Apples are in season in many places, and they are beautiful this year. I had no idea up until about 5 years ago that the southern Piedmont of North Carolina had such wonderful apples. In my farmhousewife head, I thought they all had to come from cold climates....
Of the many ways to enjoy apples, besides fresh, in pies and applesauce, one of my favorites is dried apples.
 |
| Golden Delicious Apples - from a local grower |
First, get some apples - for dehydrating, cooking apples are best. Next, gather some supplies and tools. You'll need:
- peeler-corer
- knife
- cutting board or mat
- fruit fresh, lemon, orange or pineapple juice (to prevent browning)
- couple quarts of water (2 quarts of water to about 1/2 to 1 cup of juice)
- dehydrator
 |
| A peeler-corer makes short work of slicing apples. It's way too much fun! |
So, after you get an apple peeled, cored, and sliced - cut the stack of apple in half. Then place the pieces in your water with juice or fruit fresh (to prevent browning).
 |
| At this point, there is some snacking going on! |
 |
| I wish I could tell you that I have the manual to this. I do not. So, I did what I do best; I WINGED IT! |
 |
| They are so good, naturally sweet and can be used to make APPLE PIE! Just reconstitute them with some boiling water and you can have seasonal goodness all year long. Check out this recipe for further details. |
Keep calm and preserve your own food!
p.s. one really cool way to save energy by doing this is to hook it to the solar power! I do this with my crock pot also.
11 comments:
That looks like fun and something to stock the shelves with for winter!
Yes! It takes what feels like a hundred apples to make a small bag of dried apples, but they are so good. What I made is already gone from eating and sharing!
Cheers!
I'm also dehydrating pears this year. They were pretty good in my oatmeal yesterday. I omit the step to stop browning, as it doesn't bother me and is one less thing to do.
another way to dry the apples, or most anything, is in the back window of a car. While my old car awaited hauling off for scrap (like all summer!) I put my items to be dried on half sheets lined with parchment paper, placed in the rear window. Each day I opened the doors for a few minutes to release any moisture in the car, then closed it all up tight again. Good use for the old vehicle, no electricity used. I would think cars used for commuting would do as well, working as solar dryers on warm days while camped out in parking lots. The only down side was that some bees were attracted to the car. I discouraged them with wasp kill spray on a few places on the outside of the car. We garden organically but not certified so I can use spray carefully, sensibly when necessary, just enough to keep me safe from stings.
I just dried apples for the first time last week. They are addictive. I doubt any will make it into pies or muffins as originally planned. We've just been eating them out of the jar like candy.
Oh, my! Now I'm all crazy to dry apples. Love the homesteading ideas. I need to get organized enough to have raised beds this year and start canning. Will stay posted as you add articles and ideas. I'm giving advance notice that I'M GONNA COPY YOU!!
just tried commenting but don't see it. disregard this if i double post; i'm troubleshooting.
Great idea! Although, I hate having to use wasp kill spray! Maybe just place a cup of sugar water somewhere close by to distract them?
I love them! Considering they are quite a pretty penny in the stores, this is a great way to eat healthy AND save $ !
R,
imitation IS the sincerest form of flattery. I'm always pleased when I can help anyone!
For some reason, comment moderation is turned on. I did have some trouble a while back with an individual attempting to sell me drugs illegally.....
Post a Comment