Dried cranberry

Dried Cranberries

Dried cranberries, sometimes called craisins, are similar to raisins. They are popular in trail mix, salads, and breads, with cereals or eaten on their own.

Some commerically-produced dried cranberries contain added sugar. They may also be coated in vegetable oil to keep them from sticking together. Natural food stores tend not to use this addition and, additionally, often choose not to coat them with sulfur as a preservative.

Many home recipes for dried cranberries involve allowing the cranberries to sit overnight in a water and sugar solution, prior to freeze-drying or air-drying. This can deprive the cranberries of some natural nutrients that would be contained in fresh cranberries.

The average fresh cup of berries has about 47 calories. Dried cranberries have over 300 calories per cup due to the increased number and, in some cases, from added sugar.

All dried cranberries contain dietary fiber, and are considered to have anti-oxidant properties.

Benefits

Dried cranberries tend to be higher count in dietary fiber at about seven grams per cup. Fresh berries only yield about four grams. However, if one were to eat two cups of fresh cranberries, one will still only consume a third of the calories, while getting eight grams of fiber.

Fresh berries have high vitamin A and vitamin C contents, which are lost in most commercial drying processes. Home dehydrators tend to leave a little more of the vitamin content than commercial processes.

Cranberries also have an anti-adhesion quality that keeps certain bacteria from sticking to cells in the urinary tract, the mouth and stomach. They reduce the occurrence of urinary tract infections.

External links

[1]

• Cranberry recipes