Add us as a Google source

The Ultimate Beginners Guide To Dehydrating Apples

BySheri Ann Richerson

Apple season can leave you with more apples than you know what to do with, which is a pretty good problem to have - until you realize they aren't going to wait patiently for you to decide what to make with them.

Dehydrating apples is one of my favorite ways to preserve part of the fall harvest because dried apples are easy to store, don't take up much room, and are useful for everything from snacks to recipes.

You don't need a complicated setup, either. A food dehydrator makes the job easier and more consistent, but apples can also be dried in an oven.

Once you learn how to dehydrate apples, you have one more way to deal with those baskets of fresh apples while they're plentiful.

Why Dehydrate Apples?

Dehydrating removes enough moisture from food to inhibit the microorganisms that cause spoilage, allowing properly dried and stored foods to last much longer than fresh ones.

That's especially useful with apples because fresh apples take up quite a bit of room.

A large bowl or basket of apples becomes a surprisingly small amount of dried fruit.

Dehydrated apples also don't require freezer space, and you don't have to get out the canner.

That's one reason I like having several food-preservation methods available. I don't necessarily want every apple I harvest or bring home to become canned apples.

Some might be frozen.

Some might be dehydrated.

Some might become apple butter.

And, of course, some are going to get eaten before they ever make it into storage.

Are Dehydrated Apples Healthy?

Apples naturally provide fiber and nutrients, and drying them gives you a convenient way to enjoy apples after fresh apple season has passed.

One advantage of dehydrating your own apples is that you control what goes on them.

You don't have to add sugar to make dried apples.

I often prefer letting the natural apple flavor shine through, although cinnamon and other spices can make a delicious variation.

Because removing water concentrates the fruit, dried apples are also more concentrated than fresh apples. A small handful of dried apple slices represents considerably more fresh fruit than it appears to.

They're easy to eat, so portion accordingly - especially when you discover how good a batch of homemade cinnamon apple slices can be.

 

What Are The Best Apples For Dehydrating?

You can dehydrate many varieties of apples.

The best choice depends somewhat on the flavor you prefer. A naturally sweet apple makes a sweeter dried snack without adding sugar, while a tart apple gives you a more tangy finished product.

Most importantly, begin with good-quality apples.

Food preservation doesn't improve poor-quality produce. Use firm apples without signs of spoilage, and cut away damaged or bruised portions.

This is also a great way to use a mixed basket of apples. They don't all have to be identical.

In fact, dehydrating several varieties can give you an interesting mixture of sweet and tart dried apple slices.

Do You Have To Peel Apples Before Dehydrating Them?

No.

You can dehydrate apples with or without the peel.

I usually make this decision based on how I plan to use the finished apples.

Leaving the peel on saves time and gives the dried slices a slightly different texture. Peeling them creates a more uniform dried apple slice and may be preferable if you're planning to rehydrate the apples for certain recipes.

Either way, wash the apples well before cutting them.

The core and seeds should be removed.

How Thick Should You Slice Apples For Dehydrating?

Consistency matters more than perfection.

Aim for slices about ⅛ to ¼ inch thick and try to keep them relatively uniform.

If some slices are very thin while others are thick, the thin pieces may be finished long before the thick ones have dried adequately.

A sharp knife works just fine. If you're processing a large amount of apples, an apple peeler/corer/slicer or mandoline can make the job considerably faster.

Just be careful with those fingers. A mandoline has absolutely no sympathy for a distracted homesteader.

How Do You Keep Apples From Turning Brown?

Apples begin to brown after they're cut because the flesh reacts with oxygen.

Pretreating the apple slices can reduce browning.

One option is an ascorbic-acid or citric-acid pretreatment made according to the product directions for fruit.

Pretreatment isn't about making the apples sweeter. It's primarily useful for maintaining a more appealing color during drying and storage.

Prepare your pretreatment before you start cutting a large quantity of apples so the slices can go into it as you work.

How To Dehydrate Apples

  1. Wash the apples thoroughly.
  2. Peel them if desired, then remove the cores.
  3. Cut the apples into uniform slices approximately ⅛ to ¼ inch thick.
  4. Pretreat the apple slices, if desired, to help reduce browning.
  5. Drain the apple slices well before placing them on your dehydrator trays.
  6. Arrange the slices in a single layer so air can circulate around them. Don't pile or overlap the apple pieces.
  7. Add cinnamon or another desired spice before drying if you want flavored apple slices. Added sugar isn't necessary.
  8. Dry the apples according to your dehydrator manufacturer's directions and a reliable food-dehydration guide. Drying time varies considerably depending on slice thickness, apple variety, humidity, dehydrator design and other conditions.
  9. Check the apples periodically as they get close to being finished. Properly dried apple slices should no longer have pockets of moisture. Depending on how you've cut them and how far you've dried them, they may be pliable rather than crisp.
  10. Remove the finished apples from the dehydrator and allow them to cool completely before packaging.

Dehydrating apples, homemade apple drying, fall harvest apple preservation, DIY dehydrated apple slices, kitchen food preservation techniques.

How Do You Know When Dehydrated Apples Are Done?

Don't rely entirely on the clock.

Drying time can change from one batch to another.

Instead, check the actual fruit.

Remove a piece, let it cool and examine it for remaining moisture. Properly dried apple slices should not feel wet or have obvious pockets of moisture when cut or torn.

Your finished texture can vary depending on the apple and how you're planning to use it. Some dried apple slices remain somewhat pliable, while thinner slices dried longer may become much crisper.

What you don't want is hidden moisture remaining inside fruit you're about to package for storage.

Should You Condition Dehydrated Apples?

Conditioning is an important step that's easy to overlook.

After the apples have cooled, loosely pack the dried fruit into clean containers and watch for signs of remaining moisture over the next several days.

Shake or stir the fruit periodically so the pieces move around.

If you see condensation inside the container, the fruit contains too much moisture and should be returned to the dehydrator for additional drying.

Conditioning helps distribute any remaining moisture more evenly and gives you another opportunity to catch a batch that wasn't completely dried before you put it into longer-term storage.

Dehydrating apples for homemade dried fruit snacks and preserving harvest on a homestead.

How To Store Dehydrated Apples

Once the apples are completely dried, conditioned and ready for storage, package them in clean, dry, airtight containers.

Glass jars work wonderfully because you can see what's inside.

Other appropriate moisture-resistant food-storage containers can also be used.

Label the container with the contents and date. If you've made different versions-plain apples, cinnamon apples and so forth-put that on the label too.

Store dehydrated apples in a cool, dry, dark place.

Heat, light, air and moisture all work against the quality of stored dehydrated food, so your storage conditions matter.

And check your stored food occasionally.

If you ever find moisture or mold in a container, don't simply ignore it and put the jar back on the shelf.

How Long Do Dehydrated Apples Last?

There isn't one expiration date that applies to every jar of home-dehydrated apples.

Storage life depends on how thoroughly the apples were dried, how they were packaged and the temperature, humidity and light conditions where they're stored.

That's another reason I prefer labeling everything with the date.

Use your oldest preserved food first and periodically inspect what you have stored rather than putting it away and forgetting about it for years.

Good food-preservation habits aren't just about getting food into storage.

They're about using what you preserve.

Can You Freeze Dehydrated Apples?

You can store dried fruit in the freezer if you prefer, although properly dehydrated apples don't require freezing simply because they're dehydrated.

I sometimes have to pay extra attention to moisture because humidity can be a real challenge.

Whatever storage method you choose, the important thing is protecting the dried apples from moisture and other conditions that cause deterioration.

If humidity is a persistent problem in your home, smaller packages can also be helpful because you aren't repeatedly exposing the entire batch to humid air every time you want a handful.

What Can You Do With Dehydrated Apples?

Eating them straight from the jar is probably the most obvious answer-and possibly the reason your carefully preserved supply disappears much faster than expected.

But dehydrated apples can do much more than become snacks.

Try them:

  • In trail mix
  • Added to cereal or granola
  • Packed into lunches
  • Chopped into oatmeal
  • Added to baked goods when appropriate
  • Used in recipes calling for dried fruit
  • Rehydrated for certain cooked recipes

They're also lightweight and portable, which makes them convenient for lunches, travel and emergency food supplies.

If reducing disposable packaging is one of your goals, they also work nicely as part of a zero-waste lunch.

How Do You Rehydrate Dried Apples?

Dried apples can be rehydrated when you want to use them in recipes that need softer fruit.

Generally, this involves soaking the dried fruit in liquid until it absorbs enough moisture to soften.

The exact amount of liquid and soaking time depends on what you're making, so follow the recipe you're planning to use rather than assuming rehydrated apples will behave exactly like fresh apples.

You can find more inspiration in my dessert recipes for apples.

Dehydrating Apples Vs. Freezing Apples

You don't have to choose one method for your entire harvest.

Dehydrating apples saves freezer space and creates a lightweight food that's easy to store and carry.

Freezing apples preserves them in a form that's especially convenient for many pies, cobblers, breads and other cooked recipes.

If you have plenty of freezer space and want apples ready for baking, take a look at my Freezing Apples Recipe.

If freezer space is precious-or you want apple snacks you can grab straight from the pantry-dehydrating may be the better choice for that portion of your harvest.

I frequently prefer a combination of preservation methods because it gives me more options later.

Have More Apples? Make Caramel Pecan Apple Butter

And please don't feel as though every apple has to be preserved for long-term storage.

Apple season is also meant to be enjoyed.

If you've filled the dehydrator and still have fresh apples sitting on the counter, try my Caramel Pecan Apple Butter Recipe.

It's a completely different way to use the harvest: apples combined with warm fall spices, caramel and pecans to make a rich spread that's wonderful on toast, biscuits, pancakes, waffles and oatmeal.

That gives us exactly the internal link we're looking for without randomly inserting "caramel pecan apple butter" into a paragraph where it doesn't belong.

More Ways To Preserve Your Apple Harvest

One of the things I love about apples is how many choices they give us during preservation season.

If your dehydrator is full but the apples aren't gone, explore my Ultimate Apple Roundup for more ideas.

You can freeze apples for future baking and cooking.

If you're looking specifically for shelf-stable options, browse my apple canning recipes and use current tested recipes and processing instructions for home canning.

Or make a batch of Caramel Pecan Apple Butter to enjoy some of that fall harvest in an entirely different way.

Preserving the harvest doesn't mean using one method for everything.

The goal is to look at what you have, think about what your household will actually eat, and preserve it in ways that make sense for you.

Because a pantry full of food is wonderful.

A pantry full of food you actually use is even better.

How To Dehydrate Food

 

More Monthly Homesteading and Prepping Themes

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Are you human? Please solve:Captcha


This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.