Dehydrated Apples

Apples can be considered as the most widely consumed fruit all over the world. From the sweet red to tangy green, they are surely enjoyable to eat. They also have various applications in which you can find them in common recipes—including jams, pies, salads, cookies or smoothies. In any case, have you ever imagined dehydrating apples just like any other food?

 

In this post, we will talk about the benefits of eating apples. We will also give instructions on how to dehydrate apples in many ways.

Benefits of Eating Apples

Apples are a delicious fruit which contains a high nutritional profile. It contains nutrients such as, carbs, fibers, vitamin C, potassium and Vitamin K. They also contain an adequate amount of Folate (Vitamin B9) and Potassium. They are extremely rich in antioxidants and other plant compounds as well.

 

Here are the several health benefits of eating apples, specifically:

  •         Supports Weight Loss
  •         Improves Heart Health
  •         Lowers Risks of Diabetes
  •         Promotes Gut Health
  •         Helps to Fight Asthma

How to Dehydrate Apples

The process of dehydrating apples is the same as with any other foods. Since the primary goal of dehydration is to remove the moisture as much as possible—without burning the actual food itself. Nonetheless, it is definitely easy when it comes to apples. It’s only a matter of time as well until its dehydration process is finished.

Preparing Your Apples

  1. Wash the apples with clean water and rinse thoroughly.
  2. Peel the skin using a kitchen knife or peeler. (Optional)
  3. Remove the core of the apples.
  4. Cut the apples into either rings or traditional slices. Keep the slices thin to get the perfect crispiness after dehydration.

Dehydrating Apples With a Food Dehydrator

  1. Sweep the thin slices or rings of apple with a brush drenched in lemon juice to prevent browning. Alternatively, you can dip them in saltwater.
  2. Place the thin slices or rings of apple in your dehydrator. Make sure that they are not overlapping with one another.
  3. Turn on your dehydrator and set it to the recommended setting. Keep in mind that the recommended setting varies depending on the model of the dehydrator. But in general, it is playing around 135° F.
  4. Dehydrate apples for 12 hours, more or less. After 10 to 11 hours, you can take out a slice or ring and check if you want it crispier.
  5. Take them out of the dehydrator and sit them out to cool down. Once they have cooled down, transfer them in an airtight container and store at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

Dehydrating Apples With an Oven

  1. Preheat the oven to 185° F.
  2. Wipe the thin slices or rings of apple with either a kitchen towel or paper towel.
  3. Sweep the thin slices or rings of apple with a brush drenched in lemon juice to prevent browning.
  4. Cover your baking trays with a parchment paper and place the thin slices or rings of apple over it.
  5. Place the baking trays in the oven and dehydrate them for around 1.5 hours to 3 hours.
  6. Check the time and confirm if they are all dried and crisped to perfection. The first 1.5 hours will result in tenderness, whereas the 2 to 3 hours will result in crispiness.
  7. Take them out of the oven and sit them out to cool down. Once they have cooled down, transfer them in an airtight container and store at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

Sun-Drying Apples

 

  1. Decide on a dry area with direct sunlight in your house.
  2. Sweep the thin slices or rings of apple with a brush drenched in lemon juice to prevent browning.
  3. Place the thin slices or rings of apple in a drying rack. Make sure to arrange them at least inches apart from one another.
  4. Cover your thin slices or rings of apple with cheesecloth or anything to protect it from pests or bugs. (Optional)
  5. Dehydrate them outside under the sun for about 3 to 6 days. Flip them over at least once a day, so that all sides will be dehydrated. Once they start to look all wrinkled, the moisture is removed completely.
  6. Transfer them in an airtight container and store at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

Air-Drying Apples

  1. Sweep the thin slices or rings of apple with a brush drenched in lemon juice to prevent browning or any natural discoloration.
  2. Select a dry, shady area in your house.
  3. Hang the thin slices or rings of apple on a solid string. Make sure that the slices or rings are not touching one another. Otherwise the juice in the slices or rings will not be able to dissipate.
  4. Place a fan facing the slices or rings directly. Turn it on to boost the air circulation as to dissipate the leftover juice in the apples more quickly.
  5. Check the days that have passed and confirm if they are all tendered and dried. It will take about 3 days to 1 week since you hung them up. It also depends on the current humidity in your region or area. So make sure to check them from time to time.
  6. Pull them off of the string and transfer them in an airtight container. It is recommended for air-dried apples to be stored in the refrigerator since they are not consistently dry during the process.

NOTE: Air-drying method takes a longer time to fully dehydrate the apples. It is highly recommended that you slice the apples very thin.

 

ALSO: if you will be dehydrating your apples outside, make sure to bring them in at night. This will prevent stray animals from eating or ruining them. You can take your apples outside the next morning to continue dehydrating them.

How Long Will Dehydrated Apples Last?

If you dehydrate the apples properly, it will last for about 6 months. After the dehydration process, transfer them in an airtight container or a Mylar bag. Anything will do just as long as the oxygen will not be able to flow into it. Afterwards, store them at a room temperature away from moisture and direct sunlight.

 

But if you want a longer shelf life out of them, you should freeze them in the refrigerator instead. Its shelf life will extend up to a year, minimum.

The Final Bite

Dehydration has various applications on several types of foods—which in this post, we’ve learnt that we can also dehydrate apples. Its dehydration process is nearly the same as how to dehydrate other types of food. For that reason, you won’t have any trouble applying these dehydration techniques on other fruits, like strawberries.

 

Lastly, dehydrated apples are another great addition to your list of long-term survival foods—considering quite a good number of health benefits it provides.

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