Drying Apple Slices
Dehydrating Apples
We recently had a windfall of organic apples. I pick up the produce that the local grocery store is throwing away and last time there were 3 boxes of apples, slightly shriveled but deliciously fragrant. They are a little past their prime for selling to fussy consumers, however they will make wonderful applesauce, baked apples, bread, jam and dried apples.
My first project is dehydrating some of the Gala apples. I start by peeling the little stickers off and washing the apples thoroughly. Since these are organic, I will not bother with peeling the skins off. If they are grown with pesticides I do peel them to remove most of the toxins. Next, I quarter and core them, then slice them uniformly. Last of all they are arranged in my dehydrator trays, which are stacked and then the dehydrator is turned on and set for 125 to 135 F.
I add no sugar or preservatives, but if you wish, you can dip them in lemon juice or lightly dust them with cinnamon before drying. The amount of time necessary depends on how thick you slice them, how much moisture is in them and how warm the dehydrator is set for. Leave your apple slices in the dehydrator until they are crispy for long term storage, or leathery for medium storage. For longer storage periods, I suggest packing them in vacuum sealed bags in the freezer. You must be sure that all moisture is removed from the apple slices or they may become moldy or off flavored.
The house smells wonderful as I sit here waiting for this first batch to finish drying. I know that as soon as I open the dehydrator, everyone will start snatching up these tasty snacks…even with full boxes of apples sitting right nearby! Pin It
