Drying hawthorn berries?

[CircusWitch]

I've been going on a few nature walks just in the nearby park and there are quite a few blackberries and loads of Hawthorn. I've seen dry hawthorn berries used in a variety of tea and tincture recipes (and it seemed a smart way to store them to have them on hand for later use). I've looked online and methods for drying them seem to involve either a dehydrator (which I don't have) or an oven with the door open (which I can't do because I have cats). Is it possible to do with a closed oven? What temp and time would be recommended? Do I need to prep them in any way first (the Internet says yes or doesn't mention needing to depending on the website). How should they look or feel when done?


I am also going to dry blackberries but I think I can just follow normal berry drying advice for that. Hawthorn is confusing me greatly though with its odd starchy berries. Also, I intend to dry the leaves of hawthorn and nettles by hanging bunches of them upside down in a wardrobe, will that be okay? Sorry if these are stupid questions.

[Pallando]

Want to REALLY embrace your craft?....... experiment.

[SpiritTalker]

I've never dried berries, but I've dried herbs in the oven. I use the lowest setting and leave the door propped open about an inch. Most oven doors are hinged to allow this, or you shove the oven mit in the crack. You're not baking like a cake, & time will vary. Check their status every couple hours. Stir things around because those in the middle of the pan dry slower than those on the edges. I've got cats and they don't bother it(except mint). You have to slowly get all the moisture out or they mold in storage. I'd imagine you could cut a berry in half now and then to see if the center is dried through. Look up some images of dry Hawthorne berries to see what they look like. I tried to copy one but it didn't work on my iPad.

Preparation depends on what you are drying and how it will be used. Its a lot like making a salad. Rinse everything in cool water in the sink to remove dust and bugs. Remove any dead leaves, stems & twigs. Pat dry with a towel. Large leaves can be cut with scissors into strips to oven dry faster if you're going to chop them up anyhow. Work slowly in small amounts. Its not a task you rush through. Enjoy it.

As already has been suggested, experiment and observe. No two plants respond the same. Growing conditions affect moisture content. High humidity or rainy days slow down air drying when hanging things up. An open area with air flow is faster than an enclosed space.

[CircusWitch]

I can't believe I searched the Internet so hard for 'how to dry hawthorn berries' and it never once occurred to me to look up the images instead. It will be an experiment no matter how detailed the diresctuons I follow are because I don't actually know the temperatures on the oven (beyond 'higher than the dial says it is')

Thank for your help