Drying Elderberries,Rosehips and Hawthorn berries??

[craig.r]

Hello, I am trying to find out how to dry berries and rosehips so that they can be re-hydrated later for winemaking and maybe jams and jellies too. Has anyone ever tried this before? If so how was this done and what was the outcome? Also how long would you soak to re-hydrate them?

Thanks Craig

[ina]

Unless you have a solar drier, wouldn't it be more energy efficient to just make the jam or wine straight away? I have only dried small amounts of rosehips in the past (for fruit teas); just deseeded them and left them on a clean dishcloth in a warm place. And I don't think they should take long to re-hydrate, especially if you use them in wine or jam, as they'll be left in water for that anyway.

Actually, other berries I don't think I would bother to dry - I've got the feeling they wouldn't get back to their normal "fresh" state again, which would be a shame especially in jams. Can't you freeze them?