This How to Dehydrate Cherries is part of a series on preserving and drying fruit. Find more in this homemade dried fruit series here.
I have had a love affair with cherries since I was a kid. I remember my mom and dad taking us to the house she grew up in to pick them, though those were pie cherries, which didn’t stop me from trying to pop one in my mouth during the picking process. Boy, were they SOUR!!?!?! Pie cherries aren’t generally sold in stores, what you’ll find there are sweet cherries, and they make great dried cherries.
How to Dehydrate Cherries: Why Dry Cherries?
For one, it extends their season. Cherries have a short season in summer, and then they’re gone. That’s a problem for a cherry lover like me. Dried cherries also make great raisin substitutes, and so they’re perfect for baking and snacking. We love them on our salads, in our oatmeal, and about a million other ways. Plus there’s a lot of nutrition in a little cherry!
How To Dehydrate Cherries: Easy & Fun
Drying cherries is easy and a fun family project. A few simple tools are all you need and a big bowl of cherries. But I don’t do marathon drying like a lot of home preservers. I do several trays a couple of times a week during the cherry season so that the fruit is fresh and it’s a manageable amount of work for me. I use a Nesco FD-80A Square-Shaped Dehydrator, but you can use any dryer you like, though I recommend a newer model with a fan for more even drying.
How To Dehydrate Cherries: Washing, Stemming, & Pitting
Cherries do need a little prep before drying. First wash them gently, but complete, with cool water or a fruit cleaner. I like Fit Fruit & Vegetable Wash. It’s an organic fruit cleaner that doesn’t leave an odor or weird taste on my fruit. You can make your own fruit wash if you like with 1 part white vinegar to 2 parts water, but I hate the vinegar smell and taste on my cherries. Whatever you decide to use, just make sure you wash them thoroughly – you want anything picked up in the field or the store gone before you enjoy them.
Now it’s time to pull off the stems. I wear rubber gloves for this because it helps me grab several stems at once. Discard the stems. Next is the pitting. I do mine outdoors because the cherry juice will stain everything it touches, trust me on this one. Don’t wear or use anything you’re not willing to sacrifice to your cherry passion. If you don’t want cherry stained hands and fingernails, wear gloves.
There are lots of ways to pit cherries, but I use a cherry pitter. I actually have several different pitters to choose from. One is a Progressive International GPC-5000 Cherry-It Multiple Cherry Pitter. It pits 4 cherries at a time and since you place each one by hand in the pitter, it allows for a “fussy” pitting. I use it when I need a pit to be removed from top to bottom because I’m using the cherry in homemade maraschino cherries or the like and I want it to be pretty. For drying, I don’t care where the pit is removed, so I use a Norpro 5120 Deluxe Cherry Pitter with Clamp which makes really quick work of pitting. I can pit a pound in about 5 minutes. The only drawback to this pitter is you have to have a counter you can clamp it too. I received mine as a gift (thanks mom!), but for my needs, the Norpro Deluxe Cherry Pitter with Suction Base would have been a better fit. I make mine work by clamping it to a shelf my husband built on my deck railing.
I run my pitter right onto a baking sheet to catch the juice along with any pits that might get spit out. My pitter has about a 1/3 pit failure rate (it could be operator error). I save my cherry pits and dry them to use in crafts.
Once your cherries are pitted, they’re ready for the dryer. There’s no need for sugar or any anti-browning agents, just place the cherries in a single layer on the drying rack. Aim for 1/2″ apart, though I started mine a little bit more crowded and rearranged them when I turn them 2 hours into the drying process.
How To Dehydrate Cherries: Whole Cherries Take Longer But are Worth It
DRY 135° F – 24- 30 hours
How long your cherries will take to dry depends on a lot of things. How well your dehydrator dries, the day’s humidity level, and whether or not you dry your cherries whole or cut in half. It also depends on how many you have drying and how close together they are.

Aim for a 1/2″ of space between cherries on the drying racks.
I tend to fuss over my cherries while they’re drying, but it’s really not necessary. I turn them over after two hours in the dehydrator to keep them from sticking to the tray and then it’s pretty much hand’s off until the 24-hr mark if your dehydrator doesn’t require you to rotate the trays (though my dehydrator says it’s not necessary, but I find I get a better, more even drying if I do). If you like to fuss with your cherries while they dry like I do, always work with clean hands before touching the fruit.
I sometimes start trays at different times or dry different fruits together. To keep track of where I am, I put the tray that’s closest to being dried or fruit that needs less time to dry, on the top, so it’s the first tray I check on when I open my dehydrator.

The cherries in this photo were dried using the freeze & squeeze method.
Your whole cherries should take between 24 and 30 hours. You can dry them cut in half if you’re in a hurry, but whole cherries give you more options, and you can chop them for recipes if necessary. I also prefer them for snacking as they’re a moister and more satisfying bite.
How do you tell when dehydrated Cherries are done?
It’s not that easy. Whole cherries will shrink to about half their size and the hole where the pit was removed with become more prominent. They’ll feel very much like raisins – a tiny bit sticky. One way to check is to cool a cherry, cut it in half, and look for moisture along the cut edge. I find eating them works just as well and is delicious, though I find far fewer dried cherries as a result (I do a lot of testing :)).

An extreme close-up shot of a dried, whole cherry.
Dried cherries should feel a bit like Silly Putty when poked, and they should rattle a bit when shaken in a canning jar.
How To Dehydrate Cherries: Conditioning, Proper Storage, and Shelf Life
When your cherries are dehydrated completely to your satisfaction, and they’ve had a chance to cool to room temperature, store in an airtight glass container (canning jars would do well for this). Only fill the jar 2/3’s full and then seal them and store them in an accessible place that’s cool and dry (60-70 F).
For the next 7-10 days, shake and turn the jars over twice a day. This conditions the cherries which distributes the moisture evenly throughout the cherries in the jar. If you notice any moisture, condensation, or mold, you have a problem. If you see mold, the cherries were not dried enough. Trash them and wash the jar and chock it up to a learning experience. If you see moisture or condensation but mo mold is visible, return the cherries to the dehydrator then re-dry and condition again.
Once your cherries have passed the 10-day mark, they should be good to go. Fill the jars completely with conditioned cherries, seal them, and store them in a dark and cool place (60-70 F). I keep my jars small, pint or half-pints, so I have only one small jar open at a time, and so if spoilage occurs, I don’t lose a lot of cherries.
If you don’t want to use glass to store your cherries, use BPA-free plastic.
Stored and dried properly, dehydrated cherries should last up to a year.
How To Dehydrate Cherries: Hints & Tips for Perfect Dried Fruit
- Use ripe cherries that are firm and bruise-free. For the best results, always use fruit in perfect condition. If you cherries are overripe or bruised, consider making cherry butter or cherry syrup instead.
- Checking Your Cherries: Always check your cherries at the 2 hour mark and turn them to prevent sticking. Check them again after 8 hours, 12 hours, 24 hours (you have to sleep sometime!) and every hour after that. I recommend setting a kitchen timer to remind yourself. While you’re checking, rotate trays if your dehydrator requires it and remove any cherries that are done. Place the early birds on a rack to cool and at your next check, move them to a sealed jar to wait for their buddies to be done to join them.
- Freeze your dried Cherries: Freeze your dried cherries by laying them in a single layer on a jelly roll pan or any baking sheet with sides covered with waxed or parchment paper. A sided tray is best so you don’t loose any of your precious cherries on the way to the freezer. Allow them to freeze, uncovered (or covered lightly with a paper towel or kitchen towel), for about 30 minutes or until frozen solid. Place the frozen cherries in an airtight container (I use glass, if you prefer plastic, I recommend you verify it’s BPA-free). Use the waxed paper like a funnel to help move the cherries easier. Flash freezing the cherries first keeps them from freezing into a solid block.
- Do you need to pasteurize dried cherries? No. Most experts agree that pasteurizing is only necessary for sun-dried fruits.
- How many cherries does it take? One pound of fresh cherries will make about 1 cup of dried (depending on the size of the cherries – whole or halved) and the amount of dryness.
- Can you dry cherries in the oven? You can dry cherries in your home oven if it has a “warm” setting or can go as low as 140 F. Just use a baking sheet lined with parchment. Unfortunately, most home ovens don’t have a low enough heat setting, plus, that’s a lot of wasted energy heating the entire oven, especially if you’re doing a small batch.
How To Dehydrate Cherries: How to Use Them
Snack on them right out of the jar of course! But try them on your breakfast cereal (hot or cold), add them to cookies, granola, ice cream, yogurt. In fact, you can use dried cherries as a substitute in any recipe that calls for dried cranberries or raisins.

Homemade dried whole cherries – ready for baking or snacking!
How to Dehydrate Cherries: Products We Used
- Nesco FD-80A Square-Shaped Dehydrator
- Fit Fruit & Vegetable Wash
- Weck Canning Jars
- Calypso Basics 1.5 Quart powder coated Colander, White
- Norpro 5120 Deluxe Cherry Pitter with Clamp (Norpro Deluxe Cherry Pitter with Suction Base)
I know this is an old post, but you have instructions for drying the cherries and storing them in small jars. Then, there are instructions for freezing dried cherries. Do dried cherries have to be fozen? I’ve always storeed my store-bought ones on a shelf.
No, dried cherries do not have to be frozen, but they last longer that way (or even in the fridge) assuming they’re all-natural and have no added preservatives. 🙂 Thanks for asking!
Thanks!
Well, you’ve convinced me. I’ve begun dropping hints that a dehydrator would make a great birthday present for me. And if that doesn’t work, there’s always Christmas. Thanks!
Yea! Welcome to the Rabbit Hole! 🙂
I got moree cherries today I am making some of these tomorrow with the dehydrator. I am hoping they turn out as well as yours!
I suppose the fact the cherries have a short season in summer and then they’re gone is the reason that I have never seen dried cherries on any store shelves. I can’t wait to try this.
Dried cherries are one of my favorites that I get at the local health food store. It would be so good to be able to make my own!
Sounds like a really east process, just set the cherries to dehydrate and go about your day.
very informative.personally i dont like cherries but my mom and brother do.so this would be good for them
Dehydrated pineapple and strawberries are amazing. Try them! 🙂
I really like the cherry pitter you use. I dont know if I could justify one of those but if you did a whole lot of cherries it would be a must have!
I had no idea there were so many different types of cherry pitters. This is a very informative post, thank you for sharing.
i like the tip to wear gloves when you do this, not that i’m a neat freak but it would make clean up easier!
I didn’t wear them the last time…it’s been 2 days and my nail beds and cuticles are still black and I’ve scrubbed them! 🙂
We just had the best cherries on sale during the 4th of July weekend- we loved them!
I’ve always wanted a dehydrator, and after reading this post, I want one more than ever! I’m also interested in how you use the pits in crafts.
I’ve got my pits dried, I just need time now to craft with them! I love my dehydrator. It literally runs most of the summer. Pineapple, cherries, and strawberries are my favorite, but I do chicken jerky for the dogs, too. They go insane for it. Buy one!
I have wanted a dehydrator for so long! I didn’t know that they last for so long once your done, that’s amazing!
There was just a segment on our local news about the benfits of cherries. I didnt know they had melatonin in them and some use them as a seep aid. Time to up the sherries!
So true! I suppose I shouldn’t eat a pound during the day and should save them for bed time 🙂
I must have been under a rock because I did not know you could dehydrate cherries! I love cherries!
Oh, you need to try it then! They’re in season now so the prices are the lowest they’ll go. After they’re dry, use them in any recipe that calls for raisins. I sometimes make Oatmeal Cherry Almond cookies – just use your favorite Oatmeal raisin cookie and make the swaps – yum!
We have a tart cherry tree in our backyard. I have never thought to try and dehydrate them we usually just freeze them.
If you dehydrate them, you’ll probably want to sweeten them with some sugar. I didn’t cover that method, but you can Google for one I”m sure. Enjoy!
i also prefer I like Fit Fruit & Vegetable Wash. but i cant find it lots of the time- i read a DIY recipe for veggie wash that calls for vinegar & salt but i dont like salt
Yea, salt and vinegar does not a fruit wash make! 🙂 I buy the Fit Fruit & Veggie via Amazon.com. The link is in the post.
I have never eaten dehydrated cherries. These would be great in my morning yogurt.
I think you should not try to dehydrate anything using an oven, you should definitely purchase a dehydrator if you are planning to do any dehydrating. Thank you for sharing this post.
It’s the way I choose to – much more control and less energy usage.
This is a great and informative article.
My husband and I have been dehydrating our own fruit and making our own jerky for using almost the exact dehydrator for years and love it. It definitely saves a lot of money over purchasing dried fruit at the store and taste so much better to me.
jweezie43[at]gmail[dot]com
I have never eaten dehydrated cherries, I’ve had dehydrated cranberries which are yummy. I think I really need to give this a try.
They’re like raisins, only bigger and better 🙂 I like mine dipped in chocolate with almonds or in my oatmeal. Enjoy!
its great the newer models have fans! right now i dehydrate foods using the oven! turn it on for 15 min then let cool with the fruit inside!
My mom is visiting from Washington state and this is a great project for us to be able to do while she is here.
I have never dehydrated any fruit before. This is a wonderful post, the instructions are clear and concise and easy to follow. Thank you for sharing this great DIY post.
I had to save this whole page so I could print it up later. Dried cherries would be so good in an oatmeal cookie instead of raisens. They are certainly better for you than the candied cherries I use in cookies and probably taste better too.
They’re VERY good in oatmeal cookies and hot oatmeal! I’ll be posting recipes using them as soon as it cools down enough to cook again! Let me know how your drying goes (and ack, that reminds me I have 15 pounds of Bing cherries in the basement waiting to be pitted – oops!)
Thank you so much,I have never seen how to dehydrate cherries and this was very informative, I like using small containers for storage, and we could really enjoy them, I have used the dehydrator machine, but usually for apples, jerky, pineapple and the like
Very interesting. My Son always has bags of dehydrated peaches and banana for us so we don’t indulge in sweets. They are delicious. Will tell him to try cherries. Thanks
I have never dried any type of fruit. It doesn’t seem to bad once you get past the pitting. I really need to start doing this for my grandkids, they love dried fruit
very interesting post – i just bought a pound of cherries yesterday!
Never knew how easy this could be, so much more economical than paying outrageous prices for dried fruit in the stores!
I am going to look into purchasing a dehydrator this weekend.Thanks for sharing Connie!!
Thanks for mentioning that they can be substituted for raisins….I really don’t like raisins, so this will be a good option.
I have never attempted to dry anything because I was afraid it would not turn out right.You make it look so easy!
It is easy! Try it – it’s delicious and fun!
I just got a dehydrator last year. This is great!
This is really great information! My grandmother passed down a recipe using dried cherries and I have been afraid to try it because I wasn’t quite sure how to prepare them! Thanks for sharing!
Oh, I’d love to know what kind of recipe it is!
I really need to get a cherry pitter. It is one of the kitchen tools I have always wanted but felt I couldn’t justify – maybe dehydrating cherries will push me over the edge to getting one.
They’re super cheap – like $7 to $24 depending on which one you buy. Get it!
I would like to try drying mixed berries, I think it would be a great snack for the kids. Seems easy
It’s an amazing kids’ snack!
My son has a dehydrator that I borrow from time to time – I will have to try this – our family loves cherries, and they are available for such a short time here – it would be great to extend the season.
EXACTLY why cherries are perfect for the dehydrator! I freeze them too – check out my how to freeze & put some away for this winter!
I am loving all the ideas on cherries we truly do love them. Here in Iowa the season isnt long to get good ones.
Definitely not long enough. I’m in Eastern, WA this week to pick up cherries for freezing and drying and who knows, maybe I’ll finally try my hand at home canning.
This is so great! I just bought a dehydrator but haven’t used it yet and cherries are one of my favorite fruits. I can’s wait to start!
Oh, start drying! It’s so easy and pretty much foolproof – not dry enough? Put ’em back in. Too dry, put them in a jar with pieces that are not dry enough and shake gently twice a day for 10 days and they’ll be perfect.
I’ve never tried dehydrated cherries!
I think drying fruit is an excellent idea because they last longer plus you can bring them anywhere and on the go… 🙂
I have a dehydrator but have only done bananas, apples, and pears. I’ll have to give cherries a try! thanks for all the tips!
I’ve never done pears but plan to this year – any tips for me?
My favorite trail mix has dried cherries in it. I’d love to make some nyself..
Oh, you’d love these then! My favorite way is to eat them covered in chocolate 🙂
I do not like cherries, sorry. I’m not into them .
But perhaps there’s another fruit you do like 🙂
We love cherries I know they are on sale I aam goij ng to try this.
I posted how to freeze and how to make cherry juice – check them out and try all three!
Interesting! I have never attempted dehydrating anything.I love cherries so I am def interested in trying it now!
It’s a bit addicting. My nieces are hooked on it now after eating all of the strawberries and pineapple I had dehydrated (they’re 26 & 28 and took them home to share). I been drying like crazy and still can’t get enough to put away for wither because we keep eating them! 🙂
Thats an excellent tutorial. I dry aloot of fruits but havent tried cherries. I would ‘lose’ alot by seeing if they were done too! I dont have a pitter, I bet if they were halved it would work too pretty well. We love cherries here and that would make for good snacking.
A pitter is a must and under $20. And yes, any cherry that doesn’t pit right gets eaten, or while testing, gets eaten, while washing, gets eaten….giggle. I’m fully of fruit goodness! 🙂
This really makes me want a dehydrator. I have a whole carton of cherries in the fridge waiting.
The one I have was around $50 and I bought 2 extra trays for around $20 I think. Best investment EVER! I make dried chicken treats for my dogs so it runs year round.
I haven’t ever dehydrated cherries myself but I do buy them because they are really tasty.
Oh, you’ll love home dehydrated ones then!
I never knew how it was done.. pretty cool getting an inside glimpse.
Very cool! I always wondered how this is done. Thanks for the thorough tutorial–I will be sure to Pin this!
A pin is always most appreciated! Thank you!
I love dehydrated fruits and meats. They are great for snacking on. Thanks for sharing.
The only meat I dehydrate is chicken for my dogs – they LOVE it. I may branch out an try a few more things for them.
You definitely make it seem really easy! These fruits are so sweet right now that I don’t know about dehydrating them but I do like knowing that it actually might not be all that difficult. Thank you for sharing this!
I’ve never tried drying fruit before, either. Thanks for this very informative post!
I love dried fruit. I have never tried drying my own.
I love dried fruit. I don’t think I have ever had dried cherries though. YUM!
I am making some cherry tarts tomorrow. I’ll have to give this a try if I have any extra cherries. I think I have a cherry pitter buried in one of my kitchen drawers. I need to look for
I am making some cherry tarts tomorrow. I’ll have to give this a try if I have any extra cherries. I think I have a cherry pitter buried in one of my kitchen drawers. I need to look for that tonight.
I love the cherry pitter because I hate to do all those cherries by hand. These look yummy!
Wow. I know nothing about drying out fruit. What great info. Thanks for sharing.