Source for Dried Cranberries Wanted

[shel]

Hi Gang - Happy Easter (I think today's Easter Sunday)

I am looking for a source of high quality, organic, unsweetened, dried cranberries that are preferably not treated with any preservatives like sulpher dioxide. I found a source on the net, but they are VERY expensive - about $16.00 for 3-oz including shipping.

Does anyone have a good, reliable source for this item?

Also, anyone have suggestions for drying fresh or frozen cranberries?

Thanks!

shel

[Luc_H]

Hi Shel,

I don't know if what you are asking is very popular because most cranberries are dried using osmosis rather than dry heat.
Let me explain: for various reasons, cranberries don't effectively dry using heat, be it artificial or the sun, like it is the case for most other fruits (raisins, prunes, etc). It has probably a lot to do with the fruits skin, acid and various sugar composition.

The most effective method to dry cranberries (hence the most common) is to soak the crans in a very concentrated sugar solution. Through osmosis, meaning water will migrate through a membrane to dilute the side that has the least available free water. In the case of this method, the water is drawn out of the fruit towards the high sugar solution.

That is why most dried cranberries have sugar as an ingredient. I think Oce_an $pray came up with this method.

Luc H.