How to quickly dry apples at home. How to dry apples at home? A few easy ways. Rules for drying apples in an electric dryer

Dried apples are extremely practical. First, they are easy to store. And if you follow the storage conditions, then they will lie for a very long time. Secondly, they are very easy to make: you do not need to cook for a long time, waste kilograms of sugar or sterilize jars. It is enough to cut and put in the sun. The main thing is to cut it correctly and put it correctly. This is what we are talking about:

Which apples to choose?

The seed box should be small, the skin thin, and the taste bright, sweet and sour is best. And, of course, flavor. Otherwise, why bother doing all this? Both summer and autumn varieties are well suited for drying: Antonovka, Pepin-saffron, cinnamon.

How to prepare apples for drying?

Before drying, apples must be washed, all bruises and wormholes removed, and the seed box removed. There is special device in the form of a metal tube that takes out a seed box from a whole apple. If it is not there, then we act in the usual way, cut the fruit into quarters, cut out the box and then cut it into slices.

Photo: Shutterstock.com

If you managed to remove the core from a whole apple, then you can cut the fruits for drying in circles.

The thickness of the pieces should be about 5 mm.

So that the apples do not oxidize and darken during the drying process, you can act in two ways:

  • blanch the apples cut for drying, that is, lower them for a few seconds in boiling water;
  • lower it into a 1.5% saline solution, that is, 20 g of salt will be needed per liter (this is a tablespoon with a slide).

You need to lower the apples into the saline solution if you are going to dry them in the sun, in the open air. The salt will repel flies and other insects.

How to dry?

In the oven. Spread a thin layer of apples on a baking sheet. Put on a temperature of 50 degrees. Within an hour, the apples will wilt. Then the temperature must be increased to 70 degrees - the apples will dry and give off liquid. And finally, at the end of drying, the temperature must be increased to 80 degrees in order to sterilize the apples. The process will take 6-7 hours. Stir the apples every hour.

In the sun. You can arrange fruit on baking sheets, on grids. String them on a thread and hang them in a ventilated, very sunny place. Every day apples need to be turned over. When they have dried up and halved in size, you can pour the contents of two baking sheets into one - they will not stick together. In the hot sun, the process takes 3-4 days.

Above the stove. Apples are strung on a string and hung over the stove. And turn it on. Only a gas stove is suitable, apples will not dry over an electric burner, and you will go broke on electricity. Such drying is fast, it takes 3-4 hours, depending on the thickness of the cut.

In electric dryer. A very handy thing for those who do a lot of blanks. The slices need to be distributed over the drying, set the required temperature (usually it is indicated in the instructions) and wait a couple of hours. Does not require constant attention.

How to determine that apples are ready?

The apples should shrink a lot. Properly dried fruits do not break, they are elastic, not sticky. Apples can be light or dark, it does not depend on the quality of drying, but only on which variety you have chosen.

How to store?

In cloth or paper bags, in a dark, cool, ventilated place. You can not pack apples in bags and plastic containers, they will become moldy.

What to cook?

The most common is a compote of dried fruits or just dried apples. But the possibilities of dried fruits are not limited to this. From them you can make salads, sauces, bake pies. You can cook pancakes from dried apples, add them to soup, even make jam.

Salad with dried apples

  • 1 handful of dried apples
  • 100 g prunes
  • 2 tbsp. l. honey
  • 30 g chopped walnuts.

Step 1. Soak apples and prunes.

Step 2. Cut in small pieces. Mix.

Step 3. Chop the nuts, add honey and nuts to the fruit.

Dried apple charlotte

Photo: Shutterstock.com

Step 1. Soak apples, then boil (broth can be used as a basis for compote).

Step 2. Separate the yolks from the whites. Add whites and leave, and grind the yolks with sugar until white.

Step 3. Add oil room temperature to the yolks and beat.

Step 4. Add flour with baking powder. Mix everything so that there are no lumps.

Step 5. Beat egg whites until stiff and add sugar. Pour into the batter and mix gently.

Step 6. Grease the form with butter and sprinkle with flour. Put the apples into the dough, stir, pour everything into a mold.

Step 7. Bake at a temperature of 180 g for about 50 minutes.

Among other things, dried apples are delicious as independent dish and are an excellent component for preparing various dishes and drinks, including jelly and even sweets. So, they are simply necessary to have in the home pantry, especially since they keep for a long time and you can cook them at home. How to dry apples in the oven for the winter?

general information

You can dry apples for your own consumption in several ways. These include:

Each of these methods has its own benefits and advantages.

For example, the most fast in duration are drying in the microwave and aerogrill.

But they can dry not a large number of fruits at a time, so they are not well suited in cases where you need to process several tens of kilograms of apples taken from your favorite garden on suburban area. In such a situation, it is better to use the oven. However, many housewives are concerned about questions: is it possible to dry apples in a gas oven And how to dry apples in the oven?

The answer is simple: of course you can. Moreover, fruits harvested in this way are obtained less "rubber" and better soak in the preparation of fillings for pies and compotes. That is, they taste better than apples dried in the “natural way” in the open air.

The only downside this option for drying apples and pears: from the long operation of the gas appliance, the air in the kitchen becomes heavy, so being in it is not very pleasant. But this shortcoming can be corrected by the usual high-quality ventilation.

Drying rules

How to dry apples at home in the oven? In order for dried fruits from apples to turn out fragrant, tasty and crunchy and had an attractive appearance great importance has the correct one. In this case, you should follow a few simple rules.

Best for drying winter, sour and sweet and sour varieties apples that do not have a tart taste. Their flesh should be fairly firm, not watery, with a light yellow or white tint.

Best Options: "Antonovka", "Anise", "Pepin saffron", "Papirovka", "Aport", etc. Sweet apples are not well suited for this purpose, as they become tasteless after drying.

Before drying, the apples are sorted, sorted, and then washed under running water.

Each fruit is cleansed of peels and cores. Summer varieties of apples are best dried with the skin.

To prevent darkening of the pulp, peeled apples should be put in water acidified with citric acid or vinegar.

Some housewives, before drying apples, expose them to blanching. However, after such processing, the amount of nutrients and vitamins in such dried fruits is significantly reduced.

After thorough washing and cleaning, the fruits are cut into circles or slices with a thickness of 5 to 7 mm.

Step-by-step instruction

How to dry apples in the oven for the winter? After preliminary preparation of apples, you can start drying them.

Choosing the optimal mode. At what temperature do you dry apples in the oven? At the initial stage, the oven should be turned on at 50-55 degrees. If you set a higher temperature, at best, the apples will quickly become crusted, which will prevent further evaporation of the liquid from them, and at worst, they will simply burn out, turning into black coals.

Determining the drying time. How long can apples dry in the oven? The total drying time is 6 to 8 hours. At the same time, two hours after the start of the procedure, the apples must be gently mixed, making sure that they remain on the baking sheet in an even layer.

Useful advice: In order for the liquid to drain faster, at the initial stage of drying, the oven door should be slightly ajar. Thanks to air circulation, dried fruits will not burn and will reach the desired state much faster.

We monitor the state of apples. What mode to dry apples in the oven? After the first stirring, the temperature in the oven must be raised to 70 degrees. Close the door completely. After the number of fruits on the baking sheet is reduced in volume by half, again reduce the temperature to 50 degrees.

Determine the readiness of dried fruits. After about 3-4 hours, the apples will be completely ready.

In order to verify this, you can bend one slice by picking it up. If it bends, and at the same time the hands remain clean, it means that dried fruits from apples have “reached the desired condition”.

If the slice breaks, the apples are overdried. However, you should not be too upset about this. Such fruits can be used for compotes.

You can visually determine the readiness of dried apples. They should have a light brown tint, but at the same time retain their flexibility and elasticity.

Ways

How to dry apples in the oven: on a baking sheet or on a wire rack? Drying apples in a gas stove oven can be done in two of these ways.

On a baking sheet

How to dry apples in the oven on a baking sheet? To do this, lay a baking sheet parchment paper and carefully spread on it the fruits, cut accordingly.

So that the apples do not burn, they need to be periodically shake. When using several trays, they need to be swapped from time to time.

On the grid

How to dry apples in the oven on a wire rack? This method has several benefits compared to the previous one:

  • firstly, when drying on a wire rack, apple slices will dry out more evenly at both sides;
  • secondly, the process itself will take less time.

paper with this method of drying, it is not necessary to use.

How to reduce time?

Despite the fact that cooking dried fruits from apples in the oven, at first glance, may seem like a very simple procedure, this method has several serious shortcomings.

These include:

  1. Need careful control over the state of the fruit throughout the entire period of their drying.
  2. Duration this process.

For this reason, many housewives are thinking about how to reduce drying time apples in the oven. How to dry apples at home in the oven fast? There is such a way. To do this, peeled and cut into slices apples are boiled in boiling water for 5-7 minutes, after which cool down under running cold water. After that, you can dry them in the oven.

The second option: keeping prepared apples on a sieve or colander over the ferry 10 minutes and their subsequent cooling in cold water.

convection function

How to dry apples in a gas stove oven with convection (fan)? Subject to the use of modern gas ovens equipped with convection function, the process of drying apples becomes simpler and more productive. In this case, the preparation of dried fruits takes less time.

In order to start drying, prepared apples need to be laid out on a wire rack or baking sheet and placed in to the middle level into the oven with the convection mode (hot air blown) turned on, setting the temperature 40 degrees. After an hour and a half, it can be increased up to 75-80 degrees, and then, when the volume of apples decreases by about half, again lower to 40 degrees.

The oven door should be slightly ajar.

The total duration of the process: 6 to 7 hours. Apples can be dried continuously, for example, by leaving them overnight, but it is preferable to obtain a product more High Quality, through every three hours take them out of the oven for better evaporation of moisture.

Delicious recipes

Drying apples in the oven at home can turn into a pleasant and rewarding experience. Every hostess has your own recipes preparation of dried fruits.

However, they will be most useful if they are dried in the oven without any additional additives.

But, they can be made even more delicious by using the following recipe.

"Apple rings"

Ingredients:

  • apples (optional quantity);
  • granulated sugar (to taste);
  • water.

How to do? Cooking:

  1. From washed apples remove the cores along with the seeds. If you want the rings to turn out beautiful and neat, for this it is better to use a special device that you can buy at the store.
  2. Cut peeled fruits thin slices, making sure that their thickness is the same and does not exceed 5-7 mm. Place them in a bowl or other suitable container.
  3. From water and sugar boil syrup boil water and add granulated sugar to taste. Cool it down to room temperature.
  4. Pour the syrup over the apples so that it covers them completely. Leave in a cool place for a day.
  5. Thereafter take the slices out of the syrup and arrange them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or wire rack.
  6. Send apples to the oven and dry them at a temperature of about 60 degrees turning over from time to time. They will be ready in about 6-8 hours.

Then they are taken out and laid out in paper bags, glass jars or canvas bags. for storage.

If desired, these apple slices can be served as independent dish sprinkled with powdered sugar or cinnamon.

In a word, in order to during the cold season to add to yourself a “portion of health and vigor”, you must definitely make sure that dried apples are stored in the home pantry, which have great nutritional value and health benefits.

They can be eaten as a separate treat, used as a snack, prepared from them compotes, infusions and fillings for pies, as well as delicious and healthy sweets and even cakes.

Dried apples in the oven with rings - photo:

The main thing is that in order for the dried fruits to turn out tasty and beautiful in the end, choose the “right” varieties of apples for their preparation and clearly follow technologies for their preparation. As a result you will get valuable and quality product which is sure to please all your family and friends.

If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.

Drying is one of better ways harvesting vegetables and fruits for the winter. During the drying process, most of the vitamins and minerals that make up the fruit are preserved. At the same time, almost all seasonal vegetables or fruits can be dried with minimal loss of taste.

Dried apples in many countries are the most popular product, they are not much inferior in terms of usefulness and taste. fresh fruit and are especially rich in vitamins A, C, E, group B, potassium, calcium, magnesium and sodium.

We have collected for you best recipes dried apples for the winter using the most affordable kitchen appliance - the oven.

How to prepare fruits for drying

Before drying apples in an electric or gas oven, you need to choose and prepare the fruits correctly. To do this, you need to follow a few simple recommendations:

  1. For harvesting, look for apples of winter, sour or sweet and sour varieties with dense pulp and without astringent taste. Sweet fruits are not suitable for drying, as they eventually lose their taste and become tasteless. Great for drying varieties:
  • "Anise";

Anise variety

  • "Antonovka";
  • "Paper";
  • "Aport";
  • "Pepin saffron".
  1. Before drying, it is necessary to sort out the fruits. Cut spoiled from rotten places.
  2. Rinse the fruit under running water and dry, scattering on a towel.
  3. Peel the apples from the peel, "tail" and seed box. Summer varieties of apples can be used for drying along with the peel.
  4. To avoid darkening of the fruit, they must be placed in slightly acidified with vinegar, lemon or lemon juice water.
  5. Some chefs suggest blanching fruits before drying. To do this, put the prepared fruits in a colander. In parallel, prepare two pots of water: boil the liquid in one pan, and cool with pieces of ice in the other. Dip a colander with fruit, first in boiling water for 2-3 minutes, and then in an ice solution. Dry apples naturally. At the end of the process, the apples become softer, do not lose their shape during drying, and the drying process itself will be halved.
  6. The last step is to cut the fruit into slices, slices or thin slices.

Dried apples in the oven: a classic recipe

There are two ways to dry apples in the oven: on a baking sheet or on a wire rack. Let's start with the first option.

Attention! Before harvesting, you need to prepare the fruits using the recommendations above.

Drying preparation algorithm:

  1. Preheat the oven to 50-55 degrees.
  2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  3. Spread the prepared apple slices on a baking sheet in an even layer.
  4. Place the apple sheet in the oven.

Attention! To speed up the drying process, leave the cabinet door ajar. Thus, the moisture will evaporate faster, the fruit will not burn and will cook faster.

  1. After 2 hours from the beginning of drying, mix the apples. Change the temperature mode by selecting a temperature of 70 degrees. Close the oven door completely.

Attention! Using two baking sheets during the drying process, they must be periodically interchanged.

  1. As soon as the apples are reduced in volume by half, again reduce the temperature to 50 degrees.
  2. After 3-4 hours, remove the finished apples from the oven and cool at room temperature.

Attention! The degree of readiness of drying is checked as follows. Take the apple slice in your hands and bend it. If the workpiece will bend, while maintaining elasticity, and the fingers will remain clean, then it's time to take the dryer out of the oven. Overdried slices will break easily. But even such a blank is used in compote.

  1. Store dried fruit in cardboard boxes or cloth bags.

How to dry apples on a wire rack?

Another way to dry apples in a gas stove oven has a number of advantages over the previous one. Firstly, the fruit slices will dry evenly on each side and do not need to be turned over. Secondly, drying will take less time. Thirdly, you do not need to additionally use parchment paper.

The procurement process is as follows:

  1. Prepare peeled and chopped apples.
  2. Blanch the fruits in boiling water or soak in a colander over steam for 10 minutes.
  3. Arrange the fruit slices on the wire rack.
  4. Turn on the oven on low heat or set the cooking temperature to 75 degrees.
  5. Install the rack in the oven.

Attention! When choosing the temperature at which to dry apples in the oven, it is worth considering the following factors. The correct temperature regime is considered to be a gradual increase in temperature in the first few hours of drying and a subsequent decrease in the cooking process. First, set the temperature to 45-50 degrees. After 2-3 hours, when the fruits are dried, you need to increase the temperature to 70-95 degrees. After almost complete evaporation of moisture from the fruit, it is necessary to lower the temperature again, saving the fruit from burning.

On average, drying takes 5 hours, but the process can increase to 8-10 hours if the fruits are sour and hard. The finished product will be brownish or yellow in color.

  1. After cooking, cool the dried fruits and pour into cloth bags. You can package drying in glass containers or paper bags.

Drying apples in convection mode

Modern electric ovens allow you to dry apples in convection mode. In this case, the drying process itself becomes simpler and more productive and takes less time.

Cooking process:

  1. Prepare washed, dried fruits. Grind apples in any convenient way.
  2. Arrange fruit slices on a parchment-lined baking sheet or on a wire rack. Place the baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven.
  3. Turn on the convection mode, that is, blowing hot air.
  4. After opening the oven door a little, dry the apples, following the instructions given in the previous recipes, first raising the temperature and then lowering the rate. The drying process in this way takes 6-7 hours. At the same time, apples can be dried both continuously, leaving them in the oven overnight, and taking the baking sheet out of the oven every 3 hours and cooling the workpiece for the fastest evaporation of moisture.
  5. Store the finished product in a dry, protected from moisture and light place. An apple harvest retains its usefulness and may not deteriorate for two to three years if the product storage conditions are met.

One more recipe

Turning apple drying into an exciting activity is very simple, based on the proposed recipe. Sweet dried fruits perfectly complement jelly, fruit salad or compote.

Ingredients:

  • Fruits - 1 kg
  • Sugar - 0.2 kg
  • Water - 1 l

The algorithm for harvesting dried apple fruits is as follows:

  1. From the prepared fruits, cut the core and stalk, cutting in half. For beautiful dried circles, you can remove the seed boxes.
  2. Cut apples into thin slices of the same thickness.

Attention! If drying is further used for cooking jelly or compotes, then the fruits can be crushed immediately with seeds and peel.

  1. At this time, boil the sugar syrup, adjusting the amount of sugar to taste. Cool syrup to room temperature.
  2. Place fruit pieces in a bowl. Pour the fruit with syrup so that the liquid completely covers the apples. Leave the pot with apples in a cool place for 24 hours.
  3. After 24 hours, remove the apple slices from the pan and transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  4. Preheat oven to 60 degrees.
  5. In a hot oven, place a baking sheet with slices.
  6. After 2-3 hours, change the drying temperature, increasing to 100 degrees. The total drying time will be 6-8 hours, depending on the thickness of the apple slices.

Attention! During drying, be sure to turn the blanks over.

  1. After the time has elapsed, cool the product and arrange it in bags, glass jars or cloth bags.

You can serve the blank as a full-fledged treat, sprinkled with cinnamon or powdered sugar.

How to determine the degree of readiness of drying?

Regardless of the drying method chosen, the finished product must meet the following criteria:

  1. Dried apple fruits should be elastic, not break or crunch.
  2. When squeezing, juice should not stand out.
  3. The color of the workpiece can vary from light yellow to light brown or dark.

If one of the criteria is not met, it is better to dry the apples a little more.

How to store dried fruits?

Given a few simple rules, you can enjoy the cooked product for more than one year:

  1. Before storing, you need to review all the apple slices, separating the soft and undried ones. Unsuitable specimens should be re-sent to the oven. After a few days, sort through again, choosing the softest slices that need to be removed separately and used first.
  2. The most convenient way to store the workpiece is to use cloth bags into which to pour dried apple slices. In rooms with high humidity, store dried apples in clean jars or containers, tightly closing the containers with lids. Paper bags or paper bags are great for storing food only in a dry place, as moisture will cause the packages to become damp and spoil the blanks.
  3. The shelf life of the product can be up to three years. But it is imperative in this case to periodically review the workpiece for signs of damage. If spoiled apples appear, discard and dry the rest in the oven again.
  4. If pests are wound up in the storage place, it is necessary to sort out the entire batch, remove the spoiled slices. The remaining apples are subjected to additional drying in the oven at a temperature of 65 degrees. Or place the blanks in the freezer and freeze for several hours.

A rich harvest of apples has ripened in your garden, and you do not know what to do with them? Try to make these summer fruits healthy dried fruits that you will use to prepare original dishes. Our article will tell you how to properly prepare apples for drying, as well as introduce you to the most popular ways to harvest this product for the winter.

Around the end of July, it's time to harvest apples. If the harvest of these fruits in your garden has exceeded all expected quantities, you can afford not only to boil jams and jams, but also to dry them for the winter.

  • Drying apples is considered the easiest and most accessible way blanks of this product. The best part is that in this case you do not have to spend extra money on sugar and stand at the stove for hours. A certain temperature will help you bring the apples to the desired consistency, and it will do it practically without your participation.
  • Fruits prepared in the same way retain almost all vitamins and microelements in their composition, and, unlike jam and jam, do not contain a large amount of not very healthy sugar. All these useful substances will help your body survive the cold winter, and in the spring they will save you from beriberi
  • In addition, dried fruits are a product with which you can cook a lot of tasty and fragrant dishes. Properly dried fruits can be an excellent filling for a pie, an addition to sweet pilaf, an interesting component of winter salads, and even fragrant tea brewing.

At what temperature and how long to dry apples?

The optimum temperature for drying apples is 50-70 degrees.
  • Some housewives want to speed up the drying process of apples and therefore use quite extreme temperatures for this. In principle, they speed up the drying process, but at the same time, their useful substances leave the fruit with the liquid.
  • So if you want to get real useful product, then make sure that the temperature in the oven or electric dryer does not exceed 70 degrees. And then such a temperature can be set only at the initial stage, for that period while the fruits will intensively lose their moisture.
  • After they are at least halved in size, the temperature should be reduced to 40-50 degrees. Such temperature indicators are as close to natural as possible, which means that you can save not only vitamins and minerals, but also the natural taste of the finished product.
  • But remember, even low temperatures can dry out apples, so it is extremely important not to forget to gently turn them over every two hours. So you can achieve uniform drying and the perfect consistency of dried fruits.
  • If you do not do this, then the finished product will dry out so much that it will lose almost all of its taste. And you can use such apples only for making compotes and jelly. Depending on the chosen method of harvesting apples for the winter, drying can last from several hours to 10-14 days.

How to prepare apples for drying?



Preparing apples for drying
  • We all know that apples are almost 90% ordinary water, which, during the drying process, evaporates under the influence of high temperature leaving us only healthy dietary fiber and vitamins. But of course, in order to get the perfect drying, you need to use the highest quality fruits for its preparation.
  • Therefore, whenever possible, try to use fruits from your garden for winter harvesting. If you do not have it, then try to find apples grown in our country in the market or in the store. Since they will not need to travel and store for a very long time, they will not be treated with substances that prolong the life of imported fruits.
  • After the fruits are delivered home, be sure to wash them thoroughly under running water and sort them by size. Thanks to this, during the cutting process, you will get almost the same pieces, which means that the fruit will dry as evenly as possible.
  • Also, look very carefully to see if there are beaten and rotten apples among the purchased products. If you find such fruits, then just put them aside. Since in places of damage the fermentation process usually begins quite quickly, it is strictly forbidden to use such fruits for drying.
  • Such fruits, after exposure to high temperatures, will not have a completely normal taste and, what is most unpleasant, will be stored worse. After sorting, you can move on to removing the core of the apples and cutting them into thin slices.
  • If we talk about the thickness of the slices, then it can range from 3-7 mm. After cutting, it is best to dip the fruit for a few seconds in boiling water or soak in salt water. This will allow the apples to retain their natural color and not oxidize before drying.

Drying apples for the winter in the oven on a baking sheet



Rules for drying apples in the oven on a baking sheet
  • Dried apples are the most popular dried fruits in our country. People love this product for its beneficial features nor, of course, for the fact that every person can prepare these fragrant fruits for the winter. One of the most affordable methods for harvesting apples is drying in the oven on a baking sheet.
  • Moreover, both gas and electric stoves are equally well suited for this business. The only thing you should consider is that if you use an electric oven for these purposes, then at the initial stage, the temperature can be raised to 80 degrees
  • The temperature should not rise higher than this, as this can lead to the fact that the fruit simply begins to boil in its juice.


Dried apples in the oven

Rules for drying apples in the oven on a baking sheet:

  • Turn on the oven and preheat it to 50 degrees. Make sure that the temperature does not exceed these indicators too much. If they are very high, then the apple slices will be covered with a crust, which will prevent them from drying properly.
  • While the oven is preheating, rinse the apples and remove the core from them. Put the sliced ​​\u200b\u200bfruits in one layer on a baking sheet previously covered with baking paper.
  • Place the apples in the oven and open the door slightly. This will allow air to circulate and the liquid that is in the fruit will evaporate properly.
  • After about two hours, stir the apples and leave them in the oven for another hour and a half. When you see that they have significantly decreased in size, close the oven tightly, increase the temperature to 70 degrees and wait another 1 hour
  • After this, we again reduce the temperature indicators to 50 degrees, open the oven door and leave the fruit in this position for about 3 more hours. As soon as you see that the apple slices have become slightly brownish and elastic to the touch, remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the dried fruits cool.
  • We put the completely cooled apples in a glass container with a hermetically sealed lid and put it in a kitchen cabinet for storage.

How to dry apples for the winter in the sun?



Drying apples in the sun
  • If you want to try drying apples in the sun, then choose the optimal warm period for this. Ideally, temperatures environment must exceed 30 degrees for at least 4-5 days in a row
  • In principle, they can be a little less, but then it will take at least 7 days to cook dried apples. Therefore, if possible, check the forecast and, if sunny and cloudless weather is betrayed for the next week, start preparing for drying apples in the sun

So:

  • Find on garden plot a place that is exposed to direct sunlight throughout the day
  • Set up a table there and cover it first with polyethylene and then with clean paper.
  • Rinse and cut the apples and soak for 5-10 minutes in acidified water
  • Drain the water and transfer the fruit to a colander. Leave them in this position until they completely get rid of water.
  • Then transfer them to a paper towel and let dry at room temperature.
  • When the apples are slightly tacky, transfer them to the prepared table and carefully cover with cheesecloth.
  • Be sure to cover the apples, otherwise wasps, flies and other insects will land on them
  • Try to mix fruit slices at least 2-3 times a day
  • If you want the process of drying apples in the sun to be as short as possible, then be sure to take them home at night
  • After 5-7 days they will turn dark brown and can be transferred to jars for further storage.

How to dry apples on a thread?



Drying apples on a thread
  • Another popular way to head dried fruits for the winter is to dry the fruit on a thread. In this case, you do not have to wait until the weather is consistently sunny, because you can bring apples to the desired consistency on the open terrace, balcony and even the attic
  • The main condition for such drying is a large open space and, of course, the most sterile conditions. With this method of drying, approximately 1 kg of a quality product is obtained from 10 kg of fresh fruit.
  • Take your favorite apples, rinse them under running water, remove the core from them and cut into slightly thick slices
  • If their thickness is very small, then they will simply break and you will not be able to string them on a thread.
  • Make sure that the finished slices have the same thickness. This will contribute to proper and even drying.
  • String chopped apples on a thick thread, leaving a little space between the slices.
  • Place original garlands in the attic or terrace, and if necessary, cover them with gauze
  • If you are drying indoors, then at least arrange a small draft in it during the day.
  • Air circulation will contribute to faster and more uniform drying of the fruit.
  • After about 10-14 days, your drying will be ready and you just have to put it in a storage container

How to dry apples for the winter in an electric dryer?



Drying apples in an electric dryer
  • If you want to dry apples as quickly and efficiently as possible, then do not spare the money and get yourself a high-quality electric dryer. Such a kitchen assistant will prepare tasty and healthy dried fruits for you with little outside help, which you will use with great pleasure to prepare fortified dishes.
  • The only thing you should pay special attention to in this case is the thickness of the apple slices. If it is larger than the thickness of the trays of the kitchen appliance, then the warm air inside the electric dryer will not be distributed evenly, and this may lead to the fact that one part of the apples will be already fully cooked, while the other will still be in the semi-cooked stage.

Rules for drying apples in an electric dryer:

  • Cut pre-washed apples into slices of the desired thickness
  • Arrange them neatly (in one row) on pallets
  • Place all pallets in the electric dryer and plug the appliance into the mains
  • Make sure that the temperature sensor does not exceed 55 degrees
  • Leave the apples to dry for at least 7 hours
  • After this time, unplug the appliance and check the readiness of dried apples
  • If they are dry to the touch and do not release juice when pressed, then feel free to transfer them to a glass container.
  • If you notice at least a minimal release of moisture, leave them to dry for another 2-3 hours

How to dry apples in the microwave?



Drying apples in the microwave
  • Nowadays, almost every kitchen has a microwave oven. This kitchen assistant of the modern housewife makes the everyday worries of the eternally busy woman as easy as possible. Quite a lot of housewives with great pleasure cook meat in the microwave, bake pies and cook cereals
  • But if you know how to properly use this miracle of modern technology, then with its help you can dry apples quite well. The best part is that it will take you literally 5-7 minutes to dry one serving.

So:

  • Cut the apples into slices or circles and spread them in one layer on a flat plate
  • Set the power timer to 200-300 W and turn on the microwave
  • After 2 minutes, turn off the oven and flip the apples to the other side.
  • Close the microwave door and wait another 2-3 minutes
  • If your apples were cut into very thin pieces, then this time will be enough for them to dry.
  • If after this time they are still sticky to the touch, turn on the timer for another 1-2 minutes

How to dry apples in an air grill?



Air dry apples
  • If your kitchen has an air grill, then this miracle device can also be used to dry apples for the winter. In the case of an air grill, you can even try to cook something not quite ordinary drying. If you sprinkle prepared apples with cinnamon, vanilla or ginger before turning on the device, then you will get a wonderful flavored filling for winter pies.
  • And if you make the slices a little thicker than usual, then the finished product can be used as a light and tasty snack that will not overload the stomach if you want something delicious late in the evening

Drying apples in an air grill:

  • Wash the apples, remove the core from them and cut into slices 5-8 ml thick
  • Boil water, dissolve a couple of tablespoons of table salt in it and dip an apple into the resulting liquid
  • In just a couple of seconds, drain the water and let the apple circles drain in a colander
  • Remove any remaining moisture from the apples with a paper towel or cotton towel.
  • Put the fruit in one layer on the grid of the air grill, sprinkle them with cinnamon and turn on the device
  • Adjust the timer to low blow at 100 degrees
  • After 50-60 minutes, turn off the air grill and check the readiness of apples
  • If they are a little sticky, then continue to dry them for another 20-30 minutes.

Is it possible to dry green, unripe apples, white filling?


  • In principle, drying slightly unripe apples is quite acceptable. Just when using such a product, you should be prepared for the fact that you have to add a little more sugar or honey to compotes and pie fillings.
  • But if the apples are completely green, then it is forbidden to use them for the preparation of healthy dried fruits. And the point here is not that they will give a very strong sourness. A completely green apple does not have any taste or useful qualities. ripe fruit, therefore, in dried form, it will not bring you much benefit. You will simply waste your time and money, and in return you will get a tasteless and sour product that you are unlikely to use in food.
  • If we talk about white filling, then it is also better not to use it for preparing dried fruits for the winter. This ripe apple has a rather friable structure, which, after drying, turns into an almost tasteless product. For the preparation of drying, it is best to use denser and juicier varieties that ripen closer to autumn and have a sweet and sour taste. It is from these apples that the most delicious and fragrant winter dried fruits are obtained, which help to diversify the same type of winter dishes.

Video: Harvesting apples for the winter. Drying apples in a dryer

Everyone knows that apples are healthy fruits, natural sources of vitamins and minerals. This fruit is common and popular: apples are sold on shop windows and counters all year round. In addition to fresh consumption, they can be dried, dried and even salted. One of the simple and labor-intensive processes is drying apples for compote at home.

How to cut and peel apples in seconds:

General information: the benefits of dried apples

With this processing, the fruit retains all its beneficial properties. Regular consumption of dried apples will strengthen and saturate the body, help to carry out prevention or be an excellent addition to treatment. The rich composition of the fruit has a beneficial effect on the entire body.

  • Normalization of the digestive tract;
  • Vitamin P will strengthen blood vessels and capillaries;
  • The combination of vitamins and ascorbic acid normalizes redox processes.

Varieties suitable for drying

To prepare compote from dried apple slices, it is better to choose autumn sour or sweet and sour varieties with a rich content of pectins and vitamins. The presence of vitamin P in apples will give a rich taste and ensure the transparency of the finished drink.

Proper drying of apples:


So, the list of popular varieties of apples for drying for compote looks like this.

  • Antonovka;
  • Pippin;
  • Aport;
  • Titovka;
  • Slav;
  • Borovik.

REFERENCE: Sweet varieties of apples have an excess of sugar in the composition. Because of this, the sushi turns out to be loose and viscous.

How to make sure that the selected apples are suitable for drying?

For harvesting, you need to take large or medium apples with a thin peel and a small seed box - this will avoid unnecessary waste. To make sure the selected fruits are suitable for drying, pay attention to the pulp and other factors.

  • The apple pieces should remain light yellow;
  • Properly selected varieties do not darken;
  • Dried fruits of apples are soft and slightly springy when touched.

Drying apples for compote: basic rules

You need to choose the best drying method based on your capabilities and conditions. Apples can be dried both in the fresh air (on the plot, on the balcony, attic), and with the help of household electrical appliances.

Dried apple fruits:


What are the basic rules of the process:

  • Compliance with weather conditions. You need to dry apples on the street in the heat. At the slightest rain, immediately remove trays with slices under a canopy;
  • For harvesting, you need to take whole and unspoiled fruits. They must be ripe;
  • You need to cut slices or pieces of the same thickness;
  • For even drying, spread the slices in 1 layer at a small distance from each other.

Step-by-step instruction

ATTENTION: So that the apples do not fade, before drying, they must be put in water with the addition of citric or acetic acid, or dipped in a weak saline solution (100 g of salt per 10 liters of water). This will refresh the fruit and provide protection from pests. Salt will also increase the shelf life of dried wedges.

At the first stage, it is important to properly prepare the apples for drying. What does this process include?

  1. Selection of high-quality fruits (there are no signs of spoilage, signs of decomposition or rotting on the apple);
  2. Washing apples under running water. Then they need to be laid out on a towel and allowed to dry, as excess moisture slows down the harvesting procedure;
  3. Eliminate the middle. This is done with a special knife;
  4. An alternative is to simply cut the apple into 4 pieces and remove the pits with a regular knife. But when harvesting apples for compote, the core can not be removed at all;
  5. It is not necessary to peel the skin, as it contains a large amount of nutrients;
  6. Slicing apples is optional. These can be slices, circles, but their size should not exceed 5 mm.

After preliminary preparation, they proceed directly to drying the apples.

Method name Outdoor sun drying Oven Microwave In an electric dryer
Actions
  • The first option is to lay the apples on tin sheets or a grid;
  • The second is to put apples on the thread like beads. You can use sticks (string slices on them);
  • Be sure to cover the apples with a thin cloth or gauze to protect from insects.
  • Arrange fruit evenly on a baking sheet or grid;
  • Turn on the oven on a slow fire or set the temperature to 75 o;
  • Leave the oven door slightly ajar;
  • Turn apples every 1.5-2 hours;
  • Reduce temperature to 50°C after 5 hours of cooking.
  • Arrange the slices on a dish;
  • Set the mode to 200W, total time- 3 minutes;
  • Dry in batches. Set a timer for 30 seconds, check each time for readiness;
  • The finished product is checked for the condition of the peel (it does not turn pale), and the pulp should not stick to the hands.
This is the best and correct way to dry.
  • Lay the sliced ​​apples evenly in the dryer;
  • Fix the necessary drying parameters (temperature, time);
  • The fruits will dry quickly, will not burn, they will not be touched by insects.
total cooking time Subject to all conditions, the apples will dry out in 3-4 days in the hot sun. When drying in the shade, it will take at least 7-8 days. After about 7 hours, the fruit will dry out. Outwardly, they look pale, but they should not be burnt. The maximum time is 3 minutes. Total time - 8 hours.

Below are video reviews of all the above methods.

Solar fruit dryer:

Drying apples in the oven on a baking sheet:

Dried apples in the microwave

How to dry apples in a fruit dryer:

How to store the finished product all winter?

In order not to spoil the quality after drying, it is important to properly store the resulting product. What secrets do you need to know?

  • Collect apples in one bag (pillowcase) to achieve the same humidity;
  • Store in this way for 2 weeks, then spread out in cloth bags. You can also use cardboard boxes or parchment;
  • Store in a ventilated, cool and dark place.

IMPORTANT: Do not store dried wedges in plastic bags or plastic containers. Under such conditions, the dryer can suffocate and become moldy.

So, taking into account and following the easy recommendations, you can prepare delicious and fragrant apple slices for the entire winter season. If the varieties were selected correctly, and the course of heat treatment was not disturbed, the result will be a transparent, pleasant-tasting compote without turbidity and brown color.