Dried cherry facts for kids
Dried cherries are a yummy type of dried fruit. They are made from fresh cherries that have been carefully dried. This drying process removes most of the water from the cherries, making them smaller, chewier, and last a lot longer!
How Dried Cherries Are Made
Making dried cherries can be done in a few ways. One common method for making lots of them involves a special dip. First, fresh cherries are briefly dipped into a warm solution, usually with a little bit of sodium carbonate. This dip helps to create tiny cracks in the cherry skin. After rinsing, these small cracks allow the water inside the cherries to escape faster when they are dried. This speeds up the whole drying process!
Other ways to dry cherries include freeze drying or simply using warm air. After they are dried, cherries usually still have a little bit of moisture left, about 25%. Sometimes, a small amount of sulfur dioxide is added. This helps the cherries keep their bright color and great taste for a long time while they are stored.
Some cherry types are better for drying than others. For sweet dried cherries, people often use varieties like Lambert, Royal Ann, Napoleon, Van, or Bing. If you prefer tart dried cherries, Early Richmond or Large Montmorency are good choices. Did you know that the first experiments to dry Montmorency tart cherries happened in the late 1970s? Professors at Utah State University tried it out. After drying, they even rolled the cherries in sugar and called them "snow cherries"!
Cooking with Dried Cherries
Dried cherries are super versatile and can be used in many recipes! For example, the Crow Nation, a Native American tribe, often grinds up dried cherries very finely. They then use these ground cherries to make pemmican, a traditional food that is packed with energy. You can also add dried cherries to cereals, baked goods like cookies and muffins, or even eat them as a healthy snack on their own.
Health Benefits of Dried Cherries
People have known about the good things in dried cherries for a very long time. Even in ancient times, a famous Roman writer named Pliny the Elder noticed their health benefits. He wrote about them in his big book, Naturalis Historia. He mentioned that dried cherries can act as a diuretic. This means they can help your body get rid of extra water and salt through your urine.
