Dried Apple Rings

I know you have seen those little bags of dried apples in the market or at the gas station. They are so expensive and yet I buy them. I have used my dehydrator to make lots of things but until this last year never fruit. I'm kinda picky about dried fruit. I don't care for the gummy texture of some of them. Therefore, I don't do it.  I woke up one Saturday to the overwhelming smell of apples. Normally not a bad thing.. but considering they had been on the counter for at least a week, I needed to do something with them ASAP! I decided the easiest thing for me was to put them in the dehydrator. The only bad thing about dried apples is that they are so good you have a tendency to eat them all. Not good when a serving size is typically 8-10 rings. After much trial and error, (I took a bag of dried apples, the equivalent of 6 or 7 apples and ate them all in two days - FAIL) I decided to put 10 pieces of dried apple in little sandwich bags. I then double bag them by putting all my little bags into a large gallon Ziploc baggie and keep them in the pantry. That way when I'm packing my lunch or just need a snack they are prepackaged and I don't feel the need to "cheat." Oh, I always have the "need" but I am less likely to because I've already bagged them.

• All you need is an apple corer
• A sharp knife
• A dehydrator or oven/non-stick cookie tray
• Set your dehydrator to: 58C/135F or your oven to 200F. A dehydrator will take about 12 hours and an oven 4 hours. (I like they dehydrator better for multiple reasons but the biggest being there is no or very little heat.) 

If you cut your apple and immediately begin drying you do not need to use an acid to keep from browning. Any type apple works. My favorite is Granny Smith because of the tartness, but any apple will do. In this picture I have used a Cortland, it just happened to be what was on sale at the time. Frankly, I'm not a big apple eater, but my husband is. So if I eat them at all it is usually in an apple salad or dried. Either way, this is a quick easy project and the rewards are AWESOME!

Note of caution: Cut your apples thin but not too thin. To thin and they will stick to each other, to thick and they take for ever to dry. Also if you plan on storing your apples for more than a day or two, make sure there is no moisture left in your apple rings. Moisture = mold. If you have gone to all the trouble of cutting and drying your apples make sure to store them properly. I find double bagging them works well for me because our pantry is cool year round. However, you might find it easier to use an air tight container. In the end the less moisture you leave in the apple the better. Not only will the retain their crunchiness they will taste better.

Enjoy!

Kerri Downey