Drying elderberries »You have these options

Air drying - free and easy

Leave the small berries after that harvest on the umbels, they are ideal for drying in the air. Simply attach it to a line with clothespins. A dry, warm, air-bathed place in the attic is ideal. Under no circumstances are they allowed to Elderberries get under direct sunlight or even get wet during the process.

How to dry elderberries in the oven

While air drying takes several days, the process in the oven is completed within a few hours. Devices with a circulating air function are perfect because it can be done more quickly and on several floors. How to do it right:

• Wash the fully ripe elderberries and pat dry
• Lay out baking paper on a wire rack
• the fruit distribute them so that they do not touch
• set the device to a maximum of 50 degrees Celsius

The door of the oven is not closed completely, only ajar. In this way, the evaporating liquid can escape unhindered.

Comfortable drying in the dehydrator

If you dry large quantities of fruit every year, it is worth investing in a dehydrator. This has the advantage that the oven is not permanently occupied at harvest time. On top of that, drying is quicker. Thats how it works:

• the cleaned, fully ripe Elderberries distribute on the seven
• each sieve is only 90 percent occupied for better air circulation
• any sieves that are not required are removed

The process is completed after 8-10 hours. Turn off the device and perform a test. The elderberries should feel soft and pliable. After they have cooled down completely, dark glass jars with screw caps are ideal for storage. The temperature at the site fluctuates between 5 and 20 degrees Celsius

Tips & Tricks

The drying process does not reduce the level of unhealthy sambunigrin in elderberries. You should therefore only dry the fruits for later preparation and refrain from consuming them, as is possible with raisins. Only by Cook at more than 80 degrees Celsius the glycoside decomposes and the black berries become digestible.

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