1 Answers
Dried cranberries are made by partially dehydrating fresh cranberries, a process similar to making grapes into raisins. They are popular in trail mix, salads, breads, with cereals, or eaten on their own. Dried cranberries are sometimes referred to as craisins due to the name's similarity to raisins, though the word "Craisin" is a registered trademark of Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc. and cannot be officially applied to dried cranberries from other manufacturers.
The most commercially produced dried cranberries contain added sugar, and they may also be coated in very small quantities of vegetable oil to keep them from sticking together.
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.