Dehydrate Maraschino Cherries

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?!

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.