Drying black currants for the winter is a wonderful way to preserve a lot of vitamins and minerals during the autumn-winter colds and is very economical. It is worth following a few simple rules in order to recharge the energy of berries without special expenses.
Currant preparation for drying
Before drying, blackcurrant berries should be picked in sunny and dry weather. The harvested crop must be sorted: to sift out small and unripe fruits, leaving only ripe, large, saturated black. Then wash the berries, dry and spread on trays in a thin even layer. If the tray is made of metal, then first you need to lay a layer of paper (for baking).
Methods for drying black currant
On a tray of berries to dry in the open air (suitable and ventilated balcony, and the attic of the house) for two days. During this time, the fruits are dried. In no case can you dry the berries in the open sun, because all the valuable substances will decay, and especially vitamin C, which is so rich in blackcurrant. After withering, currants should be placed in the oven and dried at a temperature not exceeding 50 degrees. This method of drying is called combined.
You can dry the currants and immediately in the oven. To do this, first withstand it at a temperature of 50-60 degrees, and then gradually increase the temperature to 80 degrees. At the final stage of drying, you need to be especially careful, again lowering the temperature: moisture from the berries evaporates slowly, because of this the fruits can burn. To prevent berries from steaming, you should keep the oven door ajar.
Special home units for drying will also help to dry currants
A microwave will also do the job. Small portions of berries should be put on a dish between layers of cotton cloth and dried for 2 minutes in 200W mode.
How to store dried currants
If all stages of drying are carried out correctly, then the berries compressed in the palm of the hand should not secrete juice. In this finished condition, they must be placed in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. It is recommended to store such a container in a dry place, away from direct sunlight at room temperature.
