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Dried cranberries, or craisins, are a popular snack and ingredient in trail mix, salads, and bread. They offer dietary fiber and antioxidant properties, but most commercial brands contain added sugar and vegetable oil. Home drying methods and sugar-free options are available. Dried cranberries have more calories and less vitamin content than fresh berries.
Dried cranberries, sometimes called craisins, are a tasty alternative to raisins, which are dried grapes. Craisins are popular in trail mix, salads, and hearty bread. Dried cranberries can be an excellent addition to dry or cooked cereal, and some people just like to eat them by the handful. Dried cranberries offer a good amount of dietary fiber and are considered to have antioxidant properties. Many people consider them a nice change from raisins and they seem to be a favorite with children.
Sugar added
Most dried cranberries, especially those marketed by large-scale producers, contain added sugar. Many people find sugar-free dried cranberries to be a little too tart. Some home drying methods can create these tart bites, which could be excellent for use in sweeter breads.
Other additives
Dried cranberries could also be coated in vegetable oil to keep them from sticking together. This tends to be true for big commercial brands. Health food stores tend not to use this addition, because it’s healthier to avoid adding oil to the product. Natural food manufacturers also strip the sulfur coating of nuts, which could mean that these products aren’t as visually appealing but may be healthier.
Home recipes
Many home recipes for craisins call for the cranberries to sit overnight in a solution of sugar and water. This is done before they are freeze dried or air dried. Letting them sit in the solution can rob blueberries of some natural nutrients that would be contained in fresh blueberries. Most people don’t eat fresh blueberries, however, because they’re naturally quite acidic.
Rich in calories and fiber
Dried cranberries have about six times as many calories as the same volume of fresh cranberries. Part of this has to do with the difference in the number of berries, because more dried berries can fit in the same space. The additional calories also come from the sugar that is added to the dried berries. Craisines also tend to offer more dietary fiber.
Fresh berries are high in vitamin A and vitamin C. Much of this vitamin content is lost during most commercial drying processes. Home dehydrators tend to leave a little more vitamin content than commercial processes. Some dried cranberries are dietary and use an artificial sweetener instead of sugar. These dried berries will be similar in calorie content to fresh berries when considered on a berry-to-berry basis.
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