossy surface.

If you cut the fruits into halves, then after this time they need to be placed in an oven preheated to 55-60 degrees and kept there for 10 hours. In this case, 2-3 hours before the end of drying, the temperature should be increased to 70-75 degrees.

From 1 kilogram of fresh berries you get about 200 grams of dried ones.

Oven drying

If you don't want to wait for the berries to dry naturally, you can use the oven. You will get exactly the same dried cherries. We offer the following recipe.

Prepare sugar syrup: pour 1 liter of water into a saucepan, wait until it boils and gradually (one spoon at a time) add 800 grams of sugar. Stir thoroughly until it is completely dissolved.

Set the heat to medium. Place the berries in the water and cook for 5-8 minutes. Then scoop them out using a large spoon or ladle and transfer to a colander. It is advisable to do this over a large, clean bowl so that the delicious cherry syrup does not disappear. If there are a lot of cherries, then process in batches in the same way, using the same water.

When the liquid has completely drained from the berries, place them on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Place it on the top rack of the oven, set the temperature to 165 degrees and keep the berries inside for 3 hours. Then lower the temperature to 135 degrees and let them dry further. This can take from 12 hours to a day.

During drying, the oven door should be kept ajar at all times.

Tumble Drying

The berries are prepared as described above. The only subtlety is that when using a dryer, the seeds will have to be removed, since the protective shell must be broken. Otherwise, hot air will not penetrate inside, and instead of dried cherries you will get boiled cherries. You can simply damage (crush, cut) each berry, leaving the seeds in place, but this is irrational.

The rest of the process is simple: the cherries are placed in the dryer, and the medium mode is set (55-60 degrees). If the berries are placed close to each other, then they need to be stirred periodically.

Cherries dried in the dryer should be slightly soft and sticky when ready. If it becomes hard, it means you overdid it.

Dried cherries, method one

There are not only dried cherries, but also dried cherries.

Prepare cherries as usual. Combine sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. For 1 kilogram of cherries you will need 250 grams of sugar and 300 ml of water.

Place half of the berries in the pan. When the water boils again, cover the container and cook for 7 minutes, then place the berries in a colander. Process the remaining cherries in the same way. Remove seeds if necessary.

After the liquid has drained, place the berries on a baking sheet or tray to dry. You can do this with your hands or tweezers - whichever is more convenient for you. It is not necessary to place paper or lubricate the surface.

The next day or every other day, turn the cherries.

Dry to the degree of softness you require. Depending on the temperature and humidity in the room, the process will take one to two weeks. If it is possible to place it in the sun, then quickly.

From 1 kilogram of fresh berries you get about 300 grams of dried ones.

Dried cherries, method two

Prepare the cherries, place them in an enamel pan and sprinkle with sugar. You can take 400-500 grams of sugar per 1 kilogram of cherries - depending on how sweet the berries themselves are.

After this, leave the cherries at room temperature for a day to release their juice. After this time, drain the berries in a colander. Cook sugar syrup from 300 ml of water and 300 grams of sugar. Remove the syrup from the heat, add the berries to it and leave for 5 minutes.

Place the cherries removed from the sweet water on a baking sheet in one layer and place in an oven preheated to 80 degrees for half an hour.

Remove the berries from the oven and let them cool completely at room temperature. After this, carefully turn them over with a wooden spatula and put them in the oven again for half an hour, but at a temperature of 70 degrees.

After the second drying, cool the berries again and repeat the drying “session” at a temperature of 65-70 degrees for 30 minutes.

Storing dried berries

It is advisable to store dried cherries at home in an airtight container or glass jar with a lid. It’s even better if you pre-sterilize the jars. It’s acceptable to use a cotton bag, but this will shorten the shelf life of the dried fruit. Plastic bags should not be used, as the cherries in them will become moldy after a while.

You can make small cloth bags of salt and place them in a container with berries to increase shelf life.

Make sure the cherries dry evenly. Select under-dried berries and dry them completely, otherwise during storage they may become infected with pests that will ruin the entire batch.

The optimal temperature is from 0 to 10 degrees, so it is preferable to place dried fruits in the refrigerator. In such conditions, dried cherries will “live” for about a year and a half.

When stored, the shelf life is reduced to a year. In this case, it is better to choose the top shelves of kitchen cabinets for placement, since the air is drier there.

If you place the berries in a fabric bag, then let it lie as far as possible from products with a strong odor.

During storage, especially when using unsealed containers, periodically check to see if there are any bugs in the berries.

The benefits and harms of dried cherries

Which is very simple, will not only diversify the winter menu, but also make it useful. It contains vitamins C, A, PP, as well as calcium, phosphorus, zinc, potassium, iron, and antioxidants.

Pectins remove harmful substances from the body, improve intestinal motility, and normalize metabolism.

So we figured out how to make and how to store dried cherries. Bon appetit!

Nutrition experts say that a handful of dried cherries meets your daily requirement for cobalt and magnesium. Along with these minerals are iron, calcium, zinc, sodium, copper, potassium, selenium and phosphorus. Vitamins: PP, A, B5, B6, E, K, beta-carotene, choline.

The nutritional value of dried cherries is represented by proteins (0.22%), fats (0.21%), dietary fiber (3.2%), ash (0.34%). The main share belongs to carbohydrates - 41.9%, of which mono- and disaccharides make up 38.8%.

How it affects the body

Dried cherries have antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, antioxidant, laxative and diuretic effects. It has a positive effect on the nervous and cardiovascular systems, improves blood composition, enhances intestinal motility, and reduces the likelihood of oncological manifestations. Stimulates cell renewal processes, improves immunity, and normalizes blood pressure.

The active action of cherries in cleansing blood vessels, the ability to strengthen the walls, improve capillary permeability, prevent the formation of blood clots and the deposition of fats in the form of cholesterol plaques have been proven. Helps with joint problems, inflammatory processes in the lungs and bronchi. The presence of oxycoumarins thins the blood and prevents thrombus formation.

Eating dried cherries is useful for maintaining women's health, it preserves beauty and prolongs youth. This product ensures painless passage of the menstrual cycle and restores hemoglobin levels in case of large blood losses. Increases blood circulation in the pelvic area.

These dried fruits are an excellent digestive stimulant; there is particular activity in relation to the activity of the gallbladder and pancreas. Neutralizes the negative effects of free radicals. Promote digestion and stimulate the production of gastric juice. Restore sleep, improve thought processes, memory, attention.

How to choose correctly

It is important to buy dried cherries that will bring benefits. To do this, you need to be able to distinguish candied fruits from dried products. Often in industrial production, the method of squeezing juice and soaking berries in sugar syrup is used. After evaporation of the liquid, a depleted product is obtained, half consisting of sugars. And natural drying ensures the preservation of the entire range of useful substances. This product does not have a sugary coating, the berries are quite hard and dry to the touch.

Storage methods

In a cool and ventilated place, dried cherries do not lose quality for 1 year. To do this, place the fruits in a fabric bag or glass container.

What does it go with in cooking?

Dried cherries are a fragrant delicacy. It is used in cooking to create a variety of dishes and drinks. Thanks to the pleasant taste and characteristic sourness, all dishes acquire a unique flavor. The product is popular in drinks such as compote, fruit drink, and jelly. Used in desserts, fruit rolls, muffins, casseroles, baked goods (pies, cookies), and sauces for meat.

This product is often used to make fruit powder (crushed in a coffee grinder), which is used for confectionery delights and combined with cottage cheese and milk porridges.

Healthy combination of products

In weight loss diets, dried cherries help satisfy the need for sweets and increase vitamin levels. Serves as a healthy snack and stimulates digestion. A decoction of these dried fruits is drunk as a diuretic. Tea is brewed with these dried fruits, added to porridges and puddings, and used as a healthy sweetener for dishes.

Contraindications

Application in medicine and cosmetology

Dried cherry fruits are used in folk medicine to treat anemia, kidneys, cardiovascular system, lungs, arthrosis, arthritis, constipation. Expectorant syrups and antipyretic infusions are prepared on the basis of this product. Decoctions are prescribed to remove toxins, reduce swelling and cholesterol levels.

Medicinal teas made from dried berries are recommended for increasing immunity, cleansing blood vessels, and relieving pain from gout and joint pain. There are folk recipes that help in the treatment of psychiatric diseases, insomnia, and feverish conditions. Boiled dried fruits in milk are effective for osteochondrosis and anemia.

Fruit powder obtained from dried cherries is successfully used in cosmetology. This product retains all useful substances, including and. Various masks and scrubs (face and body) are made on its basis. The action is aimed at rejuvenation, vitaminization, light whitening and exfoliation of old cells.

When used in a certain proportion with starch, it is possible to normalize the functioning of the sebaceous glands. Applications of powder with lemon juice relieve acne symptoms and tighten pores. Rinse your hair with a decoction of cherries to strengthen the roots and get rid of dandruff. Cherry powder is effective for wraps: tones, moisturizes, cleanses. The product is also included in balms, shampoos, pralines, and is used for taking medicinal baths. There are many recipes using cherry powder, for example:

• Mask for the face. The powder is diluted with cream or kefir (1:1). Apply for 15-20 minutes.
• Hair Mask. Required: 2 tsp. powder, 2 tbsp. l. starch, 1 tsp. water, juice of 1 lemon. Leave as a compress for 30 minutes.
• Facial scrub. A homogeneous mass is made based on water, powder and oil, which is used to massage problem areas.