The Beginner's Guide to Preserving Food at Home - Janet Chadwick [38]
Prepare heavy syrup (page 98) and set aside. Wash and pit cherries.
Pack cherries in a rigid container and cover with syrup, allowing ½-inch headspace for pints and 1 inch for quarts.
Seal and freeze.
Drying Whole Cherries
Quickest method
Wash and pit fully ripe sweet or tart cherries. Drain well.
Dry untreated cherries in a dehydrator at 115°F for 24 hours, stirring occasionally and rotating trays, until the fruit is chewy but dry. Dry in a conventional oven at 115°F for 18 to 36 hours, stirring occasionally and rotating trays, until the cherries are dry but still chewy. Or dry in the sun for 4 to 5 days, until chewy but dry. Take trays inside at night.
Cool and package in airtight containers.
tip Dried sweet or tart cherries are a delicious alternative to raisins and can be used in exactly the same ways.
Making Cherry Fruit Leather
Pit 2 cups tart cherries. Combine in a blender with ½ cup sugar. Process until sugar is dissolved and fruit is puréed.
Line a drying tray with plastic wrap (or use the fruit leather sheet that came with your dehydrator). Spread the purée ½-inch thick on the trays.
Dry in a dehydrator at 120°F for 6 to 8 hours, or until leather can be pulled easily from the plastic. Invert, pull off plastic, and continue drying for another 4 to 6 hours. Dry in a conventional oven at 120°F for 6 to 8 hours or until leather can be pulled easily from the plastic. Invert, pull off plastic, and continue drying for another 6 to 8 hours. Dry in the sun for 1 day, or until leather can be pulled easily from the plastic. Invert, pull off plastic, and dry for 1 more day.
To store, roll in waxed paper or plastic wrap, close and twist ends, and store in the refrigerator for up to 6 weeks.
Raw-Pack Canning Sweet or Sour Cherries
Excellent finished product
Figure that 17½ pounds of fruit will yield 7 quarts. Select bright, uniformly colored cherries.
Stem and wash cherries. Pit with a cherry pitter or paring knife.
Begin preheating water in the canner and teakettle. Prepare jars and lids according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.
Prepare syrup of any weight (page 98), if using, and keep warm. Or heat water, apple juice, or white grape juice to boiling and keep warm.
Add ½ cup hot syrup, juice, or water to each jar. Fill with cherries, shaking down gently as you fill. Add more hot liquid, leaving ½-inch headspace.
Process pints or quarts for 25 minutes.
CRANBERRIES
ALTHOUGH CRANBERRIES ARE NOT A GARDENER’S DELIGHT, they are a wonderful fruit that is available in the supermarkets for only a few short months each year. Freezing is by far the easiest method of preserving these underutilized berries, but drying is also good, if only because dried cranberries make such a delightful alternative to raisins in baked goods.
Freezing Whole Cranberries
Best and quickest method
Simply place the cranberries, still in their original packaging, in the freezer. No washing or processing is necessary.
Drying Whole Cranberries
Dip in boiling water for 30 seconds to split skins. Drain well.
Dry untreated berries in a dehydrator at 115°F for 12 to 24 hours, stirring occasionally and rotating trays, until the fruit is hard but still chewy. Dry in a conventional oven at 115°F for 18 to 36 hours, stirring occasionally and rotating trays, until fruit is hard but still chewy. Or dry in the sun for 2 to 4 days, until hard but chewy. Take trays inside at night.
Cool and package in airtight containers.
tip For extra flavor, cranberries can be dipped in a honey solution before drying. Dissolve 1 cup sugar in 3 cups hot water. Cool to lukewarm and stir in 1 cup honey. Dip berries in solution and remove with a slotted spoon. Drain well before drying.
Canning Cranberry Sauce
Excellent finished product
Begin preheating water in the canner and teakettle. Prepare jars and lids.
Combine 8 cups fresh or frozen cranberries with 2 cups water in a saucepan. Cook until berries are soft. Add 4 cups sugar and boil for 3 minutes.
Pack into hot jars, leaving ½-inch headspace.
Process pints and