At first glance, drying apples may seem like a simple and easy process. But even it has its own nuances and features. To dry apples at home, you can use different methods and methods.
Dried apples have many benefits:
- take up little space;
- retain useful vitamins and sugar;
- minimum cooking costs;
- stored for a long time without loss of quality.
In order for these and other advantages to be in your apples, you need to competently approach the drying process.
Variety matters
Not every apple variety is suitable for drying. It is wise to choose medium-sized fruits. In addition, the fruit skin should be thin and the seed box small. In this case, the taste of strongly sweet apples usually becomes less pronounced after drying.
Use summer varieties to make delicious and healthy dried fruits. Winter and other analogues require special skills. "Antonovka", "Pepin", "Aport" are considered the most suitable for drying apples at home.
Preparatory stage
Before the chum dry the fruits, they need to be prepared:
- Wash and rub the fruit.
- Remove the core. Use a special cutlery for this. If this is not the case, a regular knife will do.
- Divide the apples into quarters or smaller portions. Cut each part with a kitchen knife or household slicer. The shape of the pieces can be different. General recommendation: the thickness of the segments should not be more than 5 mm.
How to dry apples at home
There are two main ways to dry apples: natural and technical. The first is drying in the open air under the bright sun. However, this method is only suitable for the hot season when the amount of rainfall is minimal. In addition, you need to constantly monitor so that the apples are not blown away by the wind, animals.
If you are going to dry apples in the fall, the technical method will suit you. This requires an oven. Place pieces of fruit on a baking sheet in one layer and place in the oven for 5-7 hours. The temperature inside the oven can range from 50 to 55 ° C. It is recommended to take out the baking sheet every hour and turn the wedges.
You can dry apples at home using an electric dryer. This appliance resembles a double boiler. Place the wedges in the compartments and set the appropriate mode. The technician will do the rest for you. Technical methods for processing apples are simpler and faster. However, processing fruits with high temperatures can lead to a loss of taste, some vitamins and beneficial properties. Consider this when choosing a way to dry apples at home.
