Dried Apples

jar of dried apple slices

Prep Time: 3 hours and 20 minutes
Servings: 8

Ingredients:
  • 4 cups water
  • ½ cup lemon juice
  • 2 large apples, unpeeled if preferred
Directions:
  1. Position racks in the upper and lower third of the oven; preheat to 200°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Combine water and lemon juice in a medium bowl. (The lemon juice helps to prevent browning.)
  3. Using a sharp knife or a mandoline (if you have one), slice two large apples as thin as possible, about 1/8-inch thick. Soak the slices in the lemon water for 30 minutes. Drain and pat the slices as dry as possible with paper towels (or clean kitchen towels). Place on the prepared baking sheets in a single layer.
  4. Bake the slices on the upper and lower racks for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and turn each slice over; return the pans to the oven. Bake 1 more hour for soft dried apples or about 2 more hours for crispy apple chips. (Timing depends on your oven, the type of apple and thickness of the slices; check periodically and reduce or increase the total time as needed.) Turn off the oven, crack the door and leave the apples in the oven until the oven cools completely, 1 to 2 hours.
Notes:

This healthy oven-dried apple recipe is perfect if you want to make dried apples at home and don't have a dehydrator. Great for lunchboxes or as a snack, homemade dried apples are easy to make in the oven and are high in fiber and nutrients. To retain the fiber from the peels and to save time, we skip the step of peeling the apples first. We also skip coring - the star-shaped core makes a pretty shape in the center of each dried apple. For crispy apple chips, bake the apples about one hour more.

Nutrition:

Per serving: 29 calories; 0.2 g protein; 0.1 g fat; 7.8 g carbohydrates; 1.3 g fiber; 5.8 g sugar

Recipe source: https://www.eatingwell.com