Apple Snitz!

This afternoon I popped trays of sliced apples into our dehydrator.

I love to have dried apples on hand.  They make a great snack option and you can use them to make a variety of traditional recipes such as Schnitz un Knepp.

Drying apples can be accomplished in a variety of ways.  I use our Excalibur dehydrator.  If you choose to use a dehydrator be sure to follow your specific machines directions for temperature and time.  For myself, I simply wash, core and slice the apples 1/4 to 3/8 ” thick and set my dehydrator for 135 degrees.

You can also dry apples in the sun.  This method will take 3 to 4 days when the temperatures range from 98 to 100 degrees.  Cover the fruit with a cloth at night or bring inside to protect from bugs.  Freeze the dried product for 24 to 72 hours to protect from insect contamination.

Using your oven is a quick and easy way to dry apples. Set the temperature to 140 degrees, and leave the door open slightly. For best results, put a fan in front of the open door to blow air across to remove moisture. The fruit should be dry within 2 to 3 hours.

When your apples are dried, store them in an airtight container and use within 1 year.  I store my apples in 1/2 gallon mason jars and seal them with our vacuum sealer, but any container with an airtight seal can be used.  My biggest challenge is getting them from the dehydrator to the jars before the kids eat them all!

Apple Snitz!