How to Dehydrate Cherries {Dehydrator or Oven}
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Dehydrated cherries have a concentrated cherry flavor that tastes heavenly in bread, scones, granola, and more! Learn how to dehydrate cherries yourself to enjoy these sweet little bites of summer all winter long.
We’re a little cherry-obsessed over here. This year alone, we processed nearly 60 pounds of fresh cherries! That might not sound like a lot, but seeing as each one had to be hand-pitted, my shoulders will attest that that’s a lot.
But once those sweet cherries are pitted, they can be transformed into countless treats! We like to freeze cherries, pickle them, dehydrate them, add them to crisps and crumbles, and so much more.
If you’re lucky enough to have “too many” cherries on hand, too, I highly recommend dehydrating cherries to make them shelf-stable and enjoy any time. It’s one of the best ways to maximize the flavor of your fresh cherries for long-term storage.
Although it requires a little effort (and patience), your efforts will be rewarded handsomely. Let’s get going!
Plus, once you have a bunch of dried cherries, you can infuse them in bourbon for this delicious cherry-flavored bourbon. Perfect for the holidays!
Equipment
To dehydrate your own cherries, you’ll need a:
- Your favorite cherry pitter
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife
- Food dehydrator with dehydrator trays (I love my Excalibur dehydrator, and think it’s well-worth the investment! Look for a secondhand one on Facebook Marketplace.)
- Oven, a baking sheet lined with silicone mat or parchment paper, and a wooden spoon (for oven-drying only)
- Glass pint jars (for storage)
Ingredients
- Whole cherries – Like any dehydrating project, it’s important to only use high-quality, firm, fresh cherries. If they are overly soft or mushy, they’ll end up molding and ruining the whole lot. For this post, I used ripe cherries that were just a little soft and they ended up being okay, but normally I only like to use the very best, firmest, freshest cherries.
Sourcing Cherries in Bulk
If you don’t have your own cherry trees and cherries that cost too much at your local farmer’s market, watch Azure Standard for their cherry sales!
Every summer, they ship Oregon-grown organic and transitional cherries around the country. In July and early August, we ordered 3 18-pound cases of transitional cherries (meaning the trees are in the process of becoming certified organic).
They were incredibly flavorful and only cost about $20 each. That was just over $1 per pound for fantastic cherries.
How to Dehydrate Cherries
Dehydrator Method
1. Wash cherries under cold water, lay them out on kitchen towels to dry, then destem and pit your cherries.
2. Slice the pitted cherries in half, then arrange them on your dehydrator trays in a single layer with the cut side up.
3. Place the trays in the dehydrator and dry at 135 degrees F for 12-36 hours. (This seems like a long time and it is, but this process cannot be rushed.)
4. Check on the cherries several times during the drying process. When done, they will still feel slightly soft and sticky from the juice in the cherries. However, they should not be wet. When in doubt, let them keep going. Aim for craisin or raisin texture.
5. Once fully dried, remove the dried cherries from the dehydrator trays and fill mason jars 2/3 of the way full. Seal and shake daily for a week to condition the fruit. Check every few days for moisture or mold. If you see moisture, continue drying. If you see mold, toss all of the cherries.
6. Once conditioned and fully dried, store your dried fruit in an airtight container or mason jar in the pantry for a year or longer.
Oven Method
1. Follow the same steps as above, but arrange the halved cherries on sheet pans lined with parchment paper.
2. Set your oven to the lowest possible temperature (usually 170 F). Place the trays in the oven and crack the door oven with a wooden spoon.
3. Dry the cherries for 6-10 hours. Rotate the trays and turn the cherries 1-2 times during the drying process to ensure they dry evenly. If the cherries are not fully dried after 10 hours, keep going.
4. Remove the cherries from the pan and transfer to mason jars. Fill each jar 2/3 full and follow the instructions above the condition the fruit before storing in the pantry.
Storing Dried Cherries
For best results, always condition dry fruits before storing them to prevent mold. Drying cherries takes a fair amount of work, and I don’t want that effort to be wasted!
Once dried, your jars of homemade dried cherries can be stored at room temperature in a cool, dry place, like your pantry. They generally stay fresh for at least one year.
For a longer shelf life, you can vacuum seal the cherries for up to 4 years or freeze them for 2-4 years. If you have any doubt about the moisture content in your dried cherries, store them in the fridge or freezer.
Note: I don’t recommend using an oxygen absorber with dried fruits. Just make sure your cherries are fully dried, and they’ll be fine!
Tips for Dehydrating Cherries
- Use your favorite cherries. This technique works great with any type of cherries. I used Bing cherries, but you can use Rainiers, sour cherries, or any other type you like to eat.
- The drying time will vary depending on your particular cherries, their moisture content, the moisture in the air, etc. Focus more on the cherries themselves than the timer.
How to Use Dried Cherries
Dried cherries are shelf-stable, so they’re great for adding to homemade granola, granola bars, or trail mix.
I love simmering some in oatmeal to rehydrate them, and they add a lovely sweetness and chewiness to these Blood Orange Scones! They’re also lovely in homemade cherry ice cream, folded into yogurt, etc.
For a seasonal beverage, infuse your dried cherries in alcohol to make cherry liqueur or cherry extract! I like to make this Cherry-Infused Bourbon for the holidays.
Dried cherries can also be rehydrated to make savory sauces for pork, turkey, or duck, to add flavor to homemade jams or charcuterie boards, and so much more. They’re a really versatile ingredient you’ll want to keep on hand at all times!
FAQs
Not too much. However, I like to add the cherry pits to a mason jar, cover with vinegar, then let the mixture steep for a week or two. Strain out the seeds for a cherry-infused vinegar to add to salad dressing!
If you are processing pounds and pounds of cherries, it’s best to invest in a cherry pitter. We use one from Norpro that works well, but I’d like to invest in the Oxo Multi Cherry Pitter that pits 6 cherries at a time!
There’s no right or wrong answer here, but in my personal experience, it’s best to try drying at least 5-10 pounds to make it worth the effort.
Related Recipes
There are many different ways to use or preserve fresh cherries. These are some of my favorite recipes!
- How to Freeze Cherries
- Pickled Cherries
- Low Sugar Cherry Jam (Water Bath Canning)
- Cherry Apple Crisp
- Cherry Vinaigrette
- Cherry-Infused Bourbon
If you made this recipe, please leave a comment or ask a question below! I’d love to hear what you think or troubleshoot any issues.
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How to Dehydrate Cherries
Equipment
- dehydrator or oven with sheet pan
- Cutting board
- storage jars
Ingredients
- 3-5 lbs fresh cherries, washed, dried, destemmed, and pitted
Instructions
Dehydrator Method
- Wash cherries under cold water, lay them out on kitchen towels to dry, then destem and pit your cherries.
- Slice the pitted cherries in half, then arrange them on your dehydrator trays in a single layer with the cut side up.
- Place the trays in the dehydrator and dry at 135 degrees F for 12-36 hours. (This seems like a long time and it is, but this process cannot be rushed.)
- Check on the cherries several times during the drying process. When done, they will still feel slightly soft and sticky from the juice in the cherries. However, they should not be wet. When in doubt, let them keep going. Aim for craisin or raisin texture.
- Once fully dried, remove the dried cherries from the dehydrator trays and fill mason jars 2/3 of the way full. Seal and shake daily for a week to condition the fruit. Check every few days for moisture or mold. If you see moisture, continue drying. If you see mold, toss all of the cherries.
- Once conditioned and fully dried, store your dried fruit in an airtight container or mason jar in the pantry for a year or longer.
Oven Method
- Follow the same steps as above, but arrange the halved cherries on sheet pans lined with parchment paper.
- Set your oven to the lowest possible temperature (usually 170 F). Place the trays in the oven and crack the door oven with a wooden spoon.
- Dry cherries for 6-10 hours. Rotate the trays and turn the cherries 1-2 times during the drying process to dry evenly. If the cherries are not fully dried after 10 hours, keep going.
- Remove the cherries from the pan and transfer to mason jars. Fill each jar 2/3 full and follow the instructions above the condition the fruit before storing in the pantry.
Notes
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