Barberries

Barberries are one of the specialties of Persian cooking. When choosing dried barberries, available from Iranian markets, be sure to select ones that are still red and not too dark, as these may be old. Dried barberries contain a lot of sand and so need to be washed properly: First remove the stems and pick over for grains of sand and grit. Place the barberries in a colander set in a large bowl of water and leave to soak for 15 minutes. Lift the colander out of the bowl, rinse thoroughly, and set aside.