How To Dehydrate Cherries In The Oven
I have four cherry trees in my back yard. Four cherry trees and a pear tree (to be exact), and it’s a little intimidating. Mostly because I don’t care for cherries, so I decided it’s time to get a little creative. I decided I was going to dehydrate cherries in the oven.
I only picked a few yesterday, as many are too high up for me to reach and most are not ready yet. I have a few ideas on what I want to do with the trees: pies, fruit leather, smoothies, muffins, and dehydrating. I decided to use this method to dehydrate the cherries after successfully using it to make Pear Fruit Leather.
Why dehydrate cherries in the oven?
I wanted to dehydrate them because 1. I didn’t want them to go bad and 2. I wanted to put them in things like granola bars and salads. I also figured dehydrating them will make them last a little longer (did I mention I have four trees). I used the oven because I don’t own a dehydrator.
To pit the cherries I used this handy dandy OXO Cherry Pitter, it was so much easier (and quicker) then using a glass straw; which is what I did last year.
I didn’t have many cherries to start with, but that was okay. This was a trial run anyway, I didn’t want to waste any (just in case).
After pitting the cherries, I pre-heated the oven to the lowest it would go. In my case, that’s 170 degrees. On a baking pan, I laid down a slip mat sheet and arranged the cherries on top. I placed them in and nine hours later, I finally took them out.
They don’t look too appetizing when they come out of the oven. They look more like sun dried tomatoes.
I’m storing these in a glass mason jar (and will be adding to it later), I’m not too sure on how long it will last but I’m hoping it will keep a couple of months anyway. If you need a refresher here is what I did:
How To Dehydrate Cherries In The Oven.
You will need:
Cherries
Cherry pitter
Oven
Baking sheet
Slip mat or parchment paper
How to do it:
Heat your oven to the lowest setting (mine was 170). Line parchment paper (or the Silpat) on a baking sheet and arrange cherries.
Bake for 9 nine hours.
It is possible that if you halved the cherries, it would cut some of the drying time out.
Recipes you can make with dehydrated cherries:
Homemade Granola
Salads
Very cool! This is not something I would have thought you could do without a dehydrator. I’m curious to try it myself now.
I’m excited to make granola bars with these 🙂
You will laugh… but I would love you to mail me some dried cherries from BC. Maybe in a bubble wrap envelope. Silly, I know but I LOVE THIS IDEA…
I wouldn’t have guessed you could use the oven to dehydrate fruit (not my brightest moment, I know), heat dries. You know what, I am going to try this with cranberries, it should work right?
Absolutely, give it a try. Just wing it with the time, you want them to be a little sticky but not wet. If you put them in a ziploc and they have condensation on it – they’re not dry enough.
Mmm add some dark chocolate chips and you got a great snack! I love cherries. I always make clafouti when I have them.
You are speaking straight to my heart.
What on earth is clafouti.
This post is all kinds of awesome – something I would of honestly never thought of doing. So great for grabbing a handful and sprinkling onto cereal, yogurt, etc. 🙂
Never thought of yogurt…OR topping on ice cream 😉
What a great idea! While not the quickest thing, very much an easy way to make a healthy snack. Have you tried other fruit yet?
that cherry pitter gadget is genius!! and you’re right these would be perfect for salads and granola, even stuffing!
It saved me a good hour yesterday when pitting cherries. I still have two massive bowls to do today!
Cherries are my favourite fruit. Thank you for sharing this post at City of Creative Dream’s City of Links on Friday! I appreciate you taking the time to party with me. Hope to see you again this week 🙂
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