How to dry apples in the oven? This question is especially relevant in late summer and early autumn. After all, if the season turns out to be fruitful, then gardeners simply have nowhere to put such fruits. But if you dry them correctly, then in winter you can independently prepare various compotes, fruit drinks, and also bake delicious pies.
How to dry apples in the oven: a step-by-step method
Required ingredients and equipment:
- apples of any variety - 5-8 kg;
- oven sheet - 1 pc.;
- cooking paper the size of a baking sheet;
Choosing the right fruits
Before drying apples in the oven, you should purchase or collect a sufficient amount of fruit in advance. It is worth noting that such a product can be obtained well from any type of product. However, it is best to use an unsweetened ingredient that does not turn black for a long time after cutting.
Fruit processing
In the oven, so that in winter you can make a tasty and rich compote from them? To do this, you should take several kilograms of fresh fruit, and then wash them thoroughly and remove the seed capsule. The product also needs to be cleaned of all existing wormholes and slightly rotten areas. At the same time, it is not recommended to cut off the peel from apples, since it contains the most useful elements and gives the compote a richer taste. The only exceptions are store-bought fruits, on the surface of which a thin layer of wax was applied.
You can dry apples at home in the form of slices or circles (optional). However, in any case, the thickness of such fruit pieces should not be more than 5-7 millimeters.
Heat treatment
Before drying apples in the oven, you need to take a baking sheet and line its surface with parchment (cooking paper). Next, you need to spread the sliced fruits in a thin layer and immediately place them in the oven. Fresh ingredients should begin to dry at a temperature of 40-45 degrees. And after 60-85 minutes it is increased to 70-75 units. It is worth especially noting that the main purpose of such heat treatment is not to fry the apples, but to deprive them of moisture as much as possible. That is why the temperature in the oven should be carefully monitored.
During the first minutes, it is advisable to open the oven door slightly. It should also be opened periodically throughout the heat treatment. Such actions will significantly reduce the humidity level in the oven.
When drying apples, it is recommended to turn them regularly to avoid burning and also to promote even drying. After half or 2/3 of the moisture has evaporated from the fruit, the oven temperature must be reduced to 55 degrees. This heat treatment of a fresh product takes quite a long time. Its average duration is approximately 8-11 hours (depending on the variety).
Properly dried apples have a beige-brownish color. They feel quite elastic and elastic to the touch, and when compressed they do not release juice and do not break quickly. It is recommended to store fruit products in a dry place in a glass jar or cloth bag.
Hello dear readers. We are all waiting for the arrival of autumn in order to fully enjoy its gifts, which are so useful at this time of year. Everyone knows that autumn is the time for fragrant apples, which beckon with the variety of their varieties. Having not had time to try all the types of these autumn fruits, we are trying to prepare them for the winter in every possible way. One of these methods is drying apples, thanks to which we can enjoy healthy vitamin drinks based on such dried fruits even in the cold season. This cloudy time of year does not allow us to carry out natural drying of fruits, but this does not matter. After all, there are several interesting ways to dry apple slices, which can be easily done at home.
Of course, you can buy a ready-made product in the supermarket, but no one can guarantee its naturalness. And the too ideal appearance of such drying is alarming.
Such a sign may indicate chemical processing of this product, which most likely removed the apples from their usual vitamin composition.
By preparing dried apples yourself, you will know for sure that this product is natural, although it is not so attractive in appearance.
So, let's figure out how to properly prepare such dried apples, and what secrets will help your drying look no worse than store-bought.
How to dry apples at home - subtleties and secrets
Remember how grandmother always prepared dried fruits from various fruits even in the warm season, and already in winter we could enjoy the aromatic compote that she prepared.
And we, as children, were always trying to steal a few dried apple slices from a huge bunch, which consisted entirely of dried fruits.
The drying turned out to be very sweet, because during the drying process, excess moisture evaporates from the fruit, due to which only vitamins and sucrose remain in them.
And now it is quite possible to use dried apples as snacks between main meals.
Such a light snack will especially please our lovely ladies who are trying to keep themselves in shape even in winter, when you won’t find vitamins as such during the day.
Apples, in comparison with other types of drying, have the least calories, and their structure is quite soft, which cannot be said about home-dried apricots.
The drying process has a number of advantages, thanks to which you will immediately run to the market for fresh apples for drying:
✔ This type of preparation will not take up much of your time, especially if you are a busy housewife.
You will only need to cut the apples, and the rest is not up to you. After all, if you prepare compote for the winter, it can take a lot of time. And so, you will simply prepare the basis for the future compote, which can be prepared at any time, without particularly straining.
✔ At home, you have complete control over the process, which will result in a natural product.
Ideally, of course, it would be nice to produce this type of preparation from apples that you pick in your own garden.
But fruits bought at the market are also suitable. The main thing is not to buy apples in supermarkets, since you definitely won’t find anything natural there.
✔ Such dried fruits do not require special “greenhouse” conditions for their storage, so they are definitely not in danger of quick spoilage.
And thanks to the reduced size of each slice, you can easily store this dryer in a fabric bag right in the kitchen. Just imagine the aroma that will spread throughout the kitchen.
Therefore, you should not think that the dried version of apples is somehow worse than fresh ones, because they cannot be subjected to any heat treatment. Rather, apple jam will be less healthy, since during its preparation most of the vitamins will simply evaporate.
Interestingly, the same amount of vitamins in dried apple fruits can be preserved for 10 years. Therefore, think about how such “dry vitamins” can save you during the cold season.
Weigh all the pros and the lack of cons, and hurry to the market for the required number of apples.
But keep in mind that during the drying process, fruits can shrink by as much as 7 times. Therefore, if you are planning to dry apples for the entire winter season, then one kilogram will clearly not be enough. After all, from such a quantity of fresh fruits you will get only 150 g of the finished product.
Before deciding to take such a crucial step, you need to familiarize yourself with some conditions for the correct implementation of the drying process in order to fully preserve its vitamin composition.
Apple processing and drying technology
- The process of drying fruits can be carried out either using special devices that every kitchen is now equipped with, or in the tired autumn sun. Since autumn may turn out to be far from sunny, it is better to immediately consider the option of preparing drying in apartment conditions. You can use either a simple oven or a microwave.
- To obtain a quality product, you need to make sure that the apples were removed from the tree correctly. Therefore, it is better to do this yourself, but the collection must be carried out in dry weather, because moisture can lead to future damage to the fruit. In addition, shaking off the apple tree is prohibited, because damage to the structure of the fruit can also spoil the quality of the finished drying.
- Choose only ripe apples without any external damage. Slightly rotten fruits can ruin the entire drying batch.
- Drying involves using only ripe apples, so it is recommended to choose only autumn varieties, because only they will contain such a large amount of useful substances. In order for the finished drying to still taste like an apple, it is advisable to choose sour or sweet and sour varieties. In addition, their acid will indicate a high content of ascorbic acid.
- Everyone wants to get beautiful drying as a result, so many people cut apples into slices. Undoubtedly, such drying looks great, but be prepared, the drying process of such round pieces can take much longer. Therefore, it is better to cut the fruits in the usual way - into slices. This way, you will get drying much faster, and the likelihood that it will deteriorate is reduced significantly.
- The slices should be cut into small thicknesses, because fruits cut too thick can take too long to dry, or even completely deteriorate during the drying process. And they shouldn’t be too big in size. Many people don’t like the peel, but don’t rush to remove it from a ruddy apple, because it contains the largest amount of vitamins.
- Want to get the perfect dry white color? There is one secret that will help you achieve the desired result: after cutting the fruits, dip the finished slices in a saline solution for a few minutes, then rinse them in clean water. Place the apple slices on a paper towel to absorb excess moisture. And for the solution you will need 50 g of salt per 3 liters of water.
- There is another way to process apple slices, which you will definitely like much more than the previous one. You will need to place the future drying in a citric acid solution, but if you want apples with a lemon flavor, then use fresh lemon juice. But if you care not about the appearance of the future workpiece, but about its taste, then you don’t have to waste time on processing.
- We place the slices on special racks or simple baking sheets; large wooden boards are also suitable. If you are an experienced specialist in these matters, then you probably have a special frame with stretched cotton fabric. This option will be simply ideal for obtaining the desired result.
- If you still couldn’t resist and cut the apples into perfectly even slices, then for quick drying it is best to string the finished slices onto wooden sticks. Well, or you can just string them on a thread and hang these apple garlands in the interior. So, you will prepare the drying and decorate the room, and besides, the aroma emanating from the fruits that are in the process of drying will simply enchant you.
Drying apples at home is an important process; many people dry apples for themselves, and some people dry them for sale. Therefore, everything must be perfect.
How to know when dried fruits are ready
In such an activity, it is important to control the process all the time, because you can dry out the fruit. We are talking about a method of drying fruits using an oven.
After all, an overdried product will not only lose its taste, but will also lose those beneficial vitamins for which we started all this.
But even under-dried apple slices are not suitable for us, because their long-term storage will be simply impossible.
Half-raw dried fruits will simply rot if stored in a bag, which we will probably hide in a dark closet.
Our drying will not have a chance to deteriorate, because there is a method that will help determine the degree of its readiness.
So, select one of the slices and try to bend it between your fingers. The finished dried apple is quite elastic, which allows it to bend easily.
But if it turns out to be fragile and breaks into two parts right in your hands, then this means that the product is not ready yet.
Sun drying - how to dry apples
This method has been familiar to us since childhood, but it is not always possible to dry late apples in the sleepy rays of the sun.
After all, we can find the most ripe apples only in the fall, but this is not a problem. There are special summer varieties designed specifically for drying.
Of course, such a process will take much longer than in the oven, but for lovers of a natural way to dry apple fruits, we offer this option.
The ideal time for this kind of activity is in September, when there is already a sufficient variety of apple harvest, and the sun is still shining like summer.
Residents of apartment buildings can place prepared apples directly on their balcony. This is the only well-ventilated place in the apartment that receives enough sunlight. But if there is no balcony, then this is not a problem.
You can even place the dryer on the windowsill, but with the condition that the room will be constantly ventilated.
- We select undamaged fruits that must be thoroughly washed. Next, cut the apple in half, remove the core, and then cut it into small slices.
- To preserve the snow-white color of the fruits, dip them in salt water for a couple of minutes, then rinse them under running water to get rid of salt. Remove excess moisture with a napkin and place the apple pieces on a flat, flat surface.
- We place our future dryer on the balcony and leave it under the gentle rays of the sun. But at night it is better to take the workpiece into the apartment, because due to the lack of heat, the fruits can absorb moisture, which can interfere with the cooking process. It is better to cover them with some kind of cloth, which will serve as protection from summer insects.
- Throughout the day, it is better to “check” our apple slices from time to time so that the process of drying the fruit occurs evenly. If one side of the slices is already dry enough, then it’s time to turn them over to the other side.
On average, fruits can dry from 4 to 6 days, but these indicators will vary depending on factors influencing the situation: the intensity of sunlight, air temperature, and the thickness of the slices themselves.
How to dry apples at home using an oven
If you have found your ideal apple variety, but it is too late to carry out natural drying, because it is late autumn outside, do not worry.
The drying process can also be carried out in apartment conditions, and it is usually carried out using an oven.
Using a wire rack to dry the apples is ideal, but a baking tray is also a good option. Only in this case, you need to constantly turn the slices so that they dry evenly.
- It is necessary to set the temperature to no more than 60 degrees, because high temperatures can damage the structure of the fruit, as a result of which the beneficial substances contained in them will be lost. It is also important to keep the oven door ajar from time to time for better air circulation.
- When the slices have lost most of their moisture, causing them to wilt a little, lower the temperature slightly.
- It is necessary to keep the product in the oven until you are sure that they are dry enough for long-term storage. After all, under-dried fruits will begin to quickly deteriorate, and your harvest of dried fruits will simply be ruined.
Drying apples at home using an oven is much easier and more profitable if you live in an apartment.
How to dry apples in an electric dryer for the winter
Electric drying is good because during the drying process the fruit is provided with constant air circulation. Thanks to this, they are dried with the help of heat and air, and are not dried out due to exposure to high temperatures.
To ensure even drying, place the slices in one layer on a special round-shaped mesh.
The temperature should also not be higher than 60 degrees. Under such conditions, drying will be ready after 8 hours, although this time may vary depending on the thickness of the slices.
How to dry apples in the microwave
If you are a busy housewife and you do not have time to control this complex process, then use the help of a microwave. So, you will get drying in a matter of hours, but keep in mind that some vitamins may be lost.
- Having chosen undamaged apples, you need to wash them thoroughly and cut them as you like. We take a plate and line it with a thin natural cloth, after which we lay out our slices on the prepared surface. We also put the same fabric on top.
- We set the mode to 200 W and leave the future drying for 3-4 minutes. As a result, we get a quick drying option that will be stored for quite a long time.
Storing apples - important rules
Properly dried fruits are only half the battle, albeit a very important one; this allows you to preserve dried apples for the winter. But in order for drying to retain its taste and beneficial properties, it is necessary to provide it with acceptable conditions.
Usually such dried fruits are stored in plastic bags, which is not very correct. The fact is that polyethylene does not allow air to pass through at all, and this can lead to rotting of dried fruits.
Therefore, the ideal option, of course, would be a bag made of natural cotton fabric. This fabric allows air to pass through well, which will help the slices to be stored for as long as possible.
If you put ready-made dried fruits into a bag, this does not mean that you can forget about them before the first desire to cook compote. From time to time it is necessary to check their condition, because such dry fruits can be a real delicacy for various insects.
In addition, it may happen that mold overtakes your workpiece. But this will only happen if the air humidity in the room increases or if the fruits were not completely dried.
Although the process of drying apple slices may seem impossible in apartment conditions, this is actually not the case. It’s just that not everyone knows how to dry apples correctly.
There are several alternative solutions to the usual drying of apples in the sun. In addition, it will not take you much time, because your task is only to prepare the fruits for the main processing. Drying fruit is much easier than making jam or sealing compotes.
To preserve the apple harvest for the winter, various home methods are used to stock up on apples for future use while preserving the beneficial properties of the fruit. The most convenient way to prepare apples is drying. How to choose and dry apples correctly, so that during drying the fruit retains its nutritional value and does not lose its beneficial substances, is a question that arises among housewives, as a rule, in the fall, during the apple picking period.
Drying apples is an economical, practical and convenient way to store fruits for a long time at home in winter. The safety of dried apples depends on how to properly dry the apples. How long should it take to dry apples outside under the sun, how to make dried fruits in the oven, microwave, how to dry apples in an electric dryer, at what temperature, you will learn in detail from the material presented below.
Recipes for dishes made from dried apples will help you eat tasty and healthy during Lent, stay on a weight loss diet, and follow the principles of proper healthy eating.
Advice from the Wonder Chef. The mass (weight) of fresh apples after drying decreases by about 7 times. The mass of dried apples per 1 kg of fresh fruit weight is 150 grams in finished dried form. Vitamins and beneficial substances contained in dried fruits are stored for 10 years, provided they are properly stored.
How to dry apples for the winter at home
In a good year, you can collect up to 10 bags of fresh apples from one apple tree. What to do when it’s cooked in the oven, the jars of canned food are rolled up, the fragrant homemade food is brewed. boiled in slices, and tender children's, juicy fruits in jars are prepared for the winter, twisted, tired of eating with apples. But there are still a lot of unpicked fruits hanging on the trees, what to do with the apples left in the garden?
In such a situation, the old method of preparing apples for long-term storage will help out - drying them at home. Dried apples, or also called dried fruits, have been prepared at home for future use for a long time.
If you dry the apples, then in winter you won’t have to buy a compote mixture in a store or market in order to easily cook delicious homemade apples and prepare healthy dishes with dried fruits.
Drying has many advantages over other methods of preparing for the winter:
- Dried fruits take up little space, which is very important in a city apartment.
- Dried fruits are good for human health. When dried, apples retain most of their nutrients and vitamins. The benefits of dried fruits remain due to the use of low-temperature food processing methods.
- Any housewife can dry apples - a simple method that does not require special knowledge and skills. All you have to do is choose the right variety, cut the apples into slices and put them in the sun.
- Dried apples last a very long time and can be easily stored at home.
- This is a very practical preparation; there is no need to use sugar to prepare it.
We can talk for a long time about the advantages of drying, confirming its benefits. But our task is to learn how to choose and dry apples correctly. Do the drying in such a way as not to lose the color of the dried apples, preserve the benefits of dried fruits, and store the dried apples for a long time, until the winter supplies run out.
Choosing a variety of apples for drying
- to minimize waste and increase the amount of ready-made dried fruits, we choose medium-fruited and large varieties;
- Both summer and winter and autumn varieties dry well: Pepin, Antonovka, Aport, Slavyanka, Anis;
- Experienced gardeners recognize the best apples for drying as fruits with thin skin and a small seed pod;
- The most vivid taste after drying is possessed by sour apples and sweet and sour taste;
- when choosing sweet apples for drying, it is worth considering that after drying they lack a pronounced taste, and the best choice would be sweet and sour, sour varieties;
- The carrion can be dried if the apples are of high quality, whole and properly prepared.
How to properly prepare apples for drying
Before drying, apples must be prepared: washed, cut off spots from the skin, remove wormholes, bruised areas and cut out the seed pod. Proper preparation determines how quickly the apples dry, how well they dry, and how tasty they are.
To prepare apples for drying, you will need:
- a sharp knife and a device with which you can remove the seed pod from a whole apple, but if you don’t have one, you can remove the seeds from the apples with a knife;
- a saline solution is necessary if apples are dried in the sun, outside; salt repels insects and primarily protects the crop from flies;
- boiling water - so that the apples do not oxidize during drying in the oven, microwave, or electric dryer, do not darken and retain color, they should be blanched.
To avoid oxidation and darkening, process the apples in portions - not all at once, following the sequence:
- Before drying, wash each apple and wipe with a dry towel. You can avoid peeling homemade garden apples. Store-bought fruits should be peeled.
- We remove the core in the old way of our ancestors: we cut the fruit into quarters, cut out the seed pod and cut the edible parts of the fruit into slices. A modern way to remove the core is using a special device in the form of a metal tube with sharp edges. If the apples are dried for compote, then the core can be left. You can try to cut the core out of a whole apple without cutting the fruit, then you will be able to cut the fruit into circles for drying.
- Cut the apples into slices or circles. The cutting thickness of each piece should be no more than 5 mm.
- Processing with boiling water - blanching so that the apples retain their color during the drying process, do not darken, and remain light: dip the prepared slices in hot water (not boiling water) for a few seconds; it is important not to overcook the fruit, otherwise they will cook.
- Treatment with a saline solution is a mandatory procedure before drying in the open air: dip the chopped apples into a solution of table salt; to prepare a solution for 10 liters of water, 100 grams of salt will be required; soak the apples in the solution for 5 minutes.
The saline solution protects dried apples from insects: moths, flies. Salt acts on drying, as a preservative, increasing the shelf life of apples, and has a lightening effect on dry fruits. Apples treated with a saline solution before drying look light and appetizing; they can be eaten like chips without fear for the health of yourself and your household.
After preparation, the next stage is drying the apples, choosing the most suitable method.
Drying apples in the sun
How to dry apples in the sun? This is an outdoor drying process. Apples are dried naturally without an oven: on the balcony, in a sunny place in the country, near a private house in a ventilated area on the street. Drying in the sun requires certain conditions, which can be attributed to the disadvantages of using this method at home:
- hot sunny days;
- high air temperature so that the apples quickly wilt before they have time to rot;
- sunny weather with little wind;
- sufficient area to accommodate a large number of fruits, suspended on threads, laid out on baking sheets.
Summer varieties of apples are usually dried in the sun. It will not be possible to dry autumn and winter apples outdoors in the fall; climatic conditions will not allow it.
But a significant advantage and weight advantage in favor of drying in the sun is the processing of a large amount of crop at a time.
In the hot sun, the process of completely drying the fruit takes 5 days. In a shaded place it will take longer - 8-10 days
Two methods can be used:
- Place prepared and thinly sliced apples on a baking sheet in one layer and place the baking sheets in the sun. Fruits need to be turned over every day.
- How to, string apple slices on threads and hang them in the sunniest place or in a shaded but well-ventilated place.
At night, if possible, fruit preparations should be removed indoors to avoid rain and the absorption of excess moisture by fresh fruits.
How to properly dry apples over a gas stove
For those who are unable to dry fruits outdoors due to weather conditions, there are artificial methods indoors - drying in an oven, microwave, electric dryer, microwave over an oven, or stove.
Fruits strung on wooden sticks or threads are suspended over a gas stove and all burners on the stove are turned on. Apples are unlikely to dry quickly over an electric stove. Drying apples over gas burners without an oven occurs quickly, 4 hours are enough for the slices to dry and be well stored in the winter.
Dried apples in the oven on a baking sheet
On the stove, in the oven, preparing dried apples in the oven for the winter is considered the most accessible among housewives. How to dry apples in the oven? The pieces should be laid out on grids or baking sheets covered with baking paper in one layer.
Note!
The oven drying process is divided into three stages:
- The first stage - set the temperature to 50 o C, open the oven door slightly, and dry the apples for 60 minutes.
- The second stage is to increase the oven temperature to 70 o C so that the moisture evaporates from the apples.
- The third stage is the final one. At the final stage of drying at a temperature of 80 o C, the dried apples are sterilized. During the final stage, you can close the oven door - by then most of the water will have evaporated from the apples.
Final drying of apple slices in the oven takes 7 hours. We make sure that the slices do not burn or change their light color to brown; to do this, stir the slices every hour.
How to dry apples in an electric dryer
Gardeners rated the electric dryer as the best device for drying apples for compote, convenient fruit processing, and for storing them for the winter. A dryer is an indispensable household item for those who make large volumes of homemade preparations.
The electric dryer does not require constant presence. How to dry apples in an electric dryer? This is the easiest drying method. Place the slices, cut 5-7 mm thick, evenly to dry, set the device to the temperature recommended in the instructions, and wait for the dried fruits to be ready. The dryer, depending on the model, dries the slices from 2 to 6 hours.
Drying apples in the microwave
The advantage of a microwave oven is that it quickly dries fruit; the disadvantage is that it has limited capabilities when processing a large harvest of apples. But, if you need to dry a small amount of fruit, the microwave is just right. How to dry apples in the microwave?
- Place the prepared pieces of fruit on a plate lined with a cloth napkin in one row. Cover the slices with a second cloth napkin on top.
- We set the power in the microwave to 200-300 W and dry the slices for 4-5 minutes.
Find out a quick recipe: whole baked apples.
How to know when dried fruits are ready
Readiness is easy to determine.
- If the slices after drying have significantly decreased in size.
- If the dried apples do not crumble when pressed, bend well and do not release juice, then the product is ready to eat.
- The slices break when bent - the apples are overdried.
- The pieces are sticky and wet - not completely dried.
The color of dried apples depends on the chosen drying method and the type of fruit used - summer, winter or autumn. The color obtained in the finished product may be bright, pale or have a reddish tint.
Storing dried apples
In order for dried apples stored for the winter to retain vitamins and nutrients throughout the entire storage period at home, they must be properly packaged.
It is known that dried fruits are capable of absorbing excess moisture and foreign odors, and at the same time becoming moldy. Moths and bugs are a consequence of improper storage of dried fruits.
- The workpiece should be stored correctly in cotton bags, paper bags, and cardboard boxes.
- The storage location in the apartment should be dark, cool, but not humid, and well ventilated.
- To avoid the appearance of mold and, as a result, moths in dried apples, the workpiece should not be stored in plastic bags and plastic containers.
Calorie content per 100 grams
The calorie content of dried apples per 100 grams without sugar is 220 calories. Dry fruits have about 4-5 times more calories than fresh ones. The product turns out to be high-calorie and nutritious; when consuming it, you should count calories, and do not abuse the amount of dried fruits eaten per day.
What can be prepared from dried apples: dishes
The most famous dried dishes are compote, pie, charlotte, pies, jam and fillings for pies. Dried apples are added to add apple flavor when brewed, used for infusion, and dried apple slices are eaten like chips.
We suggest making a delicious pie from dried apples stored for the winter. Charlotte turns out no less tasty than fresh ones.
You will need:
- dried apples – 1.5 cups;
- wheat flour – 1.5 cups;
- chicken eggs – 4 pcs.;
- sugar - half a glass;
- butter – 100 grams;
- vanilla sugar – 1 sachet;
- baking powder - 1 tsp;
- cinnamon;
- salt.
Recipe for making charlotte from dried apples:
- Soak the apples in boiled water for several hours (overnight is possible).
- Boil the pieces until soft, the remaining broth can be drunk or used when cooking compote.
- Separate the yolks from the whites. Grind the yolks with sugar, add the whites.
- Add soft butter to the yolks and beat the mixture.
- Add the sifted flour and baking powder and stir so that there are no lumps in the dough.
- Beat the whites with sugar until thick foam.
- We combine both masses together with dried fruits.
- Place the charlotte dough into a greased pan.
- Bake the pie in a preheated oven at 180°C for 50 minutes.
We treat our household members to a delicious dried apple pie with a cup.
Friends, we hope you liked the simple ways to prepare dry fruits for the winter. Using our tips, you will dry apples deliciously, store the apples correctly and begin stocking up on healthy dried apples every year.
One of the most reasonable and convenient ways to preserve the harvest of apples and prepare them for the winter is drying. It can be done in the sun on warm summer days. But it’s easy to dry apples in an oven – gas or electric. This drying method is ideal in an urban environment.
Without a doubt, dried fruits will be a great addition to the menu. Sweet compotes and other dishes made from dried apples will delight you with their bright taste and aroma. Dried fruits are useful in preparing salads, sauces, and baking pies. They make an excellent topping for pancakes and pancakes, an addition to soup and even jam.
Dishes made from dried apples will displace autumn boredom and fill the winter cold with pleasant summer memories.
Dried fruits are easy to store; they take up minimal space. The labor costs for preparing dried apples are insignificant, especially if you use modern kitchen appliances and appliances.
Dried apples in the oven - general principles of preparation
All varieties of apples, without exception, are suitable for drying. But when there is a large choice, it is better to give preference to fruits with a small seed pod and thin skin. Apples should taste sweet, sour and aromatic.
Before drying, fruits are washed and dried. Wormholes and bruises are removed.
The apples are cut into quarters and the core is cut out. The fruit is cut into slices about half a centimeter thick.
If there is a special device, then with its help the core is removed from the whole apple. Then the fruits are cut into rings of the thickness indicated above.
When dried fruits are prepared exclusively for compote, the core can be left.
Apples are scattered in one layer on a baking sheet. It should be covered with baking paper.
The baking sheet is loaded into the oven for an hour (60 degrees). During this time, the apples will slightly wilt.
Then the temperature increases to 70, and at the very end of drying - to 80-100.
The oven door can be left slightly ajar.
The process takes from 6 to 12 hours. Every 50 minutes the apple pieces are mixed.
To diversify the taste of dried fruits, you can add cinnamon, cardamom, citric acid and regular sugar.
When the apples reach the desired condition, their size will decrease significantly. Cooled dried fruits are placed in fabric or paper bags. Boxes of chocolates will also work.
Dried apples are stored in a dark and cool cabinet, which is periodically ventilated.
Recipe 1. Dried apples in the oven “Dessert”
Ingredients:
Two kg of apples;
One and a half liters of water;
A glass of sugar (more or less is possible, depending on the level of love for sweets).
Cooking method:
Prepare sugar syrup: boil water and add sugar to your taste. We set it aside to cool.
Place the washed fruits in a deep bowl and remove the core and seeds from each fruit. To do this simply, you need to stock up on a special device. With its help you don't have to cut apples.
Cut each fruit into thin rings. We try to keep them approximately the same thickness.
Place the apple slices in a saucepan and fill with cool sugar syrup. It should completely cover the fruit pieces.
Cover the saucepan and take it to a cool place for a day.
The next day, place the apple slices on a paper towel and leave for half an hour to dry.
Line a baking tray with baking paper. Place apple slices on it.
Place in an oven preheated to 60 degrees. A little later, the temperature can be increased to 100. The fruit should be in the oven for six to eight hours.
Turn the slices over periodically.
By evening, the apples turn into dried fruit. We take them out of the oven and put them in bags.
Recipe 2. Dried apples in an electric oven
Ingredients:
Apple fruits – 2.5 kg.
Cooking method:
Let's wash the apples under the tap. Cut it in half and remove the core using a knife.
Cut into slices and place on a baking sheet.
Let's put it in the oven.
Turn on the upper and lower heating modes and the fan. Let's set the temperature to 50 degrees.
We dry the apples for 12 hours. We periodically check their condition.
Store the finished product in an airtight glass jar to prevent moisture from entering.
Recipe 3. Dried apples in the oven “Dry jam”
Ingredients:
One kg of fruit;
0.300 kg sugar;
One tea l. citric acid;
One tsp. cinnamon.
Cooking method:
We clean the fruits from seeds and cut them into large slices.
Place on a baking sheet vertically, skin side up. The slices should fit snugly together.
In a deep plate, mix the sweet ingredient, citric acid and cinnamon.
Sprinkle the resulting mixture over the apple slices.
Place in the oven for three hours (70 degrees).
We take out the apples and place them on parchment, cover with gauze. Leave for 48 hours at room temperature.
We hide the finished dried apples in candy boxes.
Recipe 4. Dried apples in the oven with cherry smoke
Ingredients:
Two kg of apples;
A small armful of cherry branches (without leaves).
Cooking method:
We remove the core from the fruit and cut it into thin slices.
Place apple slices on a baking sheet.
Place the cherry branches on another baking sheet and place it on the bottom of the oven.
Place the apple slices on the top shelf.
We set 50 degrees on the electric oven panel. We start the upper and lower heating modes. We also turn on the fan. He fans the smoke that comes from the heating cherry branches.
After six hours, place the dried apples, soaked in the aroma of berries, on the table surface. We hide them after they cool down.
Recipe 5. Dried apples in the oven with cinnamon and cloves
Ingredients:
A kilogram of sour apples;
Two tablespoons each of ground cloves and cinnamon.
Four tablespoons of sugar.
Cooking method:
Cut whole apples into thin slices. We do not remove the core and seeds.
Place the slices on a baking sheet so that there is a small distance between them.
Mix cloves, cinnamon and sugar in a separate bowl. Sprinkle over apple slices.
Place in the oven for ten minutes (180 degrees).
Turn over, reduce the temperature to 100 and cook for another seven minutes.
Turn off the oven. We don't take out the apples.
When the oven has cooled down, preheat it to 100 degrees, leave it for 10 minutes and turn it off again.
We repeat this several times over six hours.
Place the dried apples in paper bags.
Recipe 6. Dried apples in the oven with cardamom
Ingredients:
Two kg of apples;
Half a lemon;
1500 ml water;
According to one article a spoonful of ground cinnamon and cardamom.
Cooking method:
Pour water into a container one and a half or two centimeters deep. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon into it. Stir.
We free the fruits from the core.
Cut the apple peel as thinly as possible.
We cut the fruit into rings five or six centimeters thick.
Place in a container with lemon water. After a minute, transfer the apple slices to a colander.
Place the fruit rings on a baking sheet.
Mix cinnamon and cardamom. Place in a strainer and sprinkle a thin and even layer over the top of the apple slices.
Place the fruit in the oven for 8-10 hours (70 degrees).
You can leave the peel on the apples. Then the dried edges of the fruit will be harder and curlier.
Recipe 7. Dried apples in the oven without skin
Ingredients:
A kilogram of apples;
10 gr. salt;
Four glasses of water.
Cooking method:
Prepare the saline solution: pour salt into water and stir.
Wash the apples thoroughly and shake off the water.
Remove the core and cut off the skin.
Cut the apples into longitudinal slices five or six millimeters thick.
Pour them into a saline solution. Let the fruit sit for about five minutes.
Drain the water and place the apple slices on a baking sheet.
Place in the oven and dry in the standard way.
Recipe 8. Dried apples in the oven with core
Ingredients:
A kilogram of apples;
Water - two liters.
Cooking method:
Prepare two saucepans with the same amount of water.
In one container, bring the liquid to a boil.
Cut clean apples into four parts, then into slices three to four mm thick.
Place the pieces in boiling water for half a minute, then in cold water for the same time.
Remove the fruit and dry it lightly with a paper towel.
Place the apples on the prepared baking sheet so that each piece lies separately.
Dry in the oven in the usual way.
Dried apples in the oven - tricks and useful tips
Apple fruits need to be processed in portions. It is wise to do this so that the cut pieces do not have time to oxidize and darken. A serving can be considered half a bucket of fruit.
To avoid darkening, apples should be kept in a saline solution (a liter of water + a tablespoon of salt) or in lemon water (a liter of water + the juice of half a lemon). Ten seconds will be enough.
It is more convenient to dry apples in an electric oven. If the gas stove does not turn off for several hours, then it becomes impossible to breathe in the kitchen. True, good ventilation saves the situation.
It is advantageous to dry at the beginning of autumn, when cool days arrive. The warmth of the oven will not only do the main job, but will also warm up the room comfortably.
You cannot pack dried fruits in plastic bags or containers, as they will “suffocate” and become moldy.
Properly dried apples should not be sticky, brown or burnt. Fruit pieces should be elastic and not brittle.
A rationally organized workplace will speed up and simplify the process. All necessary equipment, including a trash can, should be kept at hand.
It's no secret that in winter the body's need for vitamins increases. And many housewives prefer to get them from their own preparations. For example, from apples. But how to preserve fruit reserves for a long period of cold weather? One option is to dry it. Here are some tips on how to properly dry apples at home.
Preparation
To make dried fruits tasty, aromatic and beautiful, they need to be properly prepared for drying. To do this, it is better to listen to the tips below.
- Use winter and sweet and sour varieties of apples for drying, such as Antonovka, Anise, Pepin saffron or Aport. They do not have a tart taste. Sweet varieties become tasteless after drying.
- Before dehydrating, be sure to sort, sort by size and wash the fruits.
- Peel and core future dried fruits and cut off damaged areas. Summer varieties of apples, for example, “white filling”, are best dried with the peel.
- To prevent the flesh of the cut pieces from darkening ahead of time, place them in cold acidified water. Some housewives prefer to blanch the fruits before drying. Keep in mind that in this case they will lose a significant amount of beneficial microelements.
- Place the prepared fruits on a mesh or baking sheet in one layer.
Sun drying
Under favorable weather conditions, it is better to dry apple slices naturally. Place the fruit on a flat surface or string it onto a string. Try not to place the pieces too tightly together; when stringing, leave a small distance between the fruits. Place the container with apples in the sun, and hang the “garlands” in a dry, well-ventilated area. To protect the fruits from insects, cover them with gauze.
Drying apples naturally is a slow process and can take from 10 to 15 days.
Make sure it dries evenly. Turn dried fruits over daily. It is not recommended to leave containers with preparations outside on a cloudy or cloudy day. In this case, it is better to keep future dried fruits in a warm, dry room and provide them with good ventilation.
Remember that drying apples naturally is a slow process and can take from 10 to 15 days. Well-dried fruits are elastic, do not break and do not stick to each other.
In the oven
If you do not have the opportunity to dry apples in the fresh air, use the oven. It may take you 7-8 hours to dehydrate one batch. Before placing the sliced pieces on a baking sheet, cover it with foil or parchment paper.
- Place the baking sheet in an oven preheated to +45 °C for 2–2.5 hours. Turn the fruit every 30-40 minutes so that it dries evenly on all sides.
- Then increase the temperature to +60 ... +65 °C. Remember to open the oven door from time to time and release excess moisture.
- Half an hour before drying is complete, reduce the temperature to +50 °C.
- When finished, place the dried fruits on a towel and leave to cool.
If the oven has a convection function, the drying process is greatly simplified and takes much less time.
- Place the baking sheet or rack with the apples on the middle rack.
- Set the regulator to +40 °C and turn on hot air blowing. Keep the oven door slightly open for the first 2 hours.
- After 50–60 minutes, increase the temperature to +70 °C.
- Once the apples have reduced in size by half, lower the temperature again to the original temperature.
The total duration of drying apples using this method will be about 5–6 hours.
In the microwave
Knowing all the intricacies of drying apples in the microwave, you can process about 10 kg of fruit in 1 hour. However, with this method it is very important not to dry out the fruits.
- Place the sliced pieces on a plate in one layer.
- Set the relay for 2 minutes and start the oven.
- After the specified period, check the degree of drying. Dry the fruit if necessary.
- Based on the cooking time for the first batch, process the remaining apples.
In an electric dryer
- Place the prepared fruits in one layer on the mesh of the unit.
- Set the temperature to +60 °C and note the time (7–8 hours).
Using an air fryer
The air fryer does a good job of drying apples. Cover the grids included with the machine with parchment paper.
- Place fruit on them and place one on top of the other.
- Set the drying parameters: temperature +100 ... +120 °C, low blowing speed. In an hour, the dried fruits will be ready.
Keep in mind that fruit on the top rack will dry a little faster. Therefore, periodically turn off the device and change the grids.
You can make apple preparations more tasty by soaking them in sugar syrup. To do this, prepare a syrup from an arbitrary amount of sugar and boiling water. Pour it over the chopped fruit and leave it for a day. After the specified period, place the slices in a colander and let the syrup drain. Place the soaked fruits on a net and dry as described above.