• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Dehydrating
    • Dehydrating FAQ
    • Best Dehydrators
  • Canning
  • Shop

The Purposeful Pantry

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Dehydrating
  • Canning
  • Subscribe
  • Shop
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Dehydrating
    • Canning
    • Subscribe
    • Shop
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    The Purposeful Pantry » Dehydrating

    Author: Darcy Baldwin • Published: Mar 12, 2022 · Modified: Sep 29, 2022

    Dehydrate Maraschino Cherries

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe Pin Recipe

    Can you dehydrate maraschino cherries? You bet! But why? Because you can! And it makes them shelf-stable, storable in smaller spaces, and builds your pantry faster!

    Yeah, I get it. You're asking, but why?!

    Jar of dehydrated maraschino cherries along with a commercial jar of them.

    I agree. Most of the time, I wouldn't recommend dehydrating perfectly preserved food. Here are a few reasons why you may want to dehydrate maraschino cherries:

    • Add to hiking trail mixes
    • Add to instant oatmeal packets for shelf-stable breakfasts
    • Access to cherries when they aren't in season
    • And any other reason you want to give yourself because you can!

    LEARN MORE: How to dehydrate fresh cherries

    How to Dehydrate Maraschino Cherries

    Maraschino cherries are jarred in a light syrup, which makes them prone to stickiness. So be sure to follow the instructions to get the best end-product suitable for shelf-stable storage possible.

    But the great news is that they have already been pitted for you! Saving that time pitting fresh cherries can be huge if you are short on time or in the wrong season.

    Instructions:

    1. Rinse off maraschino cherries
    2. Cut them in half if desired
    3. Place on lined dehydrator trays with the cut side up
    4. Dry on 140F / 60C for 15-36 hours
    5. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before testing
    6. Test for dryness - should be hard, non-pliable, and plink when dropped on a hard surface.
    7. Condition for 5 days if you plan on storing.
    8. Store in an airtight container for 12-18 months

    Tips for drying maraschino cherries in a dehydrator:

    • Use a liner - depending on your machine, these can stick, so especially with stainless steel trays, use parchment paper (aka baking paper) or fruit leather sheets to help reduce sticking.
    • The higher temperature is fine as these have had the heat-sensitive vitamins reduced already with the commercial jarring process. You can go up to 150F/65C to speed the process. Just keep an eye out for any burning if your dehydrator runs hot.

    LEARN MORE: If you'd like to see more on how this works, you can watch the dehydrating in the cutest dehydrator ever video!

    I'm using the Nesco Snackmaster, Jr. (FD 41-B) in the video - testing it out to see how well it works - it's perfect for tiny spaces!

    OUTCOME: These will be hard and glossy, but will turn into a gummy type candy texture in your mouth.

    Oven Instructions

    1. Rinse off maraschino cherries
    2. Cut cherries in half to speed drying time
    3. Place on parchment-lined (you can use oven-proof silicone as well) cooling racks set onto cookie sheets.
    4. Dry at the lowest temperature your oven will go for 12 hours or so.
    5. Condition for 5 days if you plan on storing
    6. Store in airtight container for 12-18 months. Use a desiccant pack if you are in a highly humid area and are in and out of the jar often.

    Tips for drying maraschino cherries in the oven:

    • Watch carefully so that the cherries don't burn
    • Use a cookie sheet - if you don't have cooling sheets, using a cookie sheet alone is fine. The cooling racks just allow the cherries to sit up off the hot solid surface.
    • Drying time will vary by how low your oven goes, but will be faster than with a dehydrator.
    dehydrated citrus slices as the background to title Beginner's Dehydrating Toolbox
    Jar of dehydrated maraschino cherries along with a commercial jar of them.

    Dehydrating Maraschino Cherries

    Dehdyrating maraschino cherries makes the dehydrating process go so much faster since all the prep work has been done for you! These make great additions to trail mix for hiking, and added to homemade instant oatmeal packets!
    Print PIN THIS! Rate
    Course: Preserved Food, Snack
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Vegetarian
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 18 hours
    Total Time: 18 hours 5 minutes
    Servings: 1
    Calories: 259kcal
    Author: Darcy Baldwin

    Equipment

    • Dehydrator
    • Knife

    Ingredients

    • 1 jar Jarred Maraschino Cherries

    Instructions

    • Rinse off maraschino cherries
    • Cut cherries in half to speed drying time
    • Place on parchment-lined (you can use oven-proof silicone as well) cooling racks set onto cookie sheets.
    • Dry at the lowest temperature your oven will go for 8-12 hours or so.
    • Condition for 5 days if you plan on storing
    • Store in airtight container for 12-18 months.
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Video

    Darcy's Tips

    Enjoy in salads, snacking, breads (rehydrate first), and any other fun way you can!
    Rehydrating directions: simmer in a saucepan with water on your stovetop, or allow to soak in water for a few hours in the fridge.
    Condition: Place food into a large glass jar, shake once a day for a week to check for any signs of moisture buildup or sticking that isn't released by an easy shake of the jar. If you find signs, put it back into the dehydrator to dry more.  Conditioning is not necessary with these if you are using them to snack on in the next few days. These cherries aren't great for long-term storage because of the sugar content, but you can keep them for a few months.
    Storage: Store in an airtight container for up to two years in a dark, cool, dry place.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 0.1cup | Calories: 259kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 0.3g | Fat: 0.3g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 6mg | Potassium: 33mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 61g | Vitamin A: 71IU | Calcium: 85mg | Iron: 1mg

    Nutritional information is an estimation only. Nutrient information for dehydrated foods is based on fresh. Use ¼ of the servicing size for the same nutrient information. Thus 1 Cup of fresh fruit has the same sugars as ¼ dried.

    Tried this recipe?Mention @thepurposefulpantry or tag #thepurposefulpantry!

    ©ThePurposefulPantry. Photographs and content are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe's link is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.

    Pinterest talk bubble to remind people to pin image
    Jar of dehydrated maraschino cherries along with a commercial jar of them.

    More Dehydrating

    • Olive Powder Dip
    • How to Dehydrate Olives
    • 15 Essential Dehydrated Foods Every Pantry Needs
    • Crunchy S'mores Mix with Dehydrated Marshmallows

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Aveyne says

      December 05, 2022 at 3:52 pm

      Can you make these into powder?

      Reply
      • Darcy Baldwin says

        December 05, 2022 at 4:03 pm

        Too much sugar to be an effective powder.

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Darcy Baldwin of The Purposeful Pantry.

    Howdy! I'm Darcy! I've spent twenty years learning how to stretch our budget and stock our family's pantry by dehydrating food. You can do it, too!

    Learn how I can help you →

    You can get my new book, Dehydrating Basics & Journal to help you get started on your dehydrating journey!

    Dehydrating Basics & Journal for Beginners and Beyond front cover
    • YouTube
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Instagram

    Most Popular

    • Best Meals in a Jar Recipes
    • 200 Best Dehydrating Recipes for Fruits and Vegetables
    • 8 Ways to Dehydrate Zucchini
    • 9 Ways to Preserve Eggs (Safely)

    Summer Preserving

    • DIY Zucchini Chips
    • How to Make Dehydrated Tomato Chips
    • How to Dehydrate Bell Peppers & DIY 'Paprika'
    • Dehydrate English Cucumbers + Cucumber Powder

    Footer

    ^ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Copyright
    • Accessibility Policy
    • How We Give Back

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for a free 5-Day Beginnering Dehydrator Course!

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Youtube
    • Facebook

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 The Purposeful Pantry by Purposeful Media, LLC. |