This healthy oven-dried apple recipe is perfect if you want to make dried apples at home and don’t have a dehydrator. Great for lunchboxes or as a snack, homemade dried apples are easy to make in the oven and are high in fiber and nutrients. To retain the fiber from the peels and to save time, we skip the step of peeling the apples first. We also skip coring–the star-shaped core makes a pretty shape in the center of each dried apple. For crispy apple chips, bake the apples about 1 hour more.
Provided by: SmallRecipe.com
Categories: Dessert
Total time: 3 hours 20 minutes
Ingredients:
| 4 cups water |
| ½ cup lemon juice |
| 2 large apples, unpeeled if preferred |
Steps:
- Position racks in the upper and lower third of the oven; preheat to 200 degrees F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Combine water and lemon juice in a medium bowl. (The lemon juice helps prevent browning.)
- Using a sharp knife or a mandoline (if you have one), slice 2 large apples as thin as possible, about 1/8 inch thick. (We skip peeling and coring because we like the look of the dried skins and the pretty pattern the core makes in the center.) Soak the slices in the lemon water for 30 minutes. Drain and pat the slices as dry as possible with paper towels (or clean kitchen towels). Place on the prepared baking sheets in a single layer.
- Bake the slices on the upper and lower racks for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and turn each slice over; return the pans to the oven. Bake 1 more hour for soft dried apples or about 2 more hours for crispy apple chips. (Timing depends on your oven, the type of apple and thickness of the slices; check periodically and reduce or increase the total time as needed.) Turn off the oven, crack the door and leave the apples in the oven until the oven cools completely, 1 to 2 hours.
Nutrition Facts:
Calories 29.4 calories, Carbohydrate 7.8 g, Fat 0.1 g, Fiber 1.3 g, Protein 0.2 g, Sodium 0.6 mg, Sugar 5.8 g
How to dry apples for apples?
Different Ways to Dry Apples. There are several ways to actually dry the apples – you can dry apples using an oven, a food dehydrator, a wood stove, or in the sun. A dehydrator is probably the most common method, but since we think wood stove-dried apples are best, we usually dry them over the wood stove (more on this below).
How do you get moisture out of cooked apple slices?
Drain apple slices in a colander, letting them sit for 2 to 3 minutes to drain off as much water as possible. If apple pieces are too moist, they will steam instead of dry in oven. To remove excess moisture, place slices on top of a clean kitchen towel and pat dry with a paper towel.
How long does it take to dehydrate apple slices?
Dry the Apple Slices. This is an important step to get even drying. Place the trays of apple slices into the dehydrator. Set the temperature for 130 F. Turn on the dehydrator and dry the apples until they have a leathery or crispy texture (depending on how you like them). This takes approximately 12 hours.
How long to bake dried apples?
Bake one side of the apples for 35-45 minutes (depending on the thickness of the slices) or until the apples start to dry and the edges start to curl up. Then flip them over and bake for an additional 25-30 minutes. If you like your dried apples as chewy and a little bit crispy, take them from the oven.