How to dry apples in an electric or gas oven

Early autumn has the aroma of apples, it is so piercing, sweet and fresh, like first love. The rays of the bright sun are gilding the fruits, this year they have produced a great harvest. Every year I make apple pies and dried apples. I decided to share the preparation methods with you and outlined them in this article.

Dried apples are a universal product for the winter, suitable for consumption as compotes and fruit drinks, and can also serve as an independent dish.

To preserve maximum benefits, apples are dried in a special way, pre-preparing and selecting only the ripest and most delicious ones.

Most housewives prefer to dry fruits themselves instead of buying ready-made ones in the supermarket. There are many ways to prepare it, it is important to follow the instructions, and then in winter you will be able to enjoy delicious dried fruits.

Dried fruits contain natural tannins that have an anti-inflammatory effect, long-term consumption of which in moderate quantities is a good prevention of cancer.

Having a low calorie content - 250 kcal per 100 g, they are suitable for the diet menu. Dried slices have a beneficial effect on the entire body, improve the functioning of the digestive system, and have a slight diuretic effect. Suitable for a light snack to satisfy hunger during a diet.

Do not overuse this product. This applies primarily to pregnant women, diabetics, and those suffering from pancreatitis.

It is recommended to consult a nutritionist and endocrinologist before including dried fruits in your diet.

Preparing apples

— Only part of the apples can be processed; you shouldn’t peel them all at once. Half a bucket will be enough for one serving. This way the fruit will not have time to become darker. To prevent this from happening, it is recommended to treat them with saline solution. This way it will be possible to stop the oxidation processes of the slices in the air.

— It is recommended to rinse and wipe the fruits to get rid of excess moisture and not prolong the entire event.

“Next you need to remove the core. A sharp knife or a special device is suitable for these purposes.

If such a device is not available, then using a knife you need to cut the fruit into quarters and remove all excess. If dried fruits are prepared exclusively for compote, then the core can be left.

— If homemade fruits are used for preparations, then the peel does not need to be removed in order to preserve the maximum of useful substances. On the contrary, store-bought apples should be thoroughly peeled and all excess removed.

- You can shred it with a knife or a special device - a slicer. Each slice is 5 mm.

— We are preparing a natural clarifier. To do this, dilute 100 g of salt in a bucket of water. The result is a one percent salt composition, in which it is necessary to soak the slices for about 4 minutes. This will keep them light in color.

In addition, the composition acts as a preservative, allowing the workpiece to be preserved longer, and will also distract insects.

The nutritional value

Below we will provide a visual table of the nutritional value of such apples.

What varieties of apples are suitable for drying?

Fruits that have a thin skin and a small number of seeds are useful. Recycling such products will leave less waste and produce more raw materials.

Autumn sweet and sour varieties of apples are ideal for preparations. After drying, they retain maximum nutrients and have a pleasant taste. Sweet varieties, on the contrary, after processing will not have a pronounced taste, which not everyone likes. Cooking methods will also affect the taste and preservation of the product.

Antonovka, Pepin, Aport are well suited for drying. Carrion without visible damage is suitable for drying.

Winter varieties such as, for example, Sinap Orlovsky, lose their rich taste and aroma, and therefore are not so often used for preparations.

Summer varieties with sourness are also good for drying; with proper preparation of the raw materials, the taste of the dryings is pleasant and rich. These slices will come in handy for different dishes.

Which fruits to choose

Sweet and sour or sour varieties of apples are ideal for drying. Sweet apples do not retain much flavor. To get a higher yield of product, you should choose fruits with thinner skins and fewer grains.

1. Rinse and wipe the fruits thoroughly;
2. If you want the dryers to be softer, you can peel them, but do not forget that then you will lose some of the useful elements;
3. Next you need to get rid of the core. You can do this by cutting the fruit into quarters. But since we live in progressive times, it is better to use a special round knife, which is very convenient and quick to remove the core;

4. Then cut the apples into slices or rings 5–7 mm thick.

How to avoid oxidation of apples:

1. Use a steel knife for cutting;
2. Prepare in portions so that they do not have time to oxidize and darken;

3. Place them in boiling water for a few seconds;
4. Pour 1–1.5% saline, lemon or vinegar solution for a few minutes.

Now that the fruits are ready for further processing, it is necessary to decide on the method of drying them. There are many options here. It all depends on the technology you have or lack thereof.

How to dry apples for the winter in a gas stove oven

1. After determining the variety and method of preparation, it is recommended to sort the fruits, get rid of unusable fruits, pour into a colander, and rinse with cool water. Then dry naturally or wipe with a towel.

2. Remove the core using any of the following methods. Place the slices in saline or citric acid solution to prevent oxidation. Dry them on a paper towel.

3. If desired, you can blanch to get the final result faster. During this process, beneficial substances are lost. After preparation, we move on to the next stage.

4. Place sheets of baking paper on baking sheets. Place the slices in rows, keeping a distance of 1 cm. Turn on the heating device and set the temperature to 85 degrees.

5. Place the baking sheets with the preparations in the oven, after 25 minutes, reduce the heat to 70 degrees. The drying process lasts for 5 hours, after which the slices should be transferred to the finished side. Reduce the temperature another 20 degrees.

6. To dry the fruits well and prevent mold from growing on them, you need to keep them for another 4 hours at 50 degrees. It is recommended to turn the prepared slices periodically to ensure that the resulting pieces are evenly dried.

7. When all the chopped wedges are light brown in color, remove them from the oven. They should not release moisture when pressed, and not be too brittle. Cool the fruits completely, transfer them to a canvas bag or pack them in several layers of parchment.

Healthy recipes

If you add a little sugar and cinnamon to apples, you can get a healthy snack or a good addition to desserts.

Apple slices

According to this recipe, you will get tasty and aromatic apples, and due to slight heat treatment, almost all the beneficial substances and vitamins will remain in the fruit.

You will need:

• 1 kilogram of apples;
• 300 grams of sugar;
• 1 teaspoon citric acid;
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon.

Preparation:

1. The apples should be firm and slightly underripe. Ripe and soft ones will not work. Fruits must be washed, dried and cut.
2. Prepare a mixture of sugar, cinnamon and citric acid.
3. Line a baking sheet with paper and lightly sprinkle sugar on top.
4. Apply a thin layer of apple slices and sprinkle a mixture of sugar and cinnamon on top.
5. Preheat the oven and place a baking sheet, leave the apples there for 30 minutes.
6. The finished slices should be left to dry at room temperature for 2-3 days.

Dried dried fruits in syrup

Before drying, you can soak the apple pieces in syrup (it can be prepared simply by dissolving sugar in water). Keep them like this for a day, and only then dry them in the oven. As a result, you will get delicious and beautiful apple pieces that will be an ideal addition to desserts.

How to make fruit chips?

These are the same dried apples, only sugar and citric acid are added to them. The acid will prevent the fruit from darkening and give it a slight sourness.

You will need:

• apples – 5 pieces;
• water – 1 glass;
• sugar – 80 grams;
• citric acid – 0.25 tsp.

Preparation:

1. Cut the apples into slices.
2. Boil the syrup (sugar + citric acid).
3. Pour over the fruit and leave for 15 minutes.
4. Remove from syrup and pat dry.
5. Place the apples on a baking sheet (lined with baking paper).
6. Spread the apples in a thin layer.
7. Dry for 2 hours, the temperature should be 70 degrees.

How to cook apple cubes?

You can also make candied apples. They can be eaten as candy or added to pies as a filling. The thickness of the slices should be 5-7 mm, you should try to cut them the same.

You will need:

• apples – 1 kg;
• sugar – 300 grams;
• citric acid – 1 tsp;
• cinnamon – 1 tsp.

How to cook:

1. Remove core and cut apples.
2. Place fruit on a lined baking sheet.
3. Make a mixture of sugar, cinnamon and citric acid.
4. Sprinkle the apples with the prepared mixture.
5. Place the tray in the oven for 25 minutes, the temperature should be 200 degrees.
6. Remove from the oven and wait for the apples to cool.
7. Cover a tray or rectangular plate with paper and lightly sprinkle with sugar, lay out the pieces and leave for 2 days at room temperature.
8. After a day, change the paper and put the apples in a box (preferably cardboard) covered with parchment.

How to dry apples on a string

— This method is the most convenient, does not require special attention, and allows you to prepare a large batch of fruit.

— String the apple pieces on a thread so that there is a small distance between them.

— Hang the thread with the blanks outside under the rays of the sun.

- Cover the workpieces with a layer of gauze to protect them from flying flies.

Drying apples in the sun

This method will allow you to dry the fruit well, preserving the maximum vitamins in them. To do this, you need to place the slices, previously washed and cleared of unnecessary parts, into a container or string them on a thread.

When laying, the slices should fit snugly against each other. When stringing, it is necessary to maintain the distance between them. Place the container with apples in the sun, and hang the “garlands” of apples in a dry, well-ventilated area. To protect the fruits from insects, you need to cover them with gauze.

Drying fruits naturally takes 10 to 15 days.

During the process, it is important to regularly turn the dried slices. It is not recommended to leave containers with fruits in cloudy and cloudy weather. On such days, the workpieces should be moved to well-ventilated areas.

The dried fruits are removed and checked to see if they are broken or sticky. Slices that are too fragile are overdried. All slices should be elastic and emit a pleasant aroma.

You can lay the chopped fruits in one layer on a baking sheet, or any other flat container, and dry them, turning them over periodically. But it is important that the layer is thin.

Can be dried in wooden boxes. Which can be specially put together for drying if you have a lot of fruits.

Methods

How to dry apples in the oven: on a baking sheet or on a wire rack ? Drying apples in the oven of a gas stove can be done in two ways.

On a baking sheet

How to dry apples in the oven on a baking sheet? To do this, you need to cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and carefully place the fruits, cut accordingly, on it.

shake them periodically . When using several baking sheets, they need to be swapped from time to time.

On the grid

How to dry apples in the oven on a wire rack? This method has several advantages over the previous one:

• firstly, when drying on a wire rack, the apple slices will dry more evenly on both sides;
• secondly, the process itself will take less time .

paper with this drying method.

How to dry apples in the microwave

Drying fruits in a microwave oven is an alternative way to prepare fruits and vegetables for the winter, since with its help you can significantly speed up the process and get soft and tasty slices.

A very short period of time will be needed to prepare a large amount of fruit. A microwave oven dries fruits much faster than, for example, an oven.

The most important rule to follow is to ensure that the fruits do not dry out or burn. It is important to choose the right time and set the required power.

Drying occurs in two stages

The first stage is as follows:

— Prepare a plate suitable for a microwave oven, place pre-cleaned thin pieces on it. It must be laid out in one layer. This way you will be able to process all the thin pieces evenly and enjoy an excellent result in the end.

— Place the container with the slices in the oven.

— Set the timer for 30-40 seconds, and select the power 250 W.

The second stage consists of the following steps:

— Remove the plate with not yet fully cooked fruit.

- Turn over each slice.

— Set the timer for 3 minutes, set the oven power to 300 W.

- Take out the slices.

Place unfinished slices back into the oven. Remove the dryers and prepare for the next step. Place the dried pieces in bags made of natural fabrics.

What temperature should I set, how long will it take, what should I do?

Before you start drying apples, there are some important things to know. They are simple, but they must be followed. It is also worth familiarizing yourself with the sequence of actions when drying. So, the main important points:

1. Correctly set temperature. First, set the temperature to 50-60°C and gradually increase it to 80-95°C.
2. Place fruit on the baking sheet only when the oven is well heated.
3. Be sure to open the oven door slightly when the temperature reaches 80°C (this will allow excess moisture to escape).
4. Turn the apples over periodically so they dry evenly and don't stick to the parchment.

Drying apples in an electric oven on a baking sheet

The whole process of preparing dried wedges is much easier and faster, since you don’t have to constantly change the temperature. It needs to be adjusted immediately before adding crushed fruits.

First of all, you need to thoroughly warm up the electric oven to 60 degrees, then raise the temperature to 80 degrees and you can begin the drying itself. The entire harvesting process takes from 5 to 8 hours.

Fruits must be periodically shifted from top to bottom. To avoid baking the apples, do not press the door too tightly.

The slices should be laid out in even layers. If the oven has a fan or convection mode, it is necessary to use them for better results.

To reduce drying time, you can use the following tip. Before directly drying, the product is boiled for about six minutes, then doused with cool water and blotted with a paper towel. After these manipulations, you can proceed to the next stage of preparation.

Another simple way to reduce the cooking time for flavorful slices is as follows. It is necessary to place the fruit in a colander, after which they should be kept over steam for 15 minutes.

Next, the slices are also washed with cool water and excess moisture is removed. Well-drained fruits are ready for further processing and subsequent storage.

These methods will reduce the drying time by as much as two hours, which is also good for large-scale preparations.

How to reduce time?

Despite the fact that cooking dried fruits from apples in the oven, at first glance, may seem like a very simple procedure, this method has several serious disadvantages .

These include:

1. The need for careful monitoring of the condition of the fruit throughout the entire drying period.
2. The duration of this process.

For this reason, many housewives are thinking about how to reduce the time it takes to dry apples in the oven. How to dry apples at home in the oven quickly ? There is such a way. To do this, peeled and cut apples into slices are boiled in boiling water for 5-7 minutes, after which they are cooled under running cold water. After this, you can dry them in the oven.

The second option: keep the prepared apples in a sieve or colander over steam for 10 minutes and then cool them in cold water.

How to properly dry apples in an electric dryer

An electric dryer is an excellent option for large-scale fruit harvesting. It is especially relevant for housewives with a dacha.

Drying apple fruits in an electric dryer:

1. Place the chopped slices into trays. In this form they require much less cooking time.

2. Place pallets with contents into the device.

3. Adjust the temperature to 55-60 degrees to dry the fruit evenly.

4. The waiting period for ready-made dried fruits is 8 hours.

Turn off the device from the power supply. Examine the slices carefully to make sure they are well dried. To do this, break them and see if they release moisture. Place the finished product in bags.

Let's start the process: cooking apples

How to dry apples in the oven? Easy and fast. However, the fruit must be properly prepared first. If you are already thinking about how to cook apples in the oven, then you obviously brought them from the dacha or bought not just one kilogram, but perhaps a whole bag. First you need to sort out the fruits - rotten, spoiled, wormy ones, throw away. If the apple is not completely unusable, it can be left to be trimmed later. Look at the situation. So, in front of you are only beautiful and delicious apples. Now they should be thoroughly washed and dried. Next you need to start cutting the fruit into slices.

How to tell if apples are dry or not

If the peel has acquired a dark shade, the pulp is not sticky to the touch, but at the same time they themselves are soft, then the fruit is completely ready for storage.

Ready apples can be of different colors. Summer ones come out with a light shade, and winter ones become dark. The same can be said about drying. Each variety is dried differently.

Summer fruits dry out much faster than winter varieties. To preserve nutrients in any variety, it is necessary to harvest apples, adhering to the correct technological sequence, paying special attention to preparation and further storage.

Using different ovens

Electric

If your oven doesn't have a convection function, don't worry. An electric oven is also quite suitable for drying, but it will take a little longer and you will have to monitor the temperature more closely.

1. First you need to dry the apples at a temperature of 60 degrees, then raise it to 75 and open the door slightly.
2. And when the fruits are almost ready, increase the temperature to 95°C and keep them for another 20 or 30 minutes (the door should be left ajar).

Video about drying apples in an electric oven:

In a regular gas stove

Similar to electric drying, but in this case it is worth checking the apples more often and stirring them more often , since in such an oven it is more likely that they will stick to the baking sheet.

In an electric oven with convection

In such an oven, a fan will speed up the drying of fruits. This will save significant time and make the whole process much more efficient. The apples will dry more evenly.

Storing dried fruits

To ensure that your efforts are not in vain, it is important to ensure that the slices are properly stored, and then they will delight us all year long.

At the end of drying, all the slices are sorted out, some are left to dry. Some of them are poured into a clean pillowcase.

In this way, they will lie for another two weeks to even out the moisture level of the fruit. After which, the dried aromatic slices are distributed into cloth bags or cardboard boxes.

Exposure temperature

At what temperature do we dry? The most profitable solution is considered to be a gradual increase in temperature followed by a decrease closer to readiness. First, preheat the oven to 45-50 °C . At this stage of drying, the fruit wilts slightly. Then you can increase the heat to 70-95 ° C and leave for several hours until most of the moisture has evaporated from all the fruit.

At the final stage of drying, the temperature should be lowered again to protect the product from burning .

The apples will reach the desired state and undergo sterilization, which will be evident by a yellowish or brownish tint.