Health Benefits of Dehydrated Cherries

When you reach for a bag of our naturally dehydrated cherries, you can feel good knowing that you're not only enjoying a delicious treat, but also nourishing your body just as you would with fresh fruit. Surprised?

According to WebMD, "The dehydrating process retains a food’s original nutritional value. For example, apple chips will have the same calorie, protein, fat, carbohydrate, fiber, and sugar content as the fresh fruit."

Because of the low temperature and slow exposure to warm air that we use when drying fresh cherries, our dehydrating process may retain much of the cherries' original nutritional value. This means that essential enzymes and nutrients are preserved. Using low temperatures also prevents the cherries' natural sugars from burning.

We are proud to use fresh, local cherries that are left to ripen naturally on the branch. Each summer, freshly picked cherries are promptly delivered to our Prosser, WA facility where they are chilled, washed (three times), sorted, and de-stemmed before being spread onto trays and put into our custom-built air dryer.

Using ripe, Pacific Northwest cherries that have spent very little time in transit may help to further boost their retained nutrients in comparison to cherries that travel as far as South America before being processed.

Perhaps one of the most remarkable things about dehydrated sweet cherries is their longevity. Unlike fresh produce which tends to lose its vitamin, mineral, and antioxidant content within a few days of refrigeration— with reductions as high as 50% for some nutrients—dehydrated foods maintain their nutrients for a much longer period. That's right, our air-dried cherries are not only tasty and convenient but also pack a nutritional punch all year round.

The next time you snack on our cherries, remember: each bite is contributing to your health and well-being. Whether you're adding them to your breakfast granola, enjoying them as a mid-day snack, or using them to enhance your culinary creations, our dried cherries bring both nutrition and flavor to your plate.