First, get some blueberries. It really doesn't matter how many, but the more the merrier. Wash them and pick out any that are squishy or bad.
Now get a pot of water boiling. If you've got a collander that can fit into a pot, use that pot. It doesn't have to be too big, but you'll have to dip the blueberries in and pull them out, so get a pot big enough to do that. I only had a little collander that could go in the boiling water so it was a little awkward, but it worked. I just did then a few at a time. It would have been really quick if I could have dunked the whole bunch at once. I put a hot pad on after this batch.
The blueberries need their skin cracked so the moisture can escape and they can dry. You're going to crack the skin by dipping them in the boiling water for 15-30 seconds and then pulling them out. It's easier than putting a little slice in each berry for sure. The berries darken up in the water.
After the berries are out of the water, put them on your dehydrator trays, spread them out so they're not all piled on each other, and dry them.
In my Excalibur I dried them at 135 degrees until they were chewy but not soft. It took overnight plus about 3 more hours the next morning--probably 16 hours total.
They can be used in pancakes, muffins, granola, etc. or just eaten plain. I had to hide these because they kept getting eaten. Yummy and super easy way to preserve blueberries. Little wrinkled balls of goodness.
Enjoy your dehydrated blueberries as long as you can keep them hidden from the little snackers. :)
5 comments:
Well thank you - that explains what I was doing wrong - didn't crack the skin... I'll try this again now, cuz I love dried blueberries and have several plants. Of course, when the grandkids help me pick them, not many make it to the bucket! haha
Normally I freeze them on cookie sheets, then bag for the freezer.
marci357
I had 22 LBS ob blueberries about two weeks ago I had been thinking about dehydrating some but I ended up freezing and canning them all.
this looks sooo much easier! I saw the dehydrate2store video where she pin pricks them all-one by one- sometimes twice....i did a tray of blueberries and thought never again. i will definitely try this!
This didn't work for me. Some split, some did not, all puffed, and when I pulled them out of the water I ended with a juicy pile of blueberries that stained my fingers and countertop. Back to using a knife for me-- unless you can help tell me what I did wrong!
So frustrated that most of the dried blueberries in the stores have added sugar - as if they aren't sweet enough already!
Wondering if you have to use fresh or if you can use frozen berries and follow the same procedure?
Thoughts?
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