 |
| rhu-sins added to homemade granola, stirred in just after baking |
Tangy, with a hint of sweetness, rhu-sins are my budget alternative to dried cranberries. Sweetened, dried rhubarb, can be used in ways that fresh rhubarb just doesn't work all that well.
 |
| rhu-sins tossed with lettuce, toasted almond slices and a fruity dressing |
I use rhu-sins in homemade granola, added to nuts and chocolate chips for trail mix, tossed in a green salad with sliced almonds and a fruity dressing, baked in scones and cookies, as a topping for plain oatmeal, and snacking out of hand. I can use dried, sweetened rhubarb in the same ways that I use dried cranberries, only these are almost free!
Let's get started.
To dry rhubarb, I use a dehydrator and standard dehydrator trays. I lay a sheet of waxed paper over each tray, poking a hole in the center where the ventilation shaft is, and folding the corners under, so the paper fits the tray (does not have to be perfectly round, as you'll see). *And this next step is important* I spray the waxed paper with non-stick cooking spray.
I wash and chop the rhubarb into dices between 1/4-inch and 1/2-inch.
I toss the diced rhubarb with sugar, between 1 and 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar for each stalk of rhubarb. I only use the greater amount of sugar with very large stalks. I tend to prefer our rhu-sins a bit on the tart side. If you prefer a sweeter dried fruit, use the 2 tablespoons per stalk. Taste a couple of pieces raw, to get an idea of how sweet you'd like your rhu-sins.
In my 4-tray set-up, I can dry 8 stalks of rhubarb at a time. This is about 10 cups of diced rhubarb.
I spread the sugared rhubarb onto the prepared dehydrator trays, then stack the trays in the machine. I set the temperature for fruits/vegetables, about 135 degrees F. Allow to dry for about 8 hours, until the pieces are dry, but not hard.
Too long of drying will leave you with hard pieces. Too little drying and your rhu-sins could develop mold. But this is standard for all fruit-drying.
And that's it. After the pieces are dried, I scoop them off the waxed paper-lined trays and store in an airtight jar.
I dehydrate rhubarb from May through September, as our rhubarb plants allow. We find it to be a refreshing change of pace from raisins and dried cranberries.
