It’s apple season! There are so many delicious ways to preserve apples but one of our favorite ways is to make dehydrated apple slices. They smell heavenly while dehydrating and make a wonderful quick snack on the go.
I don’t bother pretreating my apples for discoloration, it doesn’t bother me one bit and has no impact on the flavor. We tend to dry whatever variety we have available to us, and we’ve enjoyed all we’ve ever made.
My preferred method for drying fruit is to dry it in my food dehydrator, but you can also dry fruit in your home oven. Dry time varies depending on the humidity where you are located and the size and thickness of your slices, but here is a general guide to making dehydrated apple slices.
Yield: as much as you’d like
Supplies
- Apples
- Ground cinnamon (optional)
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Food dehydrator or oven (ideally with convection setting)
- Baking sheets and parchment paper (for oven only)
- Jar with lid for storage
Recipe: When it comes to preservation, don’t forget the dehydrator!
Directions
Wash apples and slice them into 1/4-inch slices (or thinner if you want a crunchier apple slice). I do not bother coring the apples. When sliced right through the core as pictured, they are perfectly tender to eat—plus, they are pretty dried this way.
Do remove the seeds.
Lay fruit on dehydrator tray in a single layer (or a parchment paper-lined baking sheet if using oven). Leave space between each slice so that they are not touching. I always sprinkle some ground cinnamon over the apple slices before dehydrating, but this step is optional.
Dry at 135 degrees F if using a food dehydrator and at 175 to 200 degrees F (depending on how low your oven will go) if using an oven. A food dehydrator will take six to 10 hours to dry, maybe longer if it’s humid in your home. An oven will take two to four hours.
It is recommended to check on the slices periodically and to even turn them occasionally though the drying process to help them along. We prefer our dried apples to be chewy but not moist.
Cook longer if you want more of a “chip” style apple.
Allow the apples to cool completely before storing. Store in an airtight, dry place. I keep mine in a clamp jar in the pantry. Enjoy within six months.
Side Notes
Don’t dehydrate any bruised fruit.
Thinner slices will yield a crunchier apple slice, more like a “chip”.
If the apple slices are not fully dehydrated once cooled, return them to the dehydrator to complete the process.
If you prefer not to risk oxidation, you can brush the apple slices with lemon juice before drying.
