Several weeks ago I picked sour cherries for the first time. Since I had yet to preserve this fruit, I decided to try out various methods not knowing which would end up as my favorite. With the exception of cherry pie filling (because I LOVE pie), dried cherries have definitely won that title!
Sour cherries on their own are packed full of flavor; once you dehydrate them, it takes the intensity level to a whole other playing field!
Dehydrated Sour Cherries
Wash cherries, remove pits and stems. Arrange in a single layer on dehydrator trays and place on recommended fruit/veggie setting. I have an American Harvest and the temp for fruit is 135°F. Cherries, like strawberries, are mainly water, so it will take quite some time for them to finish. I checked mine every 2-3 hours and removed the raisin-like cherries as they were ready. I believe the total drying time was around 12-14 hours. Store cherries in an airtight container.
Wow. I made dehydrated cherries recently and mine took at least 24 hours!
Wow, that is a long time! Several factors come to mind as to why there was such a large difference in our drying times; it could be the type of dehydrators we are using, the heat setting, or the amount of cherries on the trays. The first time I dehydrated blueberries it took forever! I think it was because I over loaded the trays. They were so full! I’ve also learned the estimated drying times in the manuals are usually wrong buy 4-6 hours! haha Now I just periodically check their progress.
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