Among all the methods of long-term storage of apples, drying them is recognized as the most practical and economical. It has a lot of advantages: unlike fresh, dried apples do not rot, they do not need dozens of cans, as when canning, they do not require a lot of sugar, as when making jams and jams, etc. Despite the seeming simplicity of the method, the correct drying of apples and their storage are fraught with certain secrets, the knowledge of which significantly affects the result.
Slicing apples
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. Slicing of such a volume takes from 10 to 15 minutes, this is exactly the time after which already sliced apples begin to darken due to the combination of acids that make up the biochemical composition of apples with oxygen. For home use, they, of course, will fit, but their appearance will still not be golden, but dark brown. Until the apples from the first portion have darkened, send them to the saline solution (read about this below), and start slicing the next portion yourself.
Try to cut the apples into approximately equal slices or slices 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 apples with the peel and core or to remove them, just know that there are even more nutrients in the peel 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, retain their presentation, i.e. remained light with a slightly golden hue, it is useful to stand them before drying in a weak saline solution – brine. There is another reason why people in the know 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 chopped fruits later turns into black small dots, sometimes there are so many of them that the surface of the slices acquires an unusual velvety texture. 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”, a small, almost invisible plaque (salt crystals) appears on the apple slices, which: – stops the oxidation process, and the cut 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 brine, take 100 g of common salt and dissolve it in 5 liters of water. When the salt is completely dissolved, immerse the sliced apples in the mixture for 10-15 minutes. While they are there, you will have time to cut the next portion of apples (the next half a 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, placing the sliced apples on grates, trays, trays, plywood sheets, etc. Their surface must be dry. Turn apples periodically.
To evenly dry apples, treat their layout with great care. The 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 and dry them in the sun. However, if the weather worsens (rain, strong wind, blowing up dust), it is better to bring them home or on the terrace. Yes, at least in the barn. Dew affects the drying process unfavorably, so put the apples indoors at night or early in the morning.
In hot weather, apples usually dry completely in 2–3 days. If conditions have changed and they are not dry, bring them to condition in the oven.
If you decide to dry the apples in the oven, heat it to 75-80 degrees and put the baking sheet with the apples on it. Take out and shake them from time to time to avoid sticking and to dry more evenly. Keep the oven door half open, and if you put several baking trays at once, open it completely. Drying time in the oven ranges from 4 to 8 hours.
It is believed that the most delicious and aromatic dried apples are obtained with combined drying, when they are dried in the sun during the day and in the oven or in the oven in the evening.
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 completely ready for long-term storage if the skin has become dull and the pulp no longer sticks to your hands. Correctly dried slices have a yellowish, light cream or brownish tint; they are soft to the touch, not brittle, elastic. They seem to be dried. Keep in mind that early and medium apples dry out faster, winter apples take a little longer. Winter ones also have a darker color. It is believed 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 with a sufficiently rich consistency and unsurpassed benefits. Properly dried apples contain almost all the vitamins and minerals that fresh apples are rich in.
How to store dried apples
Do not rush to put ready-made dried apples in a container. If time and space permits, scatter them on the table, on the floors or directly on the floor, after having spread a clean cotton cloth … Anywhere, as long as there is no direct sunlight. You can sprinkle apples in a high layer (up to 15 cm) and periodically stir, shake them. Thus, the fruits will reach full condition.
Then, place the dried apples, no more than 15 cm thick, into cloth bags, baskets, fruit crates (you can buy them at a grocery store), or food cartons, preferably cookies or candy boxes. Never pack dried fruits in boxes from household appliances or building materials, there may be residues of 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-observance of storage rules can lead to damage to dried apples, it is not always possible to correct the “catastrophe”.