How to Dehydrate Apples

Apples are abundant in the fall when many people go apple picking. However, when the happy harvesters come home they realize they have more apples than they need for a simple apple pie. Dehydrating apples is a great way to preserve the abundance for later in the season when fresh apples are no longer available unless you want to pay grocery store premium pricing.

Things You'll Need

• apples apple peeler and/or knife bowl lemon juice and/or ascorbic acid food dehydrator

Instructions

Preparing to Dehydrate Apples

1. Clean, peel, and core the apples. Slice the fruit into quarter-inch thick slices.

2. Pre-treat the apples to prevent browning by soaking the slices in water and lemon juice (1 tsp lemon juice per quart) or in an ascorbic acid (mixed according to the manufacturer's instructions).

3. After the apples have soaked, spread them out on clean towels to absorb the excess water before arranging them on the dehydrator trays.

Dehydrating Apples

1. Arrange apples on the dehydrator trays. Place them close together but do not allow them to touch each other.

2. Turn on the dehydrator and allow them to dry until they start to turn crispy. The time varies among various dehydrators and can take anywhere from 6 to 12 hours.

3. Some manufacturers suggest rotating the trays for even dehydration. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for rotating the trays of your dehydrator.

Storing and Using Dehydrated Apples

1. While it is often suggested that dehydrated foods can be kept in an airtight container in a cool dry location, storing them in the freezer will prevent the possibility of them going bad and preserve the fresh flavor.

2. Rehydrate the apples. Pour hot water over the apples until they are barely covered. Let them soak for 10 to 15 minutes and then drain.

3. For many recipes, the reconstituted apples can be substituted for fresh without any adjustments to the recipe.

Tips & Warnings

• Ascorbic acid is available at most grocery stores or locations that sell supplies for home canning. Apples soaked in lemon juice will be tarter than those soaked in ascorbic acid. Rehydrated apples are especially good in breads, muffins, cakes, and stuffing. If dehydrating apples for a snack, try sprinkling them with a cinnamon sugar mixture before putting them in the dehydrator. If you have problems with the fruit sticking to the dehydrator trays, the trays can be lightly sprayed with a no-stick spray to alleviate the problem.