How to dry apples in an oven properly

Dried apples are a great but also healthy. We all know that. They are high in fibre, contain no fat or gluten, and of course there is no added sugar or other preservatives. To ensure that you have the best dried apples possible, you need to use the freshest and tastiest apples you can find. Great apple varieties include Fuji, Golden Delicious or Honeycrisp. These are ideal for drying in the oven, but any sweet apples will also do.

How to eat or use dried apples

You can eat them directly of course, or you may add them to your morning porridge –oats, rice, buckwheat, or add them as a garnish to creamy and sweet soups (for example, pumpkin or sweet potato soup, etc.). You can also use dried apples in baking recipes as they work very well in various buns or muffins or use them to decorate ice cream sundaes, mixed drinks or yogurts.

Drying apples in the oven

The process is very simple and it only involves few steps, but you will need almost the entire day so, you need to plan ahead because you need to be around all the time – to check the drying process. You will need the following ingredients:

• 16 apples – properly washed and cleaned
• 2 litters of water,
• 125 ml of wine vinegar or lemon juice.

Preparation

Use a non-reactive bowl (glass or stainless steel), to mix water and vinegar (or lemon juice). Heat the oven to the lowest setting – usually 50 to 60 °C. Some people remove the skin from the apples and some leave it on. It is up to you. The skin looks good on dried apples, but can be tough when dried . Cut apples into quarters and remove cores. Cut the quarters into slices about 0.5 cm thick. Put the slices in the prepared acidified water to prevent them from turning brown. Let the slices soak for a while – until you finish slicing the remaining apples for example.

Photo: Pixabay

Drying apples

When done drain the apples through a strainer and let them drip for 2 to 3 minutes to remove as much water as possible. If the slices are too moist, you will be “steaming” them ratherthan drying them. So, to remove excessive moisture, place the slices on a clean towel and dry them with a paper towel. Now, place a baking paper or a special mesh for grilling on a baking pan and put the apple slices on top of it. Make sure that individual slices do not touch each other.

Set the oven properly

Put the baking pans with apples in the oven. If you don’t have a convection oven to allow the steam escape, put a wooden spoon between the oven door and close them slowly while leaving a little gap between the door. Let the apples dry until they are leathery or crunchy, depending on your preference – this can take anywhere from 6 to 10 hours. If your oven does not bake evenly rotate the baking pans during the drying process.

How do you know when apples are ready?

You will know whether your apples are well dried only when you remove them and let them dry. When you think they have the right texture, remove them from the oven and let them cool for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, tear one slice in half. There should be no visible moisture. If the slices are still soft put them back in the oven. Set the oven to 30 minutes and do the moisture test again.

Preview photo: Pixabay