Quick like a bunny

Quick like a bunny
Gardening

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Drying Golden Berries

So many golden berries that I cannot eat them all. Decided to dry some. I found out that these berries I grew are common in North America. I found the orange Peruvian type and ordered the seeds from Trade winds seeds online. Next year I will grow the orange berries. I am hoping they are a tad bigger than these.

Took the husks off.

Discarded ones with holes and or that were green.

I poke holes in each berry to help dry faster. I dry them at 135F until firm to almost firm.

Not sure if this makes a real difference because it still take a long time to dry. Think it is my dehydrator. The walls are thin and do not hold the heat in very well. I am sure the Excalibur's are more efficient, but better suited for low heat drying because they are made of plastic.


When dry, I put into a glass jar with lid. They are very little. Almost like beads. I try to take them out when each feel dry with a little give. I am still working on how dry to make them. The golden berries dry are not as tasty as they are fresh, but still addictive. They have a slight bitter aftertaste and yet I still crave them.