How to make dried apples. Harvesting dried apples for the winter

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Dried apples are an alternative to a frozen product. During drying, the taste and beneficial features fruits.

They can be used not only for making pies and compotes, but also for snacks.

Quality dried fruits depends on compliance with the rules of preparation and storage.

The most painstaking work awaits on preparatory stage. Apples need to be sorted, processed and cut.

• Selection of apples. Separate damaged and rotten fruits from fresh ones. See that they are even, smooth and without damage.
• Rinse under water and wipe dry. It is advisable to use products for washing vegetables and fruits.
• Peel the fruit from the peel and cut the core. However, the peel is removed only from sour varieties. In sweets, only the core is removed.
• Process fruits 1-% brine so that they do not darken during cooking. Alternatively, you can use water acidified with lemon or vinegar.
• Cut into circles or slices. The thickness of the pieces should not be more than 1 cm.

Which varieties are best

For drying, it is better to choose sour and sweet-sour varieties. Any variety will do, but most often they use Antonovka, Aport, Winner and Slavyanka.

You can also choose sweet varieties. But the taste of such apples will be less pronounced, and the quality of dried fruits will be lower.

Learning to dry apples at home

A large number of diversified different ways drying allows you to prepare dried fruits for the winter to any hostess. You can use any household appliances and special appliances or dry the old fashioned way.

Sun and open air on the balcony

It is considered a popular method. However, for the most part, it suits people who live in a private house or in apartments with balconies, which are located on the sunny side.

At the same time, the sun must be bright, and the air temperature must be high, otherwise the apples will simply rot.

Drying time: 4-6 days.

First way:

1. Prepare a large baking sheet. Alternatively, a wide mesh can be used.
2. Arrange the pieces on a baking sheet. They should be at a small distance from each other.
3. Place the tray in a sunny area. Roofs away from tall trees are most suitable.
4. Turn slices daily.

Second way:

1. Prepare long dense threads.
2. Insert a thin needle and string apples. The width of the slices must be at least 3-4 mm, otherwise they will break apart.
3. Hang to dry outside or in a dry ventilated area. When drying in the attic or in the barn, it is better to cover the fruits with thin gauze to protect them from dust and dirt.

In electric stove and electric oven

An electric oven is suitable for drying at home at any time of the year. However, it requires more time and effort than similar methods.

Drying time: 6-8 hours.

1. Preheat oven to 50 degrees.
2. Line a baking sheet or wire rack with baking paper.
3. Carefully lay out the pieces on paper so that they do not touch each other.
4. Place apples in preheated oven. Leave the door ajar to allow air to circulate. If the oven is equipped with convection, then it should be turned on.
5. Turn over every two hours.
6. After four hours, increase the temperature to 80 degrees. Wait until the moisture from the apples evaporates.
7. When the fruit is dry, lower the temperature again to 50 degrees.
8. Turn off the oven after four hours.

In a gas oven

Advantage gas stove before electric - apples dry twice as fast. And you don't have to keep track of them.

Drying time: 2-4 hours.

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
2. Line a baking sheet with baking paper.
3. Put the apples on a baking sheet and put on one of the lower tiers of the oven.
4. Dry them for one hour on each side. To dry to a crisp, increase the exposure time to two hours.

in the microwave

Most fast way- drying in the microwave. The main thing is that the household appliance is powerful enough.

Drying time: 4 minutes.

1. Arrange apples on a plate. Put in the microwave.
2. Set the power to 250 W. Turn on the microwave for 40 seconds.
3. Remove the plate and turn the pieces over.
4. Set the power to 300 W. Turn on the microwave for 3 minutes.
5. Hold for another 30 seconds if they are not dry enough.

In an electric dryer

The electric dryer is special device for drying fruits, berries, vegetables and mushrooms. Usually the dryer has three temperature conditions: low, medium, high.

Drying time: 8 hours.

1. Arrange the apples on the dryer tray.
2. Set the temperature to 55-60 degrees.
3. Turn on the appliance and cook for 8 hours.
4. After the time has elapsed, check the readiness. If apples secrete a little juice, leave for another 20-30 minutes.

In air grill

Drying apples at home in an air grill is not inferior to other methods, but you need to correctly calculate the time so as not to spoil the blanks. Also, the slices should not be wider than 3 mm, otherwise they will not dry completely.

Drying time: 1 hour.

1. Lay the apples on the rack.
2. Set the temperature to 100 degrees and low airflow. You can increase the temperature to 110-120 degrees if they do not have time to dry completely.
3. Set a timer for 1 hour.

In a slow cooker

Drying in a slow cooker does not require much effort, but only a small portion can be cooked at a time.

Drying time: 40-50 minutes.

1. Put the pieces in the bottom of the bowl.
2. Set the baking mode.
3. Put to cook for 40 minutes.
4. Flip the slices and cook for 10 more minutes if needed.

How to determine the readiness of apples

Readiness can be determined by the appearance of the pieces. It is important to consider a few details:

• pieces lost up to 80% of weight;
• the slices are soft and elastic;
• skin darkened;
• the pulp does not stick;
• there is no moisture on the pieces;
• when you press the pieces, the juice does not flow.

Immediately after cooking, you need to put the apples on a flat surface covered with paper, and leave for a day in a ventilated room. Then you can start packing.

In the video, an experienced hostess shares the secret of how to dry apples in electric oven.

How to store dried apples

Ready apples must be packed in bags made of natural fabric.

Cellophane bags and containers made of plastic or glass are not suitable for this purpose, since they do not allow oxygen to pass through. As a result, they may begin to "suffocate".

However, instead of fabric bags, you can take paper or cardboard.

The storage location must be dry and cool. High humidity and temperature will lead to mold growth. It is also important that the room where dried fruits are stored is ventilated.

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 Rus', apples were revered and loved from young to old. IN 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 cheapest option for storing apples - drying them. At the same time, the product retains its useful properties and nutrients, As in fresh apples Oh.

What are the benefits of dried apples?

Scientists confirm that dried fruits, including apples, help fight cancer, cardiovascular problems, chronic kidney disease and genitourinary system. In addition, they tend to cleanse and strengthen blood vessels, reducing the level bad cholesterol in 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.

Preparation

• 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

• On baking sheets you need to lay out parchment paper.
• 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 fast 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 pumps 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

On the street

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 with any other convenient way, in the oven or microwave, for example. There are a couple of ways how best dry apples outside.

1. 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.
2. 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" method, 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

In contact with

apple slicing

If you have prepared a large number of apples for drying, cut them into portions. Practice shows that a single serving is half a bucket. It takes 10 to 15 minutes to cut this volume, this is exactly the time after which already cut apples begin to darken due to the combination of acids included in biochemical composition apples, with oxygen. For home use they will fit, of course, but appearance It will still not be golden, but dark brown. Until the apples from the first portion have had time to darken, send them to the saline solution (read about this below), and start slicing the next portion yourself.

Try to cut the apples into approximately the same slices or circles so that they dry evenly. The thickness of one slice should not be more than 5 mm, ideally 2-3 mm.

You decide whether to cut the apples with skin and core or remove them, just know what's in the skin useful substances even more than in the pulp. But this only applies to apples from your garden. Fruit from the supermarket definitely needs to be peeled

Salt baths for apples

So that apples, even in dried form, are preserved marketable condition, i.e. remained light with a slightly golden hue, it is useful to keep them before drying in a weak saline solution- rape. There is another reason why knowledgeable people do this. If you are engaged in cutting and drying apples right in the country, wasps, bees, flies and other insects invariably flock to them. Their stay on the sliced ​​\u200b\u200bfruits subsequently turns into black small dots, sometimes there are so many of them that the surface of the slices acquires an unusual velvety. Such apples (however, like other dried fruits) are not stored for a long time, mold appears on them, larvae and worms start, and it can be extremely difficult to do anything to save the situation.

After the "salt bath" on apple slices a small, almost invisible plaque (salt crystals) appears, which: - stops the oxidation process, and chopped apples practically do not lose their natural color; - insects do not sit on apples treated with brine, which protects them from the appearance of larvae and worms; - apples after " salt baths” are stored a hundred times longer.

To prepare the brine, take 100 g of ordinary salt and dissolve it in 5 liters of water. When the salt is completely dissolved, immerse the chopped apples in the composition for 10-15 minutes. While they are there, you will have time to cut the next portion of apples (another half bucket). Change the solution to fresh after 5-6 servings.

Drying apples

You can dry apples in the sun, in the oven, in a Russian oven, on a grate that is installed on the stove, and finally, in an electric dryer for fruits, berries and vegetables.

They dry in the sun in good weather, spreading the sliced ​​\u200b\u200bapples on grates, trays, trays, plywood sheets, etc. Their surface must be dry. Periodically, apples should be turned over.

For uniform drying of apples, take their layout with all due care. Slices should not be a high mountain and stick together. Ideally there should be a row in one layer

You can also string apple slices on threads and dry them in the sun. However, when the weather worsens (rain, strong wind, raising dust), it is better to bring them home or on the terrace. Yes, even in the barn. Dew has an unfavorable effect on the drying process, so put the apples indoors at night or early in the morning.

In hot weather, apples usually dry out completely in 2-3 days. If the conditions have changed, and they have not dried out, bring them to condition in the oven.

If you decide to dry the apples in the oven, heat it to 75-80 degrees and place a baking sheet with apples laid out on it. Take them out and shake them from time to time to prevent sticking and to dry them more evenly. Keep the oven door half open, and if you put several baking sheets at once, open it completely. Drying time in the oven ranges from 4 to 8 hours.

It is believed that the most delicious and fragrant dried apples are obtained with combined drying, when during the day they are dried in the sun, and in the evening they reach in the oven or in the oven

Drying in an electric dryer is not difficult, you just need to strictly follow the instructions. Of course, this is the fastest way.

How to determine the degree of readiness

Dried apples are considered to be fully prepared for long-term storage if the skin has faded and the flesh no longer sticks to the hands. Properly dried slices have a yellowish, light cream or brownish tint, they are soft to the touch, not brittle, elastic. They are like dried. Keep in mind that early and medium grade apples dry out faster, winter ones take a little longer. Winter also have a darker color. It is generally accepted that about 1 kg of dried apples is obtained from a bucket of fresh apples, from which, in turn, you can cook up to 30 liters of compote of a fairly saturated consistency and unrivaled benefits. Properly dried apples contain almost all the vitamins and minerals that fresh apples are rich in.

Storage of dried apples

Do not rush to put ready-made dried apples in a container. If time and place permits, scatter them on the table, on the shelves or directly on the floor, after laying a clean cotton cloth ... Anywhere, as long as there is no direct sunlight. You can pour apples in a high layer (up to 15 cm) and periodically mix and shake them. Thus, the fruits will reach full condition.

Then pour the dried apples into a layer of no more than 15 cm into cloth bags, into baskets, into fruit boxes (you can buy them at the greengrocer's store) or into cartons from under the products, ideally from under cookies or sweets. Do not pack dried fruits in boxes under any circumstances. household appliances or building materials, there may be residues harmful substances. Do not forget to shake the container occasionally to prevent the slices from caking.

Store dried apples in a dark, preferably cool and well-ventilated place, away from strong-smelling foods. An increased level of humidity in the room and non-compliance with storage rules can lead to spoilage of dried apples; it is not always possible to correct the “catastrophe”.

Apple - healthiest fruit which is available to almost everyone. To maintain the benefits of vitamins and pleasant taste for the winter, it’s enough just to make dried fruits from apples. good for snacking, making compote or using in pastries or porridge. So that during storage the product does not lose its palatability and not moldy, you need to know how to properly dry apples.

There are several ways, some of which are quite possible to use at home.

Drying preparation

Before you dry apples at home, you need to carefully prepare them. Sort the fruit, remove the wormy and overripe. It is best to choose a sweet and sour variety, these will be the tastiest. Wash selected apples thoroughly to remove dust and chemical residues that may have been used in cultivation. To make dried fruits faster, remove the core and cut off the skin. In order not to mess around and do everything neatly, use a special tube from of stainless steel. If you don’t feel like messing around, you can just cut the apples into slices. After that, you can go directly to drying.

How to dry apples at home in the sun

Natural drying in the sun is considered one of the most beneficial ways for the body to prepare any dried fruit.

This also applies to apples. To cook them this way at home, cut into slices or slices and spread evenly on a table or baking sheet. You can also use a grid or grid. You can also cook pears or bananas in the same way. The temperature should be high enough so that the fruit begins to dry out and not rot. Try to arrange the apples under the straight lines. sunbeams. The ideal place for this is a balcony. Alternatively, you can string the slices on a thick thread and hang them under the sun, so they will take up less space. Now you know the most useful. But the preparation will take several days. What if you don't feel like waiting? Use the oven!

How to dry apples in the oven

If you do not want to dry in the sun or do not succeed, an oven will do. How to dry apples at home in this way? Put the slices on a baking sheet and dry at fifty degrees. In no case do not immediately turn on a high temperature. Apples will be covered with a crust, from under which moisture will not evaporate. Only when the slices dry out, you can increase the temperature to seventy degrees. On final stage fire again needs to be reduced a little. Keep the door slightly ajar to allow steam to escape freely from the oven. The entire drying process will take about six hours. You can also purchase a special dryer, which will allow you to no longer think about how to dry apples at home. But if you plan to cook dried fruits not too often, such a device is not so necessary. The two methods described above are sufficient.

In the winter months, when the body is so lacking in vitamins, dried fruits come to the rescue. If you figure out how to dry apples in the oven or microwave oven, it is possible in short time and prepare with minimal effort useful product in any volume. True, it is necessary not only to master the technique of processing fruits, but also to know how to choose fruits and prepare them. According to experienced housewives, using a microwave oven, gas or electric oven allows you to achieve a texture that is not as “rubber” as air-dried ingredients.

Before drying apples in a microwave or oven, it is necessary to select suitable fruits and carry out their initial processing. The chances of getting the desired results will increase if you consider the following rules:

1. Preference is given to sour or sweet and sour apples winter varieties, without astringent aftertaste. The flesh should be light yellow or white, firm, without watery patches. Sweet apples after drying at home become almost tasteless.
2. At the very beginning of work from fruits, you need to select the most beautiful ones, without damage and signs of spoilage. We wash them under running water, clean from the core and peel. summer varieties it is better to leave with the skin.
3. We spread the blanks for several minutes in water with the addition of a few drops of vinegar or a pinch citric acid. This will protect the flesh from browning and staining.
4. If there are any questions about the quality of the fruit, then the slices can be additionally blanched for 5-7 minutes. But it is worth considering that this technique reduces the benefit of the product.

Cut the prepared fruits into slices, 5 to 7 mm thick. Depending on what principle of drying apples at home will be applied, additional manipulations may be necessary.

How to dry apples in a gas oven?

To learn how to properly dry apples in a gas oven, the first time you have to work hard, but then the manipulation will seem easy and fast. The process itself consists of several stages:

• Choosing the optimal mode. We warm up the chamber to 50-55ºС. If from the very beginning to keep the blanks at more high temperature, they will quickly become covered with a crust that will not allow moisture to evaporate. Pieces of fruit will not dry out, but simply baked.

Tip: During use gas oven for drying fruits, the air in the kitchen becomes very heavy, which is not only unpleasant, but also to some extent dangerous to health. You can reduce potential risks by regularly ventilating the room. Even the strongest hood will not cope with such smog.

• Choice of approach. At home, apples can be dried on a baking sheet or wire rack. In the first case, we line the surface of the fixture with parchment paper and lay out the cut in one layer. In the second - just put the pieces on the grill. This option allows you to dry the workpieces more evenly and spend less time on it.
• Exposure time. The duration of the manipulation is from 3 to 8 hours. Such a difference may be due to the size of the pieces, the type of product, the quality of the oven, the type of drying (on a wire rack or a baking sheet) of fruit. In any case, 1.5-2 hours after the start of processing, the products should be turned over.

On initial stage processing, the oven door should be kept ajar, then the moisture will evaporate more actively. After the first mixing of the components, the door can be closed and the temperature raised to 70°C. As soon as the blanks can be dried to half of their original volume, the temperature is again lowered to the starting one.

Features of using an electric oven

The indisputable advantage of drying fruits in such an oven is the fact that the air in the kitchen does not become heavier from such manipulation, it is easier to regulate and control the temperature level. Yes and useful components with this approach, they are destroyed much more slowly. True, in order to achieve optimal results at home, you must adhere to the following rules:

• Processing begins with a temperature in the region of 60ºС, this figure can be increased as the product dries. Permissible maximum - 80ºС. After reaching this temperature level, open the oven door slightly so that the moisture begins to come out more actively.
• The cut is laid out on parchment paper, laid out on a wire rack. Once every 1-2 hours, the slices are turned over. baking tray in this case it is better not to use, the products will be baked unevenly and may burn.
• Drying time for fruit is 5-8 hours. The denser and sour product the longer it dries. An hour before turning off the temperature in the oven should be reduced to the original, this will reduce the risk of burning the elements.

For more uniform drying of the components, the drying modes in the electric oven should be alternated from low to medium and vice versa. If you do not want such difficulties, you can use the convection function and simply leave the grate at the middle level.

How to dry apples in the microwave?

If you want to get the result as quickly as possible, you need to learn how to dry apples in the microwave. Manipulation is very simple, you just need to practice a few times and everything will start to turn out quickly and tasty. Spread the sliced ​​apples in a single layer on a suitable plate. We set the microwave mode to 200 watts. We set the timer for 3 minutes, but for a better study of the products, it is recommended to check them every 30 seconds. If necessary, we run the device several more times until an optimal result is obtained. Fruits are considered ready when their flesh becomes soft, stops sticking to hands, changes color to cream.

In the microwave, apples can be cooked not only in the traditional dried form. This type of processing allows you to get delicious apple chips. We spread the sliced, soaked and dried fruit slices on a special overlapping grill and cook on the “Grill” mode for a quarter of an hour. In the middle of cooking, the components can be turned over so that they are evenly baked. finished product flavoring lemon juice and sprinkle with cinnamon.

After drying the products at home is over, you need to make sure that the products are ready. To do this, we take one slice in our hands and try to bend it. If it does not break, and the hands remain clean, the product is ready. Fragile slices that break into pieces indicate that they are overdried. This does not mean that they need to be thrown away, they may well be suitable for making compotes.