Dried barberries are on everyone's lips as a sour, invigorating fruit treat. If barberry thrives in your own garden, you can pick fresh berries and easily dry them yourself. Read the best tips for drying barberries from your own harvest here.
How can I dry barberries successfully?
Barberries can be air dried, dried in the oven or dehydrated. First pick ripe berries, remove inedible parts and wash the fruit. Depending on the method, use air drying, 50 degrees in the oven or 50-60° Celsius in the dehydrator.
How can I dry barberry?
You can dry barberry in theair, in theovenordehydrator Suitable for drying are primarily the fruits of the native barberry species sourthorn (Berberis vulgaris). The drying methods differ in terms of procedure and duration. What they all have in common is careful preparation.
Proper preparation is half the success of drying
How to prepare barberries for the chosen drying method:
- From the beginning of the harvest season at the end of August, pick dark red, ready-to-harvest berries with thorn-proof gloves.
- Sort out inedible plant parts, such as leaves or twigs.
- Rinse the barberry fruits in a sieve under running water.
- Pat the berries dry with kitchen paper or a tea towel.
How do I air dry barberries?
To air dry, place barberries in a shallow dish. To protect against insects, spread a clean tea towel over it. Now place the bowl with the fruit in anairy location. Turning them daily ensures that the berries air dry evenly and that no mold forms.
How can I dry barberries in the oven?
In the50 degreeoven, dry the barberries on a baking tray within a few hours. To allow the evaporated moisture to escape, please leave the oven door ajar, for example by clamping a wooden handle. A sheet of baking paper prevents the berries from sticking to the baking tray while drying. Check the degree of dryness every 30 minutes and use this opportunity to turn the barberries.
How can I dry barberries in the dehydrator?
Dry barberries in the dehydrator on several levels at 50° to 60° Celsius within 8 to 12 hours. The smaller the berries, the quicker you can consume barberries assour dried fruit. Dried barberry berries look a little shriveled and no longer contain any moist flesh.
Tip
Bird lovers let barberries dry on the bush
Barberry berries are not harvested in natural gardens, at least not by human hands. Instead, consumption is reserved for hungry garden birds. In fact, the vitamin-rich, nutritious fruits of sour thorn are considered a valuable source of food for birds and small animals during the barren winter period.
