Drying Cherries, I Hope!

I thought I would try my hand at dehydrating sweet cherries today. I haven't done this before and I am hoping they turn out like cherry raisins. Fingers are crossed. My mother-in-law has a wonderful cherry orchard at her house up on the hill behind us. She usually has to fight the birds for them but with the West Nile and other crazy avian ailments, the birds haven't been as much of a problem this year or last. The cherries are beautiful and she has brought many in the last few days. I was feeling way too lazy to can them or make them into something delectable so I thought drying them would be something fun to do. Did I mention that my hands are permanently stained a delightful shade of red?

 

I pitted the cherries first and then layed them cut side up in each of the five trays that came with the dehydrator. Unfortunately this was borrowed by my husband from his mother years ago and no one knows where the directions are. There is a vent on top of the whole stack and a heating element in the bottom. No temperature controls to be found anywhere on it. There wasn't a name brand on it anywhere either. Isn't that nuts? I don't think I have seen anything in the last decade that did not have some major brand advertising on it. I actually don't have a clue how long to dry these but I figured that rotating the trays would be a pretty good idea. We will see. I guess I will know by feel when they are done. (This is a hint for anyone who may know to jump right in and enlighten me:-)

  

Here they are all stacked up and fogging up the inside of the unit. I suppose that means that I should open the vents a little more. That idea actually struck me as I typed this sentence. See how I am learning as I go. I will be sure to show off the finished product provided they turn out sort of pretty.