How to dry apples in a fruit dryer. How to dry apples well

02.07.2020

Hello dear readers of our blog. Today we invite summer residents, gardeners, lovers of preparations for the winter, as well as everyone who is interested in the topic of how to properly dry apples at home for the winter, to a conversation. At the same time, the production of dried fruits from apples remains with us the most popular method to preserve the maximum useful properties these miracle fruits.

Apple drying methods

Summer this year can rightly be called apple, bountiful harvest in most gardens, it allows you to cook jams, mashed potatoes, marmalade, and other preserves.

Various methods are effective for drying apples, using appliances or not.

You can choose any that best suits your circumstances:

on air;
in a closed dry room;
in the oven;
in the oven;
in the microwave;
in an electric dryer.

Now let's talk about the features and subtleties of these methods in more detail.

How to dry apples at home: fruit preparation

Regardless of how you dry the apples, the preparation steps for the process are the same:

The fruits are pre-washed and wiped or dried to remove excess moisture.
Homemade, unprocessed apples do not need to be peeled, it is rich in vitamins. If there is a suspicion that the crop has been repeatedly treated with chemicals, it is prudent to remove the upper peel.
Remove all damaged, bruised places, clean from the core.
Cut apples into slices no thicker than 1 cm.
If you want to keep the light color, place the partially prepared material for a few minutes in a weak solution of salt: 100 g per bucket of water.

Drying apples naturally

This method of harvesting fruits is the most ancient and widespread.

Even though many have Appliances, it is used en masse due to some advantages:

at good harvest drying without the participation of devices allows you to process simultaneously a large number of pieces almost at once;
saving energy and other resources.

However, there are some nuances:

you can start harvesting drying on the street only during the period when there are sunny hot days;
constantly have to monitor the weather in order to prevent moisture from entering;
must be protected from flies and other insects;
it will take more than one day for complete drying.

Drying in the sun

For drying in an open sunny space, choose a well-lit place. The slopes of the roofs on the south side, large baking sheets mounted on stands, mesh flooring are excellent for this. The process itself goes like this:

Arrange the slices in one layer;
partial protection From flies and dust, several layers of gauze or other thin fabric will serve.
At night, cover the dryer with a film or put it in the house to protect it from night dew or sudden precipitation.
Lay the pieces on the other side the next day.

How long it takes to dry completely depends on the intensity of the sun's heat, the juiciness of the apples.

Hanging on a thread

Another way to prepare high-quality apple drying is to string circles of fruit on a strong thread, like mushrooms. Try also using thin skewers: it will already look like a barbecue.

Such a "necklace" or strung sticks are hung on hooks or long nails in any sunny space.

When the apples dry well on twine, they will have to be dried a little more in hotter conditions, since at low they are still poorly ventilated among themselves.

Out in the open but in the shade

You can also prepare thin apple chips in the shade under a canopy. Attics, gazebos and similar structures that are well ventilated are ideal for this. The advantage of using a roof is that you do not need to constantly look at the clouds and protect from the rain.

If there is such a useful building on the site as a bathhouse, you can also use it for preparing dried fruits. To do this, you will have to heat it a little, and fill the smells of ripe fruits for a long time. wood paneling and will remind you of summer.

Such different dryers

To the delight of housewives and owners, manufacturers of household appliances offer us all kinds of power, capacity and designs for drying fruits and vegetables.

The choice of temperature, time and bookmarking rules necessary for apples is indicated in each instruction of a particular device. The compressor, which heats and pumps air, is located above or below plastic trays with slots or mesh. Balls of chopped apples are placed on these containers.

It is convenient to cook dried fruits in an electric dryer, the product is completely closed from dust and insects. Cooking time under the influence of hot air becomes a maximum of 8 hours. The disadvantage of this method is that the number of simultaneous bookmarks is limited by the volume of the device. It is necessary to cut exactly as many fruits as you can fit at a time, you do not need to prepare a lot in advance.

Drying in a dehydrator

A dehydrator is also a kind of dryer, but somewhat different. This household appliance is designed to remove excess moisture from any product, leaving the maximum useful properties, and increasing the shelf life.

Unlike just a dryer, in a dehydrator, hot air is distributed evenly throughout the entire interior space. You can also cook various cookies, marshmallows and other sweets with this device.

How to dry in a house or apartment

What to do if you haven’t purchased special equipment, there is no yard space, and there are a lot of apples from the village? Dont be upset. Without a dryer, other kitchen helpers will do an excellent job. How to do it the best way, I'll tell you now.

In an electric or gas oven

In the oven, the drying process goes like this:

Preheat the oven to 80o.
On a baking sheet covered with parchment paper, the prepared fruit slices are laid out evenly, in one ball.
Place the dish with apples in the oven for half an hour, then reduce the temperature to 70 degrees.
After half of the moisture comes out (this happens after about 5 hours, but depends on the juiciness of the apples), turn the slices over to the other side, lower the temperature to 50 °.
Leave to dry for another 4 hours.

Normally dried apples do not secrete juice, do not break when folded, and do not have a soft center. If this stage has already begun, turn off the oven, let the dried fruits cool slightly at room temperature and pack for storage.

in the microwave

microwaves have their drawback - a small output of the product at a time, but this one output is obtained much faster. Drying steps look like this:

Thin slices of apples are laid out on a plate in a thin layer and placed in the oven.
Required mode: power - 250 W, time - 30 - 40 seconds.
Take out the plate, turn the slices on the other side and place them inside again.
The second stage will take 3 minutes, at a power of 300 W.

Ready. You can easily dry a large number of apples in the microwave, but you don’t have to go far, you manage the processes all the time.

In the Russian stove

If you own a private house with a Russian stove, then you can entrust the drying of the crop to this assistant. Scoop out sparkling coals from the heated oven and cool it to a temperature of 80-85o. It is not necessary to check the degree of heat with a special thermometer, it is enough to throw a handful of flour into the ashes - if it instantly turns brown, then it is still very hot.

The space of the oven allows stacking trays or sieves in tiers. The lower container is placed on bricks, dense logs, iron bars so that the apples do not get dirty with ashes. Drying in the oven usually takes 5-6 hours. At the same time, the damper does not need to be closed - the air must circulate well.

Vitamin and delicious preparations done - now they need to be correctly identified for storage. Do not use cellophane - in it, the products quickly fog up and become moldy. This package can be used for a short time in order to transport drying from the dacha, for example.

To save blanks are suitable:

packages from thick paper;
canvas bags;
glass containers with lids.

Review stocks from time to time and immediately remove spoiled ones. If there is a lot of drying, use one tricky trick for storage:

Pack pieces of well-dried fruit very tightly into glass jars.
Close with metal lids using a seaming key.

This method allows you to store dried fruits for about three years without damage.

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Should apples be washed before drying?

As before eating any fruit in its pure form, the fruits of apples needs to be washed well in clean running water.

This will protect you and your family from microbes and bacteria that accumulate on the peel. Then the apples are left to dry for a while, in order to then proceed to the next step - slicing.

cleaning

What and how to remove from the fruit before drying?

Washed fruits will need to be viewed for damage, cuts and holes left behind by insects.

It is not necessary to throw out the fruits if a trace of a worm was found on one side - carefully cut out the excess so that the surviving part of the apple remains.

If you plan to completely peel fruit from peel, core and tails, then stock up on special devices. For the peel, there is a razor knife for planing fruit.

Operates on the same principle as regular razor- the peel from the fruit is “shaved off” with smooth movements. The apple corer tool speaks for itself. Passing from the tail to the other end of the apple, this knife carefully cuts out the middle of the fruit along with the seeds.

Does it need to be cleaned skin from an apple before drying? It all depends on what recipes you need. ready-made dried fruits. The peel will not interfere in the preparation of compotes and jelly, and for charlotte, jelly and other desserts, only fully peeled fruits will be optimal.

Some believe that the peel will preserve the main mass of nutrients so it shouldn't be cut. And the peel itself is rich in calcium, phosphorus, antioxidants and vitamins A, C. However, it is important to consider where the fruits were purchased.

Store-bought apples with a smooth, waxy skin not always helpful. It is better to remove such skin.

Cutting options

How to cut apples for drying? There are a lot of options for shapes and sizes, starting with circles, slices, and ending with cubes. Regardless of what type of cutting you choose, try to make apple slices as much as possible the same.

Such cutting of apples for drying will provide you with a supply of not only aesthetically attractive dried fruits, but will also become a guarantee that apples dry quickly and evenly.

Can be cut off small slices from a whole apple, carefully holding it in your free hand.

Gradually, you will cut off most of the pulp from the fruit along with the peel, and all that remains is to throw out the core and tails.

In the event that drying will be or, and the apples themselves will have to put on a thread, the most profitable option would be rings or dense slices in the shape of a month.

Optimal slice sizes

How to cut apples for drying? Don't make slices too thin or thick. In the first case, the apples will dry out and turn into a tasteless film, and in the second, the drying process will stretch. If you cut the fruit on rings, then make each no more than half a centimeter in thickness. If the apples are too small, it is best to cut them into quarters and slices approximately 5-7 mm.

By what method and whether to save light shade of pulp from "rust" is an individual question. Depending on your means, availability in the house citric acid and other things, you can use these tips or dry apples immediately after slicing.

On the taste dried fruits, the natural color change will not be affected at all.

Oxidation protection

What to do to sliced apples did not darken? At least three different methods have been found to help keep fruits from oxidizing iron in the pulp. The first and simplest is blanching. A spacious pot of water is brought to a boil, then apple slices are boiled in it for 2-3 minutes.

The second way is to use saline solution. For a 1% solution, it is enough to dilute 100 grams of iodized salt in a bucket of water (1 teaspoon per liter). After holding the chopped apples in such a solution for several minutes, after drying, you will get a product of a pleasant light yellow hue, like fresh apples.

The third way is to hold the apples for a couple of minutes in the solution citric, tartaric or acetic acid(2 grams per liter of cold water).

Another way - fumigation. Apples are usually fumigated for no longer than 10 minutes with sulfur dioxide.

A similar effect will give an aqueous solution with 0.1 - 0.2% sulfurous acid, for which 2-3 minutes will be more than enough.

If you have processed apples with fumigation or sulfuric acid, ready-made dried fruits be sure to scald with boiling water before direct use.

What to cut?

What knife to cut apples for drying? Naturally perfect for the job sharpened knives, the handle of which lies easily and comfortably in the palm of your hand.

Fits normal kitchen knife from a number universal, however, if possible, purchase specialized knife - for stonecrop and cutting fruit.

They are small in size, with a smooth or curved edge (a concave blade is most convenient), where part of the blade does not exceed 6-8 cm.

What are the tools for cutting apples for drying? Apart from traditional method manually with a regular knife, cut apples will help special tools and fixtures.

One of them - mechanical device, which simultaneously peels and cuts the whole apple into a thin spiral. Subsequently, an apple cut with this device is easy to divide into separate half rings.

For slicing an apple, also developed knives in the form of a circle with blades going to the center. Sharp blades have an additional circle inside, which, simultaneously with cutting into equal slices, removes the core.

For a dessert option of dried fruits, it will not be superfluous to hold apples in sweet water or sugar syrup.

Leave already peeled and chopped apples in syrup in the refrigerator overnight, and in the morning you can start drying.

Despite the abundance of models of vegetable cutters and devices for cutting fruit, most often it is a mechanical device that securely fixed on the table(suction cup or clamp).

The apple is mounted on special teeth, and a special side blade is pressed against its edge. With help revolving handle an apple, like on a skewer, is gradually peeled, and at the same time it can be cut into a spiral or equal parts.

How to use special machine for cutting apples for drying, you can learn from the video:

See also video tutorial on how to use special device for cutting apples for drying:

Summarizing

Preparing apples for drying will not take you much time, and will only contribute to harvesting quality and tasty dried fruits.

Properly processed by one method or another, fruits will not only retain an attractive appearance and useful properties, but also will last much longer than usual.

If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.

How to dry apples at home let's talk in this article. Scientists say that people have been eating apples for 165 million years. In Russia, apples were revered and loved from young to old. V middle lane In Russia, an apple tree grew in every garden or dacha. The fruits ripen at the end of August, and the owners try to keep the delicacy as long as possible.

Many preparations are made from apples: jam, jam, juice, marshmallow, compote, jam, mousse. But there is a common and easy and most cheap option storage of apples - their drying. At the same time, the product retains its beneficial properties and nutrients, as in fresh apples.

What are the benefits of dried apples?

Scientists confirm that dried fruits, including apples, help fight cancer, cardiovascular problems, chronic kidney and genitourinary diseases. In addition, they tend to cleanse and strengthen blood vessels, reducing the level of bad cholesterol in the blood. Regular intake of food will accelerate the growth of bone tissue in women during menopause, which is the prevention of osteoporosis.

Interesting! Nutritionists advise eating at least 75 grams of dried apples, which are equal to two fresh fruits. They include:

How how to dry apples at home to keep these useful properties? There are several different ways. One of them is oven drying.

How to dry apples in the oven

What varieties to choose?

It is better that these are winter varieties of apples, sour or sweet and sour:

Anise,
Antonovka,
Aport,
Titovka,
Borovik,
Slav.

Summer sweet fruits are also used for drying, and even carrion, but they are dried with a crust, and the final product comes out with a lower quality.

Training

Apples are processed in portions, approximately half a bucket. So it is better, because they do not have time to darken and oxidize. You can stop the oxidation and keep the color of the lobules with a saline solution (the recipe is presented below).
The apples are washed and rubbed so that there is no excess moisture left, and drying is faster.
The next step is to remove the core. This is done in a proven way by cutting into quarters and removing inedible parts. And you can do this with a device in the form of a tube with sharp edges.

Advice! From dried fruits that will be used for compote, the middle can not be cut.

Now we proceed to drying the apples directly.

fruit drying process

Lay parchment paper on baking sheets.
Sliced fruits are laid out on it.
The oven is heated to 80 degrees, apples are placed in it for 30 minutes.
After that, the temperature drops to 70 degrees.
After 5 hours, half of the moisture evaporates, and they are turned over to the other side and the temperature is lowered to 50 degrees.
To obtain well-dried fruits, it is better to leave for another 4 hours, occasionally turning over.

Drying is complete when the apples turn a light brown color. They should not release juice and break when squeezed. It is best to store them in kraft paper bags or canvas bags. The place should be dark and dry, storage temperature is room temperature.

Watch the video! How to dry apples in the oven

in the microwave

Drying in the microwave will significantly speed up the process of preparing dried fruits from apples. The main thing is to choose the right power and cooking time so as not to burn the workpiece.

Drying takes place in two stages:

At the first stage, you need to put the apples on a plate, preferably in one layer, put in the microwave for 30-40 seconds at a power of 250 W.
At the next stage, the plate must be removed, the pieces turned over and put for another 3 minutes at 300 W. If it seems that the drying is not ready yet, you can leave it for another 20-30 seconds. Now you can arrange in containers and send for storage.

In an electric dryer

The best choice for drying is an electric dryer. It can be harvested for the winter fruits, vegetables, mushrooms, medicinal herbs, berries and even meat or fish products. Now they are gaining popularity, especially for those who have a dacha, because they provide an opportunity quickly do drying.

The principle of operation of the electric dryer

This device is easy to use and does not require any special skills. The dryer consists of:

a plastic container that looks like a saucepan with high sides;
pallets with through holes where fruits and vegetables are placed;
there are small nets in the kit to dry berries and plates for marshmallows;
a lid with holes through which steam escapes;
base with a compressor that blows hot air to dry food.

The air temperature is regulated, it is added if the product is very juicy.

Drying process

Sliced apples are stacked in pallets. They can be stacked in a container in several floors.
For proper drying, it will take 8 hours, at a temperature of 55-60 degrees.
At the end of the process, you need to make sure that the apples do not release moisture when pressed.
If they are well dried, they can be put in bags and sent for storage.

Watch the video! Drying apples in a dryer

Outside

To save energy, many people prefer to dry apples. in the sun. This method will not work if the weather is wet and not sunny.

Apples ripen in late summer and early autumn, at this time it often rains. You can start drying fresh air, and finish in any other convenient way, in the oven or microwave, for example. There are a couple of ways how best dry apples outside.

Sliced fruits are laid out on a grid with cells or on trays. The circles should not be very thick. Apples should be covered with gauze or linen cloth so that dust and pests do not get on them. In the evening, it is better to remove the containers into the room, because the humidity rises at night.
You can use the method of drying mushrooms. String apples on a string or skewer and hang them in the sun. Dry on outdoors 4-6 days, then put in a dry place. Avoid moisture.

How to understand that dried apples are ready?

The skin should darken, and the flesh should not stick. If you press a piece with your finger and it does not crush, then the dried fruits are ready.
The color of the final product should not surprise. It depends on the type of apple. The flesh of summer fruits is lighter in color and dries out faster. Also, the drying method can affect the color: from greenish-cream to dark brown. But do not be too zealous in drying. Dark, overdried fruits have fewer vitamins than light, properly dried apples.

How to store

When the number of fruits is dried, the question arises of how to properly store them so that the work is not lost.

Dried fruits should be sorted out after drying, suddenly individual pieces will need to be dried. According to the "grandmother's" way, you can pour the whole company into a pillowcase so that they all get the same level of humidity there. They are left like this for a couple of weeks, then sent to cloth bags for storage.

Can be stored in a cardboard box or in paper. It is not recommended to store in plastic bags or in plastic containers so they don't get moldy.

Watch the video! The easiest way to dry fruit

Apples are the most affordable fruits that can always provide vitamins. Useful qualities even dried are preserved for 10 years. Contrary to the opinion that dried fruits are suitable only in compote, they can be eaten raw or added to pastries, salads, cereals, etc.

If you know how to dry apples, harvesting them is not difficult. For this, not very juicy ones, with a thin skin and a minimum of seeds inside the variety of the type: aport, white filling, antonovka, pepin, are suitable.

What to do in advance

Before drying apples at home, they are washed and prepared to remove moisture. Then the core is taken out, the damaged places are cut out, the peel is cleaned. They are cut into slices, 5 to 7 mm thick. The slices should be approximately the same size so that drying occurs evenly.

Sliced apples oxidize, losing color very quickly. So that apple slices do not darken, there are protection options:

Short-term treatment with steam or boiling water (blanching). This will help to eliminate microorganisms from the surface of the raw material, while maintaining the shape, consistency, aroma. At the same time, the slices turn pale, not in vain "Blanshire" (with French) translates to "whiten". You can hold a colander with slices a little over the steam and immediately immerse it in cold water. Such apples will be much easier to dry.
Protection against oxidation by saline solution. The raw material is briefly poured with a solution prepared in advance: salt 1 tsp, water - 1 liter.

Vinegar processing. Dilute 2 g of vinegar in 1 liter of water and hold the chopped fruits there for 2 minutes.

sugar way. Boil the syrup, immerse the apples, then remove and refrigerate overnight. After drying, these are used to prepare sweet dishes.

self-grown apples, which are planned to be dried, are plucked from the tree on a dry, not very hot day. You can't shake the apple tree. Falling, the fruits receive damage, which, although they are invisible, are still harmful. These are not suitable for storage. Sour and sweet-sour ripe fruits are selected.

How to dry apple slices using different methods

If there is any doubt about how to properly dry apples, you should choose a convenient method for the conditions where it will take place.

Previously, apples had to be dried at home, especially where the climate is humid, cold and there is little sunlight. And they did the same with fruits that were ripe by autumn. They were laid out on a Russian stove, melted for cooking, warmed up during the day and cooled slowly at night. In hot sunny climatic conditions can be easily dried in fresh air.

What do you need to air dry

The advantage of drying apples in the sun nowadays is that you do not have to spend paid energy. It's good that large volumes of workpieces can be made this way. It is necessary to dry in the open air, laying out the slices one side, away from each other. They are placed on grids, baking sheets, grills covered with a cloth, protecting them from insects with a gauze cape. You can string it on a strong thread and hang it where the sun's rays get the most. It is necessary to dry in a shady place, if there is no moisture, so the apples will dry well too, but it will take more time. Harvested raw materials in no case should not fall into the rain. This is a minus, because tracking is required, it needs to be removed in time, then decomposed again, etc.

If apples in an apartment, especially a city one and without a balcony, cannot be dried by the sun, then kitchen appliances will come to the rescue.

Can it be microwave dried

Most fast way is to dry apples in microwaves. Before drying in the microwave, a portion of apples (how many can fit in one layer on a plate) is washed, cut, and freed from moisture. You can grate with a special grater in circles, like on chips. Cover the plate with a plain cloth, lay out the apples. With a power of 200⁰, it will be ready in 3 minutes. If not enough, add 30 sec. When ready, the color changes, the skin wrinkles, stickiness appears. If the color was not preserved before, now you can sprinkle with lemon juice to keep it creamy.

Oven Drying Features

To dry apples in the oven and not get burnt, there are little tricks. To begin with, it is worth familiarizing yourself with the differences in the cooking process with an electric and gas appliance:

In an electric oven	In the gas stove oven
Heat up to 60⁰, gradually increasing to 80.	Turn on and heat up to 220⁰.
Arrange apples loosely on baking paper in a single layer.	Line a baking sheet with parchment, lay out the slices.
Place paper on baking sheets or oven racks.	Be sure to put on the lowest tier.
Toward the end of cooking, lower the temperature as needed.	Dry for 60 min. on each side (120 minutes for a crunchy dried potato chip treat).
After 2 hours, turn the slices over.
Dry for 6 hours (sour, hard - longer).

One more important detail: The door of any type of oven must be left ajar so that moisture does not accumulate. At the end of the process, dried apples must be cooled naturally.

If dried with an electric dryer

Electric drying of apples has its own rules:

Sweet varieties are taken more often.
It is better not to wash, just choose cleaner fruits, wipe with a damp cloth.

Cut into slices, the thickness of which is no more than the thickness of the dryer baskets.

Spread out at a distance so that each slice can be freely blown by dry air.

Dry for 8 hours or more according to the size of the cut, the number and variety of apples.

There are various recommendations at what temperature to dry apples. If possible, install immediately in an electric dryer temperature regime, then it is better to decide on 75 degrees. Of course, the temperature can be raised to +110⁰, but we must remember that the higher it is, the less useful properties the dried fruits will retain. It is also important not to leave dried apples in the dryer with the lid closed. So they will grab the moisture again and have to start all over again.

What are the benefits if air-drying

Despite the fact that the drying process in an air grill is very similar to using an electric dryer, it proceeds much faster - 60–90 minutes, which saves time. In addition, apples harvested in this way for the winter are better stored. They must be rubbed with a thickness of 3 mm and laid out on the grill of the appliance. At t +110⁰ with the lower blowing mode for an hour, everything is usually ready. It is necessary to check and make sure that there is no moisture left at all, otherwise the product will become moldy. To the touch, the dried fruit resembles raisins: if you squeeze it, coolness and moisture should not be felt.

If dried with a slow cooker

A small number of apples can be dried in a slow cooker at a time or in portions for several inclusions. The advantages here are that quite quickly and without much fuss, she will do everything herself. To do this, the apples are laid out at the bottom of the bowl loosely, in one layer. The baking mode is turned on for 1 hour. Readiness is checked and, to be sure, the slices are turned over. For another 10 minutes, the same mode is turned on for their other side.

dry on open space better on the southwest side, turning occasionally. On the balcony they turn up to three times a day. You can not remove the peel from domestic apples, besides summer varieties it is recommended to dry with the skin, and purchased fruits should be peeled. It is advisable to cut into slices, not circles, so it dries faster. You need to prepare the fruits in parts, so they do not have time to oxidize. Ready dry apples can be ground with a coffee grinder into apple flour and added during baking.

How to dry apples is not a problem when you know that in almost any conditions it is possible to prepare them for future use.

On long winter evenings, it's nice to treat yourself to mouth-watering slices of dried apples. It's not hard at all to prepare them. It is much easier than making jam, and cheaper. Sugar is not used for drying fruit. Time costs are also minimal. The result is awesome yummy and a sea of vitamins. There are several ways to dry ripe apples for the winter in an apartment and a private house.

You need to choose fruits with white dense pulp. Drying from them will turn out elastic and pleasant to the taste. The best varieties- Antonovka, Pepin and Aport.

Important! You can not mix together slices of large and small fruits. Some will dry longer, while others will dry faster.

The best raw material for drying is a homemade apple grown in our own garden. Purchased imported fruits are treated with wax and chemicals that will not disappear during the drying process.
You can not use broken carrion and spoiled fruits. They are already in the process of fermentation, so the taste of the finished product will be unpleasant.

How to prepare fruit?
Selected apples should be washed well and cut into thin slices. The thickness of each is 3-7 mm. You can get rid of the core with special knife. So the whole process will take a few minutes.
Due to the high iron content, the pulp of the fruit quickly oxidizes in air. It is necessary to soak the finished pieces in the solution table salt(just for a few seconds) or drop a little lemon juice on each. Then put the pieces in a colander to drain excess moisture.
Now they should rest a little on a dry towel.
Ways to dry apples at home
Exists various ways drying fruits in the apartment and on the street. Some of them were used hundreds of years ago, others appeared more recently. But no matter what harvesting method is used, dried slices will definitely turn out tasty and fragrant.
In a convection oven
Ovens with this function are very convenient. On the back wall they have a special fan. Hot air is supplied in a uniform flow. Apples will dry out on all sides.

To do the drying, you will need to perform the following steps:
Preheat oven to 50 degrees. At a higher temperature, a crust will form on the apples, they will become brittle and lose their elasticity.
Line the sheets with parchment paper and spread the slices on them in one even layer. Put the sheets in the oven. Do not open the door at the start of drying. If the temperature rises, it can be opened slightly. The fan will contribute to the intensive evaporation of excess moisture from the fruit.
After two hours, the slices must be mixed. Then put them back in the oven and dry for 30-60 minutes.

During the drying process, the volume of apples will decrease. This is a signal to increase the temperature to about 70 degrees for the next hour.
Then the initial temperature (50 degrees) returns. You can open the oven door and leave the fruit to dry for another 3 hours.
After this time, you need to take out a couple of pieces, let them cool and try them with your fingers. If they are elastic and no juice is released, the drying process is complete. Apples must be completely cool. Such slices are perfect both for sweet compote and as a treat in the cold season.

in the microwave
In the summer it is not always possible to use the oven, because it is very hot from it. A great alternative is the microwave. Time costs are reduced from several hours to several minutes (only 5 or 7).
To dry fruit, you will need:
Cut apples into slices and evenly distribute on a plate.
The optimal power is 200-300 W.
After a couple of minutes, remove the plate and turn each slice on the other side.
Leave the fruit to dry for another 2-3 minutes. This time is enough to dry very thin slices. If liquid is still oozing out of them, the cooking time is extended by another 2-3 minutes.

In the sun
This is not the fastest way to get ready-made dried fruit. It should be noted that the air temperature outside should be kept at a mark not lower than + 30 degrees for several days. Drying apples in cloudy weather does not make sense.
Cooking process:
First you need to choose a place on which the sun shines almost all day. There is a table covered with kitchen oilcloth and sheets of clean paper. It is better not to use newspapers, as under hot sunlight they will smell like printing ink.
Then put the prepared dry pieces of apples in a thin layer on paper. The smell of fruit will attract wasps and fruit flies. The workpiece will have to be covered with gauze.

Apples during the day should be periodically mixed so that they dry on all sides.
After sunset, fruits are recommended to be brought indoors. If morning dew constantly settles on them or rain falls at night, the work will be in vain.
To prepare drying for this simple recipe it will take about a week or more.

If drying apples in the yard is not very convenient, the slices can be strung on strings and hung indoors. For this, a dry, clean attic or veranda is suitable. The main thing is to ensure constant circulation of fresh, dry air.
Advice! The slices need to be made thicker, otherwise they will constantly break when stringing. Leave some space between the pieces. The product will be ready in 2 weeks.
In an electric dryer
This device is specially designed for harvesting dried fruits. Cut apples into slices of the same thickness as the tray in the dryer. If this is not done, the fruits will not dry evenly. One half of the slice will be completely ready, and the other will not.
To prepare dried fruits, you will need:
Spread the slices carefully on the surface of the pallets. Then put on different levels in the dryer and turn on the machine.
It is necessary to ensure that the temperature indicator is not higher than + 55 degrees.
The minimum drying time will be 7 hours.
After that, turn off the device. When the apples have cooled, you need to check the status of readiness.
If the juice from the pieces has not yet evaporated, the drying time is extended by 2-3 hours.

With the help of an air fryer
This device gives more room for action. To get a fragrant drying, just sprinkle fresh apple slices with ginger, vanilla or cinnamon. The taste will be amazing.
Cooking process:
For this device, apples need to be cut into thicker slices (from 5 to 8 mm).
Any products in the air grill are laid out on the grates, and not at the bottom.
Now the timer is set to low airflow and a temperature of 100 degrees.
It will be possible to check the readiness of apples in 50 - 60 minutes.
If there is any doubt about the readiness of the product, you can extend the cooking time by half an hour.

How to store dried fruits?
Ideal conditions for dried apples: dryness, coolness, darkness and constant oxygen supply. In a warm, musty room, the product will quickly deteriorate.
In no case should plastic bags and plastic containers be used. In such packaging, mold can form on dried fruits.

Small bags made of dense breathable fabric or old cotton pillowcases are better.

good way out out of position carton boxes, wicker baskets or small wooden boxes. The bottom is covered with sheets of paper. It remains only to make sure that bugs and other insects do not crawl into these containers.
Subject to all conditions, dried fruits will be safely stored for several years, with virtually no loss.
Harvesting dried fruits is an easy process. Appetizing apple slices can be used for cooking compotes or added to tea. They also make great fillings for all kinds of baked goods. These dried fruits will give an interesting taste in combination with pumpkin. Their use in cooking depends entirely on the imagination of the hostess. They will also become an indispensable source of vitamins and minerals for the whole winter.