Cherry Cider

I found a good price in cherries today (sweet cherries), and I'm thinking of making a 3 gallon batch of cherry cider. Here's my recipe so far:

3 Gallons Tree Top Apple Cider
Nutrients as needed
1 T pectic enzyme
3 Campden tabs
6 lb cherries in the primary (not pitted, just frozen and crushed)
Maybe 3 cans Welch's White Grape Juice
or 3 bananas for body
6 lb cherries in the secondary (pitted, frozen, and crushed)

After fermentation and a few months bulk aging, stabilize, then throw in 6 lbs cherries. I don't want them to ferment, they're just to add some nice cherry flavor. Leave them there for a month or two, rack, age for a few more months, and then bottle. It'll be a still cider.

Not sure what % this will end up being, it depends on if I opt for the grape juice vs bananas vs nothing.

Does the recipe sound OK? I'm thinking I should leave the pits in the cherries for the primary fermentation; that'll give some tannins. In secondary, pit them so there's only tasty sweet cherry going in.

Should I bother with the grape juice or bananas?

Wandering Aengus Ciderworks does the cider, stablizes, then adds cherry juice. They said it is horrible if the cherries ferment. I have to say that I'm a little nevous that you are throwing in whole fruit at the end - not sure you are going to get the juice out of it, and the pits can cause off flavors.

It sounds delicious in theory, I'd be interested in how it comes out. I'd leave the bananas and just backsweeten with some grape juice. Mmm-mmm!

I've tried Wandering Aengus cherry at a fest a few months ago, and this is actually where I got the idea. I thought I heard the guy behind the tap say he sat the cider on cherries for a bit, but I may have misheard him.

I was planning on only putting cherry flesh in without the pits at secondary. Maybe I'll just take your suggestion and throw in the juice after stabilizing. And I think the bananas are a better idea than the grape juice; it'll keep this more like a cider and less like a wine.

Do you have any idea why it tastes bad if the cherries ferment??

I'll keep the thread updated when I start this.