Dried Apples for Food Storage and Winter Snackin'

A canners dream. A lug of apples or pears, spray free and picked that morning for $8! Two please! Now...to put them up. First thing was dried apples.

Wash, core (I don't usually usually core tiny apples), and slice your apples. You can peel but being spray free I didn't bother.

To keep your apples from browning when drying, you may choose to pre-treat. This is mostly for aesthetic reasons, but it can also help your apples to retain more Vitamin A. I skipped this step but I actually do it most of the time. As you slice, toss them in a large bowl or pot with:

• 1 cup lemon juice and 2 quarts water 

OR

• 2 Tablespoons absorbic acid in 2 quarts water

Make sure they aren't in there for more than 10 minutes. Soggy apples are no good. Pat dry and pop on the dehydrator. Each one varies but mine took 16-24 hours. Some took the lesser, some more depending on their size. Look for leathery fruit with no stickiness or visible water when cut in half. Cool. Seal up in jars, vaccum pack bags, or Ziplocs. Keeps for 6 months sealed in a cool dark place, up to a year in the freezer.

You can also try them in the oven. Instructions are here, here, and here.
Enjoy!
xo,
Amy