Whether you grow the apples yourself, harvest them from your (sharing) neighbor, or you buy at the local farmer's market, apples are so easy to dry.- Choose the apples that look the best. Cut out any bad parts.
- Wash, core and peel. Slice into 1/4 inch slices, placing each in lemon juice mixed with water to prevent browning. Soak for 5 minutes.
- Note: Sometimes we add ground cinnamon to the lemon water. The cinnamon sticks when you arrange the slices on the drying tray. The smell and resulting taste is heavenly.
- When all the apple are sliced, soaked and ready, arrange in single layers on trays. They can touch because they will shrink some.
- Dry 6-12 hours until piable - Temp: 135 degrees F.
- Freeze in freezer baggie for 2 days to kill any bug eggs that may have been laid while dehydrating. If you're 100% sure there aren't any, you can skip this step.
- Store in moisture-proof jar with a moisture absorber. Seal. Cover with dark paper to keep light out. Label with contents and date. Store in cool, dry, dark area.
You can rehydrate the apples to use in a recipe, or eat dried as a snack. Either way, this is a great way to store apples.