How to Dehydrate Cherries

1 pound
10 hr 15 min

It's finally summer for me when the sour cherries are ready to be picked. Cherries are a type of fruit that folks love or misunderstand, and I'm here to make some snacks! If you've got pounds of cherries (or just a pint that needs looking after, dehydrating cherries in the oven or in a dehydrator is one of my favorite ways to enjoy these fruits.

person holding purple cherry pitter

Use them in cookies, sauces, baked goods, and more. Ready to make some dried fruit? Grab your favorite cherry pitter, and let's do this!


WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS!


Food dehydration is a great way to extend the life of fresh fruit. A good dehydrator will slowly dry out the fruit at low temperature--t can take 1 pint of cherries and reduce it to a small container.


EQUIPMENT


While prepping your cherries, a sharp knife will come in handy, but a cherry pitter will really make things easy.

Pitters take some time to get the hang of it, but once you get it, you'll be pitting those cherries in half the time.


INGREDIENT TIPS
person holding quarter sheet tray with sweet cherries

In the Northeast, fresh cherries are in season in your local cherry patch or garden, and pick them yourself if you have a tree at home. Long after our sour cherry trees are done, the grocery stores in our area offer deals on dark cherries and I'll get a pound of cherries at a good price.

When shopping for produce, I went for pesticide-free produce. While buying whole cherries, Depending on where you source them, make sure to have a game plan within a couple of days or freeze them for later use.


STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS


Prep your cherries
person holding purple cherry pitter

Wash cherries before using, whether you use a fruit wash or soak them briefly in equal parts vinegar and water. Then it's time for pitting. Take your time and work slowly until you get the hand of the cherry pitter.

If you don't have a cherry picker handy not all hope is lost! If you're able to locate a haystack object with a pointed and such as a paper clip or a chopstick, insert the narrow and into the dimple where the cherry stem is until you hit a pit. Twist around it and it should pop out!


Food Dehydrator


Place your pitted cherries on dehydrator trays in a single layer, ensuring they have plenty of space between them.

pile of sliced cherries
peson scooping up cherry slices with a bench scraper
sliced charries on a mesh tray on a dehydrator

Set your dehydrator to 125 degrees for 8-12 hours.

It's a good idea to add a mesh sheet under the tray, so they don't fall into the bottom of the dehydrator as they start to shrink.


Oven Drying


Drying food in your home oven keeps things at a low temperature to slowly dry the cherries. As long as you are familiar with any fluctuations in temperature, the oven method is an easy way to dry cherries without having to use extra equipment.

Set your cherry slices on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper.

Place in your oven and turn your oven onto the lowest setting, ideally 200 degrees or lower for at least 6 hours. Keep your door slightly open--this will help the oven maintain a low temperature. Check out them after 5 hours and add additional time if needed.

Once dried to your liking, remove from the oven and let your dried cherries to come to room temperature, and check to see if they are completely dry.


Conditioning


If you're like me, you are ready to put your dried fruit in a mason jar and place it in the pantry. Unless you're going to be eating the snacks in a couple of days, I strongly recommend taking a beat and getting on that conditioning train! This step is a waiting game but is really key if you're interested and drying food for long-term storage.

Once your cherries come down to room temperature and they feel dry to the touch, it's time to condition them. Place them in a sealed container (I tend to use a mason jar ) for up to a week.

A couple of times a day, shake the jar to make sure the fruit isn't sticking together, if so, that's a sign of residual moisture! If you see any mold, toss them, but if there is any moisture that you can see, put them back in the dehydrator or oven for a couple more hours.


SERVING SUGGESTIONS


Dehydrated cherries have a deeper tangy taste that reminds me of cranberries, except if cranberries got an advanced degree.

Here are a few other ways you can use your dry cherries:


  • Add them to your trail mix or granola
  • Make a delicious relish if you what to in rehydrate them you can
  • These are great in baked goods (I add them to cookies)
  • Make a sauce with them and add it to ice cream, or enjoy them on their own.
  • A cherry fruit compote would be the star of my kitchen.


STORAGE


If you're looking to preserve these for long-term storage, storing your cherries in a sealed container is important. Keep these in a dark place and out of direct light.


📖 Recipe
How to Dehydrate Cherries
Recipe details
  • 1  pound
  • Prep time: 15 Minutes Cook time: 10 Hours Total time: 10 hr 15 min
Show Nutrition Info
Hide Nutrition Info
Ingredients

  • 1 pound of cherries, sliced and pitted
  • glass mason storage jars
Instructions
Drying in a food dehydrator:
Place your pitted cherries on dehydrator trays in a single layer, ensuring they have plenty of space between them.
Set your dehydrator to 125 degrees for 8-12 hours.
It's a good idea to add a mesh sheet under the tray, so they don't fall into the bottom of the dehydrator as they start to shrink.
Check on your berries after 8 hours and if they feel dry, remove them from heat. Once cooled, check for extra moisture and store in an airtight container.
Drying in the oven:
Set your cherry slices on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper.
Place in your oven and turn your oven onto the lowest setting, ideally 200 degrees or lower for at least 6 hours.
Keep your door slightly open--this will help the oven maintain a low temperature.
Check out them after 5 hours and add additional time if needed.
Once dried to your liking, remove from the oven and let your dried cherries to come to room temperature, and check to see if they are completely dry.
Stephanie | Slow Living Kitchen
Want more details about this and other recipes? Check out more here!
Go
Comments
Next