[momoreg]

Yes, I have dried many fruits, and purees as well. I don't think I've dried whole cherries, but the method is the same for most fruits: place in a very low oven(preferably on a non-stick surface)for about 1 1/2 to 3 hours. Some fruits need a dip in simple syrup before drying, but cherries should do just fine on their own. Please tell us how they turn out.

 

[momoreg]

Whether you pit them or not is up to you. It depends on how you plan to use them. If you're going to use them for baking or cooking, pit them before you dry them. If you just want to eat them by themselves, you don't need to worry about the pit before or after.

175 is good. If you find that it's taking too long, you can turn it up to 200. Any higher, and you run the risk of cooking them.

 

[momoreg]

Blackened cherries...mmmmm....

Iza, did you burn them all???

I hope the 200 degree temp worked well for you. It's better to start too low than too high.

I've made leather with many fruits before. Cherry is a good choice, while some others just don't work well at all. I add about 10% sugar to the puree, and cook it on the stove, letting it reduce to a coulis consistency, so that it's easy to spread on a pan. Silpat works well for this if you have it. Make sure that your pan is FLAT, and that you spread the puree uniformly across the pan, or you'll end up with crispy sections and gooey sections.

 

[momoreg]

The leather is easy to make, and it keeps for a long time, if you wrap it well. (oiled plastic wrap will work)...