Dried cherries are great for you and not just because they are delicious. They are full of antioxidants and other natural chemicals. As they are full of nutrients, dried tart cherries act as a kind of natural multivitamins.

However, there are some differences in the levels of nutrients these fruits provide. Don't forget that dehydration removes a significant amount of weight from the fruits. A cup of fresh cherries equals less than half a cup of dried produce.


Organic Dried Cherries: Nutrition Data

Cherries are full of valuable nutrients in both raw and dried state. They contain small amounts of almost every essential nutrient. 

The elements present in larger amounts include:

• Iron
• Copper
• Manganese
• Potassium
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin A

The level of vitamin C in dried cherries is lower than in fresh fruits because this element is rather unstable and much of it dissolves during the drying process. However, even after dehydration, these fruits retain enough of the vitamin to make them a valuable addition to your meal plan. Vitamin C also helps you absorb iron better. Dried cherries contain a bit of this essential mineral.


Dried Cherries: Calories & Weight Management

Dried cherries have a higher calorie count than fresh fruits, but not high enough to make snacking on them detrimental to your weight management program. They don't contain fats and all the calories you get from them come from the nutrients that benefit your diet.

They are such a nutrient-dense food that a single quarter cup of them allows you to meet 1/3 of the daily need in fruits. Every ounce of dried cherries contains over 7 grams of dietary fiber.

Overall, these benefits make this fruit a very good addition to a weight management program. However, you should remember that overeating even the best of foods isn't good for your waistline. Plan your diet carefully and dried snacking on some dried cherries won't be detrimental for your figure.

If you have some fresh cherries to spare, you can try drying them on your own. You'll need an oven, some baking sheets, and some perfect, pitted, and halved fruits. Making dried cherries at home is quite a challenging task because you have to be sure that not a single fruit has any defects.

The drying process usually takes up to 24 hours, definitely no less than 16. Dry cherries at 165F and let them cool completely before packaging.

Organic Dried Cherries from Food To Live are perfectly dried using top-notch technology. Our equipment provides that all moisture is efficiently removed to extend the shelf life of the product. We use specialized tech that allows minimizing the reduction in the nutritional value of the fruits, so Food To Live Dried Cherries are full of essential vitamins and minerals.


How to Use Dried Cherries: Ideas and Recipes

Dried cherries make an extremely versatile cooking ingredient. Unlike many other dried fruits, their tart and rich flavor allows including them in both sweet and savory recipes. A cherry and red wine sauce is perfect for any kind of meat and you can always enrich the taste of a fresh salad with these tiny fruits.

There is a great number of dried cherries recipes for baked goods that you definitely should try. Dried cherries muffins and cookies taste especially well and make for a great, nutritious snack.

Dried cherries are a fantastic ingredient for granolas and trail mixes. They would also make your morning cereal taste fantastic and give you a nice extra-boost of energy for the day.

If you aren't a vegan, dried tart cherries would be a great addition to a cheese plate. Their tangy flavor complements the taste of cheese perfectly.

Organic Dried Cherries from Food To Live are premium-quality product, completely free from any dangerous contaminant. This means that you can eat them directly from the pack. This would be a great choice for a quick bite between cases in the office. 

If you want to make a simple but impressive treat for your family or guests, just coat dried cherries in chocolate. They taste magnificent and would go well with either coffee or wine. Don't forget that chocolate would add quite a few extra calories, so don't get carried away with this delicacy.


Vegan Dried Cherry Pie Recipe

You can enjoy this fantastic cherry pie during any season and making it is so easy, you can do this together with your children. The recipe is 100% vegan and you can replace the flour to any kind you prefer. If you want to make it more special, you can soak the cherries in a mix of water and red wine.

Crust ingredients:

• 1 cup wholegrain flour
• ¼ cup corn flour
• 2/3 cup rolled oats (ground)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon allspice
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 banana (mashed)
• 4 tablespoons flaxseeds (ground)
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup

Filling ingredients:

• 2 cups dried cherries
• 2 cups cherry juice
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• Maple syrup or other sweetener to taste

Instructions:

1. Soak dried cherries in juice to reconstitute. It would be best to leave them overnight.
2. Mix all crust ingredients except banana, flaxseed, canola oil, and maple syrup in a large bowl. Mix the rest of the ingredients separately.
3. Combine both types of ingredients and make dough with your hands.
4. Wrap the dough in cling foil and put in the freezer for an hour (30 minutes will do in a pinch).
5. Drain the cherries and put them in a large pot.
6. Add maple syrup and bring to a boil. Let simmer for about 5 minutes before adding cornstarch.
7. Mix thoroughly and bring to a boil again.
8. Remove the filling from heat and press the dough into a pie dish. Leave out a part of the dough for decoration.
9. Add the filling, press the remaining dough and decorate the pie.
10. Bake for 15 minutes at 350F in a pre-heated oven.
11. Take the pie out of the oven and cover it with aluminum foil. Bake 30 minutes.
12. Remove the foil and bake for 5 more minutes.

Organic Dried Cherries: Storage Guide

Food To Live Organic Dried Cherries have a very long shelf life by default, and you can increase it greatly. If you want the pack to last as long as possible, you just need to put it in the freezer. Frozen dried fruits won't spoil for years. If the temperature never climbs over 0F, a pack of dried frozen fruits can be stored indefinitely.

If you freeze your dried cherries, defrost only the amount you plan to consume as frequent refreezing will ruin the texture and flavor of the fruits.

In a sealed package, dried cherries would last for over a year even without the freezer. Although, their shelf life is always extended by the fridge.

Once the package is open, dried cherries should be stored in a cool and dry place, inside an airtight container.