Evrouk — Dec 6th, 2021 Categories: Dried fruits
Tags: Dried apples
We sell apples almost all year round, but apples grown in summer or autumn are still considered the healthiest and tastiest. To preserve them for a long time, without worrying too much, you can dry them. Drying in an electric dryer is rightfully considered the best method of drying: it is relatively quick, convenient and easy compared to drying in the open air or in an oven.
Ingredients: apples Time for bookmarking: Summer, Autumn
How to cut apples for drying
Before slicing, apples must be washed and dried well. Clean the core with a special tool or knife, cut the fruit into slices or circles no thicker than 0.5 cm. If you cut them thicker, they will take much longer to cook. Whether or not to peel the fruit is up to you. The peel contains many vitamins, but when dried it becomes quite hard, which not everyone likes.
To keep apples longer and not lose color when dried, you can (but not necessarily) dip them in a saline solution before cooking. It is done like this: 1 tablespoon of salt is dissolved in 1 liter of water. Apples need to be soaked in it for 5 minutes, drained in a colander.
How to dry at home
If the weather outside does not allow you to take the fruit out into the sun, you can dry the apples at home.
You will need some space where the apples will be laid out.
The disadvantages of this method are the very slow drying speed and the constant appearance of many midges.
In addition, this method is suitable for residents of private houses, who can lay out apple preparations on the veranda.
If you live in an apartment and want to get dried fruits, then use an oven, electric dryer or microwave.
How to dry apples in an electric dryer
Place the sliced apples in an even thin layer on the trays of the electric dryer. It is important not to pack them too tightly so that hot air can circulate freely between them.
You need to dry at a temperature of 65-70 degrees for about 8-10 hours. Periodically, you need to change the positions of the trays for uniform cooking, since the slices will cook faster on the lower tray.
The video from “VkusnoProsto iPoleno” shows how to prepare apples for the winter by drying them in a dryer.
If you have to turn off the dryer before the fruit is completely cooked, be sure to open the lid or empty the trays of fruit, otherwise they will pick up moisture again.
The drying time largely depends on the juiciness of the apples, the thickness of their cutting, and the model of the dryer, so their readiness must be checked periodically. Only through experience will you determine the optimal cooking time for dried fruits.
Answers to frequently asked questions
As a small FAQ, we will look at some of the most exciting topics about drying apples.
What to do if apples get caught in the rain outside
Fruits are often dried outside. No one is immune from the fact that it will rain unexpectedly and get the food wet. What to do next?
In general, soaked dried fruits can be dried. Of course, if they haven't started to rot.
But there is a point here. The environmental situation now leaves much to be desired. Therefore, along with rain, slags, toxins, and chemical processing waste fall out.
If you are not afraid of this, you can dry apples that have been caught in the rain.
If you care about your health, then it is better to throw out such dried fruits and start preparing a new batch of product.
Is it possible to dry unripe apples?
Unripe apples can be dried. Of course, if they are not completely green. Dried green fruits can be used to make compotes, but it is better together with other fruits, as unripe apples will sour.
What is the yield of dried apples
One of the most pressing questions regarding the procedure is the overall yield of apples.
Of course, the volume and weight of the fruit will be significantly reduced. After all, apples are a very juicy fruit with a high liquid content. During the drying process, fruits lose about 75-80% of their weight.
On average, it is believed that 1 kg of fresh fruit produces 130 grams of dried fruit.
How to store dried apples
When drying is ready, you need to remove the trays from the dryer and leave the dried fruits until they cool completely. You can store them in cotton bags, paper bags, glass jars with tightly screwed lids.
Plastic bags or plastic containers are not suitable for these purposes, as drying can become moldy or insects may infest them. Bags of dried fruits are best stored in a dry, cool place protected from the sun. For example, in the pantry, but not in the refrigerator.
By drying fragrant apples for the winter, you can make delicious compote, porridge, and pies for your family.
And just crunch some apple chips with hot tea. Tweet
Variety selection
We choose large or medium apples with thin skin and a small seed box. This choice results in less waste and more raw materials.
When choosing apples for drying, first of all pay attention to autumn varieties with a sweet and sour taste. Not only the taste, but also the large amount of dry matter distinguishes these apples from others. Sweet apples very often do not have a distinct taste after drying, which many may not like.
Antonovka, Pepin, and Aport are recognized as the best varieties for drying. I tried to dry Sinap Orlovsky, but was disappointed with the taste. Probably because this is a winter variety, and for drying it is worth taking good quality carrion if you really want to dry winter varieties.
Mixed cooking method
The fruit slices should dry well. Even a little moisture can spoil dried fruits during storage. Therefore, if the sun is not bright enough, sliced apples can be dried and dried in the oven. At what temperature should you dry apples?
Drying begins at forty degrees Celsius. Next, the temperature is increased to seventy degrees Celsius. The last stage takes place at sixty degrees Celsius. The entire process will take about six hours. The finished dried fruits are cooled and placed in paper bags, linen bags or glass jars. They store very well and will be an excellent vitamin boost during the winter.
Oxidation protection
What can you do to prevent sliced apples from turning brown ? At least three different methods have been found to help preserve fruits from oxidation of iron in the pulp. The first and simplest is blanching . Bring a large pan of water to a boil, then cook the apple pieces in it for 2-3 minutes.
The second method is using 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 keeping the sliced apples in this solution for several minutes, after drying you will get a product with a pleasant light yellow hue, like fresh apples.
The third method is to soak the apples for a couple of minutes in a solution of citric, tartaric or acetic acid (2 grams per liter of cold water).
Another method is fumigation . Apples are usually fumigated with sulfur dioxide for no longer than 10 minutes.
An aqueous solution with 0.1 - 0.2% sulfurous acid , for which 2-3 minutes will be more than enough.
be sure to scald the finished dried fruits before direct consumption.
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.
What to cut with?
What knife should you use to cut apples for drying? sharply sharpened knives are ideal for work , the handle of which lies lightly and comfortably in the palm of your hand.
of universal ones is quite suitable , however, if possible, purchase specialized knife - for sedum and cutting fruit.
They are small in size, with a flat or curved edge (a concave blade is most convenient), where part of the blade does not exceed 6-8 cm .
What devices are there for cutting apples for drying? In addition to the traditional method manually using a regular knife, special tools and devices .
One of them is a mechanical device that simultaneously peels and slices the whole apple into a thin spiral. Subsequently, the apple cut with this device can be easily divided into separate half rings.
For slicing apples, knives in the form of a circle with blades going towards the center . The sharp blades have an additional circle inside, which simultaneously with cutting into equal slices removes the core.
For a dessert version of dried fruits, it would be a good idea to keep the apples in sweet water or sugar syrup .
Leave the 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 is securely fixed on the table (with a suction cup or clamp).
The apple is placed on special teeth, and a special side blade is pressed against its edge. Using a rotating handle , the apple is gradually peeled, as if on a spit, and at the same time can be cut into a spiral or equal parts.
how to use a special machine for cutting apples for drying from the video:
Also watch a video tutorial on using a special device for slicing apples for drying:
Options for cutting shapes
How to cut apples for drying? There are a huge variety of shapes and sizes, starting from circles, slices, and ending with cubes. Regardless of what type of cutting you choose, try to make the apple pieces as uniform as possible .
This type of cutting of apples for drying will provide you with a supply of not only aesthetically attractive dried fruits, but will also guarantee that the apples will dry quickly and evenly .
You can cut 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 the drying will be on the balcony, attic or in the fresh air, and the apples themselves will have to be planted on a string , the most profitable option will be rings or dense slices in the shape of a month.
Optimal slice sizes
How to cut apples for drying? Don't make the 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 be prolonged. If you cut the fruits into rings , then make each one no more than half a centimeter in thickness. If the apples are too small, it is most convenient to cut them into quarters and slices of approximately 5-7 mm.
What method and whether to preserve the light shade of the pulp from “rust” is an individual question. Depending on your means, the presence of citric acid in the house, etc., you can use these tips or dry the apples immediately after slicing.
the taste at all.
