How to make dried cranberries

'Tis the season for tempting baked goods and desserts filled with the bright, tart flavor of dried cranberries. Instead of overpaying for the pre-packaged kind, make your own and save some of your hard earned money.

• 1 (12 oz.) bag of cranberries
• 2 quarts boiling water
• ¼ cup sugar or corn syrup 

In a bowl, pour boiling water over the cranberries or submerge them in a pot of boiling water with the heat turned off. Let them sit in the water until the skin pops. Do not let the berries boil or the flesh will turn mushy. Drain. If desired, coat the berries with either a light corn syrup or granulated sugar. Transfer the berries to a cooking sheet and place them in a freezer for 2 hours. Freezing the berries helps in breaking down the cell structure promoting faster drying. Put the berries on a mesh sheet in the dehydrator and dry for 10 to 16 hours, depending on the make of the dehydrator, until chewy and with no pockets of moisture.

Another method of drying is to turn on the oven for 10 minutes at 350 F. Then place the cranberries on a cookie sheet in the oven, turn off the oven, and let them sit overnight.

Store dried cranberries in the freezer. Keep in mind that dried cranberries can be used in place of raisins in recipes!

A special thank you to our friends at the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers' Association for allowing us to use this recipe. For more great cranberry recipes, please visit them at https://www.cranberries.org/recipes