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.

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.