How to Dry Raspberries: 6 Ways

The sweet and fragrant berry is a favorite treat for many people. But in fresh form it is stored very little, so you have to use a variety of ways to preserve it. Previously, they preferred to make raspberries into jam, compotes. Now actively used freezing. So the berry almost does not lose taste.

But there is another old method of preserving, which allows you to save large amounts of product for a very long time, with almost no loss of useful properties. Drying berries allows you to store the finished product for at least a year. The dried product has a wide range of applications, from cooking to traditional medicine and home cosmetics.

Everyone knows that raspberries have medicinal properties, help fight colds, strengthen the immune system and improve the condition of blood vessels. Dried berries are not inferior to fresh berries and even have the advantage of a higher concentration of useful substances in the product after processing. In addition, to resort to the help of folk medicine after drying will be possible at any time of the year, when it will be necessary.

This process has its own difficulties. First of all, they are associated with the fact that raspberries are very delicate, it has a lot of moisture, it easily loses its shape with a little pressure. Therefore, it is very important to choose the right raw material, to harvest competently and to prepare for drying by one of the methods. There are quite a few methods to get dried raspberries. Everyone can choose the one that suits the best. In some situations, it is possible to combine methods of drying to get exactly the expected result.

How to choose raspberries for drying

For drying, both wild forest raspberries and any variety of garden plants will be suitable. In this regard, it is worth relying on your own taste and preferences. If you choose a berry that is not very sweet, after processing it will contain more sour notes in the flavor than a sweet one. For example, forest raspberries have a more pronounced flavor, which will remain even after drying.

Particular attention is paid to the quality of the raw material itself when picking, rather than the variety or variety. The berries must be ripe, not damaged, with no signs of any disease, and dry. If all the above requirements are observed, the drying process will go faster and easier, and the finished product will have excellent quality and taste and will be preserved for a long time.

How to prepare berries for drying

Preparation begins with the process of harvesting. The berries should be removed as they ripen. It is better to collect regularly in small batches and send them immediately for drying, so that the fruits do not have time to overripe or crumple in the tray after removal from the bush. Raspberries quickly deform and let the juice flow. Such raw material should not be used for drying. Also, well-ripened or overripe specimens are not suitable for processing. They are too soft and watery, and by this time lose flavor and aroma. It is better to prefer berries that are a little unripe.

The best time to harvest the fruit is in sunny, dry weather. If it rained the day before, you should wait until the bushes have dried out well. It is also recommended not to pick berries early in the morning or evening, when there is more humidity or dew.

The berries should be carefully separated from the stalks so as not to damage them, and put in a low container or tray. It is better to take a wide container with low edges, so not to stack raspberries in layers, but try to stack in one row. Otherwise, the lower layers may deform.

Before you start drying, you need to sort the berries, remove debris, leaves, stalks, insects, if any, crushed, slightly spoiled and too ripe fruits. Washing raspberries is not recommended; they pick up a lot of moisture and lose some of their flavor and aroma. If the berries are too dusty or you are not sure that they are clean, you can rinse them in cold running water, placing them in a wide sieve. It is important to try not to stir or touch the berries unnecessarily, so that they are not damaged. Then spread out on a paper towel or paper towel and lay out the raspberries in a single row, let them dry completely. Once again, sort them out.

How to dry raspberries at home

There are many ways to dry berries and get a fragrant product. Everyone chooses the one that meets his requirements, conditions and preferences. Natural drying allows you to immediately process large volumes of product, but requires space to organize the process, favorable weather conditions and time. Other methods save considerable time, but the batch size is significantly reduced.

Some use a combination of different techniques. If the picking site is far away, the picked berries may not survive transportation. Then it is possible to dry out in the fresh air for a couple of days, and to finish drying with special devices at home. The same method allows you to adjust the process if the weather suddenly goes bad.

In the oven

The oven allows you to significantly reduce the processing time of the product. But it does not allow you to dry berries in large batches, also requires electricity costs.

1. Prepared and dried berries spread out on a baking tray, which is recommended beforehand to be covered with baking paper, silicone mat or foil. This is done in case the berry begins to secrete juice, which, having thickened, will interfere with the simple removal from the surface. To speed up the process a little, you can cover a lattice with paper, make a few holes in it, place raspberries in a single layer, and already lattice set on a baking tray.
2. Preheat the oven to 60 degrees. If there is a fan or convection function, it is better to activate it. This will greatly improve air circulation, so the process will go much faster.
3. Put the tray with berries in the oven chamber. You can put to dry two trays at once to increase the volume, but you will have to periodically change their places, so that the berries dried evenly. Between the door and the chamber of the oven to leave a small gap, do not close completely. In the gap left will escape evaporating moisture, raspberries will be dried, not cooked.
4. Every hour, open the oven for 3-5 minutes to reduce the moisture inside. Also, periodically reduce the temperature to 40 degrees. Once the oven and the berries have cooled, reheat to 60 degrees again. This method allows you to stimulate the process and shorten the time.
5. It will take 5-6 hours until the product is completely dry, although it all depends on the size and power of the oven, the amount of raspberries on the tray. Therefore, it is worth checking the berries periodically, when they are a little drier, they can be stirred. Those that are already ready, remove, so that they do not dry out and do not lose their flavor.

Take the finished product out of the oven, leave it on the table to cool at room temperature and put it away for storage.

In an electric dryer

Using an electric dryer is the best way to prepare berries at home. This device is specially designed for this purpose. The process takes longer than when using an oven, but is much shorter in duration compared to drying outdoors. The appliance allows you to set the desired temperature. The product is evenly blown with hot air, not heated. There is no need to constantly monitor what is happening, you only need to occasionally check the degree of readiness and adjust the time. Electric dryers use much less energy.

1. Place the prepared berries on the grids of the electric dryer in a single layer. Leave a small space between them so that the air can circulate and dry the product evenly.
2. When setting the temperature, it is better to act according to the instructions that come with it. Usually they have a program for drying berries. If there is no such, it is worth focusing on a temperature no higher than 60 degrees. Some recommend to put the regulator at 30-40 degrees, so that the raspberries lose as little as possible useful substances, but then the time increases significantly.
3. Put the tiers one on top of the other, close the lid and turn on the device. If the set of electric dryer is arranged in such a way that the air is blown from bottom to top, it is necessary to change the tiers once every 1-2 hours: raise the lower ones up, and lower the upper ones down.
4. If the volume of the product is small and the berries occupy no more than 2-3 tiers, this can be not done or swapped in the middle of the process. When there are more than 4 tiers, it will be necessary to carry out a similar procedure, so that the berries dry evenly. It is also occasionally worth stirring the product on the rack, but this should not be done before it is half dried.
5. In total, the process may take 6 to 12 hours. If the appliance does not have a temperature controller, which will cut off the power in case of overheating, it is better to interrupt the process overnight and resume it in the morning.
6. When the berries are completely dry, the device is turned off, but the raspberries should stand for a little longer until they cool down completely. At this time, the whole process will be completed and the berries will level out in terms of moisture. Then you can pour into prepared containers and store.

With an air grill

Using an air grill is also quite an effective method. The device allows you to get results in as little as 30-60 minutes. There are significant limitations in the volume that can be dried. The flask of the air grill does not allow you to dry a lot of berries at once. Aerogrill allows you not to interfere in the process, no need to stir and turn berries, the air without this well blows the product from all sides.

1. Selected and dry berries spread on all grids of the device. Pre-cover them with baking paper, making holes in them, so that the berries do not fall through the holes in the grid. If there is a metal sieve, you can put the raspberries in it, taking care not to put the product more than 2 layers thick.
2. Place the grates in the bowl of the air grill. The lid should not fit tightly, so it is worth making a gap by placing a skewer or cutlery.
3. Set the maximum blowing speed, if it is provided by the design, temperature mode - no higher than 60 degrees. Turn on the device. After time, check the result. If there are berries that are still wet and soft, you can pour them over and finish drying.
4. Leave the finished dried product on the table to cool and place in storage containers.

Dehydrator

The process of drying berries in a dehydrator is not fundamentally different from using an electric dryer. The difference is that dehydrators are improved models of simple electric dryers. Among them, there are devices equipped with a function of uniform blowing of all tiers simultaneously. This frees you from the need to stop the process, change the places of the grids and stir the raspberries on the trays. It is enough to set the desired temperature, time and wait for the end of the set program. They also allow you to set the drying time, the intensity of air circulation, along with the temperature.

1. The berries are placed on the lattices, which are placed in the chamber of the device.
2. Set the temperature no higher than 60 degrees, intensive air circulation, approximately 7-10 hours. It depends on the temperature, the amount of berries, their size and juiciness.
3. From time to time, come up and check the degree of readiness. Berries often come in different sizes, so individual specimens may be cooked earlier, it is better to remove them from the rack. There may also be a part of the raspberries that has not dried out. It is worth to pour it into a separate tray and bring it to the end of the process, putting it on the drying once more. The finished berries should cool down.

In the microwave.

The way to dry raspberries in the microwave takes the least time. But it is also the smallest amount of processed product. In addition, you will have to be constantly around to monitor the process. Also, there are peculiarities in the selection and preparation of berries to get the best possible result.

As in the previous options, the raspberries should not be overripe and too soft. Here it is the case that not fully ripe berries are preferable. Then they can keep their shape and not turn into mush.

1. Prepared berries are better placed on a natural cloth, which will cover a plate for the microwave oven. You need a material that will quickly absorb the released moisture. You can not lay the cloth, but be sure in both cases to cover the raspberries with a piece of natural cloth.
2. For drying, set the power to 200 watts. Start the process for 3-5 minutes. This time should be enough to get the product to the desired degree of drying. But it all depends on individual conditions. If the raspberries do not finish drying, it is worth repeating the stage again. At the same time, keep a close eye on the process, stop the oven, check the readiness.
3. After taking the berries out of the microwave oven chamber, let them cool and pour them into a container for further storage.

In the sun

Drying in the open air is a natural way. It has its advantages and disadvantages.

Pros:

1. You can dry raspberries directly on the plot. This allows you to keep the maximum number of berries whole, they will not give juice and will not be damaged during transportation.
2. Allows you to process large volumes of product. It is not necessary to accumulate a certain amount, so as not to heat the oven and use the dryer in vain. You can pick a handful of berries as they ripen and already start drying.
3. The maximum amount of vitamins and trace elements remain in the berries. The process is carried out gradually at low temperatures, which do not destroy vitamins.

There are, of course, disadvantages to this method:

1. It takes a long time. Drying takes 5-7 days.
2. Good weather conditions are required. It must be sunny, dry and hot outside, preferably above +25 degrees. Increased humidity can immediately spoil the raw material: everything will have to be thrown away. Suddenly started rain or strong wind force to look urgently for other options for drying. Overnight, the trays with berries should be brought into a dry room, and in the morning, when the dew evaporates, put outdoors again. It is no secret that rare regions can boast such steady hot weather for several weeks.
3. It is necessary to constantly monitor the process. Every 2 hours you need to carefully turn the berries to ensure a good flow of air and even drying.
4. Outdoors, berries can get dusty, insects sit on them. Therefore, it should be covered with gauze.

Nevertheless, this method remains one of the most popular.

1. After removing the berries from the bush and preparing them, lay them out in a single layer on pallets. It is better to use grids or fine mesh mesh, also a sheet of plywood or a tray will do. It is better to cover the bottom with thick paper or cotton cloth. You can make holes for air circulation. Do not stack the berries tightly, leave a distance between them. Cover the top with a piece of gauze, the ends of which are well fixed. Take out in the sun.
2. There are different opinions on how best to dry the berries in the open air. Some advise to leave in the sunlight, then the berry is dried faster and a little wilted. Others warn that the sun destroys some of the vitamins, so they recommend drying in the shade. Here it is worth relying on your preferences. But it is important to remember that in the shade the raspberries will dry longer.
3. After a couple of hours, as the berries wilt, gently stir them on a pallet, cover again with gauze and leave to dry further. In the evening, before sunset, take indoors, in the morning, after the dew dries out, return the trays to the place.

Those specimens that dry earlier, remove. When all the berries are well dried, you can prepare them for storage.

How to determine if the product is ready

Readiness can be checked by touch and sight. The berry is a dark crimson or burgundy color and has a white-gray streak. It should not be sticky and does not leave traces on your hands when pressed with your fingers. After a strong squeeze, dried raspberries crumble and do not form sticky lumps.

Is it possible to dry raspberry leaves

Also for drying are suitable not only berries, but also leaves, flowers, shoots. With them you can make tea, which also has a beneficial effect on the body. The leaves are harvested before flowering, and flowers - as soon as they bloom. This is when they contain the highest content of useful substances.

Dry the leaves and flowers the same way as the berries. But the process takes much less time. Dried leaves and shoots are stored for 2-3 years and almost do not lose their useful properties.

How to store dried raspberries properly

For the finished product to keep well and not spoil, it is necessary to observe the right conditions.

Dried raspberries do not tolerate humid rooms and temperature changes. It is necessary to find such a place in the house, where humidity and temperature will be constant. Also, raspberries should be protected from exposure to sunlight. It is better to use a pantry, if it is available. A kitchen cupboard will do.

Dried berries are stored in small portions. You should not pile them all into one bag or box, they need air. Therefore, a bag or container should be filled halfway, leaving a free space.

As containers for storage is advised to use cardboard or wooden boxes, with loose lids. Their bottom lined with thick paper. Instead of the lid you can also use a sheet of paper. Glass jars are also suitable, but you need to replace the tightly closing lid with something else. You can also store in a plastic bag, but do not put more than half of the berries.

Leaves, shoots and flowers are stored in the same way as berries. Under all conditions, the berries will keep up to 2 years, the leaves - 2-3 years. But it is in the first year that dried products retain their useful substances, then their concentration becomes lower with each month.

What are the benefits of dried raspberries

In the process of drying, raspberries lose up to 70% of moisture, but they retain all the useful substances and vitamins, and their concentration only increases.

1. Dried raspberries can have a beneficial effect on the work of the body. Its use helps to strengthen the immune system and fight colds.
2. The product contains vitamins A, C, E, PP, group B, trace elements - magnesium, potassium, copper, fluorine, manganese. It also contains a large amount of essential oils, tannins, pectins and many acids: tartaric, salicylic, malic, citric. For example, salicylic acid thins the blood and prevents the formation of blood clots.
3. Substances contained in raspberries are involved in increasing immunity, strengthening the walls of blood vessels, normalizing blood pressure, improving metabolism, cardiovascular and digestive systems. Raspberries helps with headaches, optimizes the balance of hormones in the body, has a positive effect on the female reproductive system, is an excellent diuretic, increases vitality, fatigue, helps to survive severe stress and depression without consequences. Constant consumption helps in the prevention of atherosclerosis.
4. In addition, dried raspberries help to rejuvenate the body, keep the skin in perfect condition. It has a beneficial effect if consumed internally, and when used as one of the ingredients for the preparation of masks, scrubs and tonics.

But any remedy has its limitations and contraindications. Do not be carried away by excessive use of dried raspberries. Daily use will lead to an overabundance of substances, which will begin to negatively affect the appearance and state of health.

There are diseases in which it is forbidden to use raspberries and products made from them, or to limit their use.

Such conditions include:

• Ulcers, gastritis, especially in the period of exacerbation;
• Kidney and bladder diseases;
• allergies;
• predisposition to gout or already the presence of this disease;
• asthma.

It is worth remembering that even in good health, the abuse of this or that product will lead to problems and complications.

What can be made of dried raspberries

Dried raspberries can be used to prepare a variety of delicious, flavorful and healthy dishes. First of all, it will make any cereal porridge more colorful and interesting. Breakfast will immediately become much tastier and healthier. Russian housewives used to often throw a handful of dried berries into a pot of porridge. Also from the berries and dried raspberries you can make a healthy and delicious tea.

Tea from dried raspberries

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp. dried raspberries;
• 150-200 ml of boiling water;
• 1-2 tsp. honey.

Preparation:

1. In a teapot or shallow container to put raspberries, pour boiling water, cover and let stand for 10 minutes.
2. The resulting liquid, strain, add honey, stir, pour into cups.

Drink it hot!

Milkshake with dried raspberries

Kids will be happy with a milkshake with the addition of dried berries. It is much more flavorful than one made with fresh raspberries.

Ingredients:

• 250 ml of milk;
• 100 g of dried raspberries;
• 30 g of honey;
• Vanilla to taste.

Preparation:

1. In the bowl of a blender put the raspberries, honey. Pour in the milk and beat on high speed.
2. Add the vanilla and stir. If it's not sweet enough, add sugar.
3. Pour into a tall glass and serve.

Raspberry Gingerbread

Ingredients:

• 1 egg;
• 120g butter;
• 80g of dried raspberries;
• 150g honey;
• 350g wheat flour;
• 1 tsp. baking powder.

Preparation:

1. Grind dried raspberries into crumbs. This can be done with a blender or a coffee grinder. Mix the powder with honey.
2. Combine the flour with baking powder and sift into a bowl. Add soft butter. Stir in the flour. Add the egg and the raspberry-honey mixture. Knead the dough. Knead for at least 10 minutes.
3. Shape into spice cakes. You can shape them into any shape you want. Form with your hands, roll out the dough and cut out with cookie cutters.
4. Cover the tray with baking paper. Place the gingerbread men, leaving space between them. Bake in an oven at 180 degrees for 20 minutes.
5. Let cool slightly and you can drink the tea.

Trayfel with fruit and dried raspberries

An easy dessert with fruit and raspberries to lift your spirits.

Ingredients:

• half a banana;
• 2 kiwis;
• half a mango;
• 2-3 handfuls of fresh raspberries;
• lime zest;
• 100 grams of vanilla sponge cake;
• fruit syrup to soak up the sponge cake;
• 2 Tbsp. dried raspberries;
• 1 tbsp. 35% cream;
• 1 tbsp. powdered sugar;
• Chocolate, if desired.

Preparation:

Set one kiwi, some fresh raspberries aside. They will be used for decoration. Peel the rest of the fruit and cut into large pieces. Add the lime zest and mix gently.

1. Cool the cream and whip with the powdered sugar until stiff. Place in a piping bag.
2. You can assemble the dessert. Take a beautiful deep glass, preferably clear, so you can see the layers. First, place some whipped cream on the bottom and spoon some fruit salad on top. Then put a piece of biscuit, soaked in syrup. Put a spoonful of fruit mixture again. Cover with a layer of whipped cream. Place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Before serving, garnish the cream layer with slices of kiwi and raspberries and sprinkle generously with dried raspberry powder. Add chocolate shavings if desired.