With the freezer on life support and a near record crop of blueberries, drying seemed to be the best option. Course I could can a few jars for winter, but small jars at a premium. Drying just seems like a like simpler method, though, never really attempted to dry blueberries. I got the food dehydrator out of the closet, washed it off and got ready to pick some berries. Then the rains came again.
It doesn’t seem hard to dry blueberries. Most recipes I searched recommended to coat the berries in lemon juice, put in the dryer, and let the blueberries dry to the consistency desired. The when the blueberries are dry enough, store in an air tight container. It takes anywhere from 6 to 8 hours.
There really were no explanations as to why to coat the berries in lemon juice. Any ideas? I know for apples it will prevent some discoloration.
Blueberries are good and one of the healthiest berries to eat. Native to North America, blueberries are good for heart health, weight reduction, lower cholesterol and some cancers. Besides all that, blueberries are just plain good eating.
Along with searching for how to dry blueberries, I came across some history. One said in the pioneer days, the blueberries were dried (probably the sun and a campfire) and saved for winter use. One method of using the dried blueberry was to use it as a meat rub. Anyone know more about this? It sounds intriguing.
The rain has quit and it is off to a patch of blueberries I know about.
Koyotegreg's Blog 