How to dry apples in the oven? This issue is especially relevant in late summer and early fall. After all, if the season turned out to be fruitful, then gardeners simply have nowhere to put such fruits. But if they are properly dried, then in winter you can cook various fruit drinks, fruit drinks, as well as bake delicious pies on your own.
How to Dry Apples in the Oven: A Step-by-Step Method
Essential ingredients and inventory:
- apples of any grade - 5-8 kg;
- oven sheet - 1 pc.;
- cooking paper in the size of a baking sheet;
- knife.
Choosing the right fruit
Before drying apples in the oven, you should purchase or collect enough fruit in advance. It is worth noting that such a product is well obtained from any varieties of the product. However, it is preferable to use an unsweetened ingredient that does not blacken for a long time after cutting.
Fruit processing
How to dry apples in the oven so that in winter you can make delicious and rich compote from them? To do this, take a few kilograms of fresh fruit, and then wash them thoroughly and deprive the seed box. Also, the product needs to be cleaned of all existing wormholes and slightly rotted areas. At the same time, it is not recommended to cut the peel from apples, since it contains the most useful elements and it gives the compote a richer taste. The only exception is store fruits, on the surface of which a thin layer of wax was applied.
Apples can be dried at home in the form of slices or circles (optional). However, in any case, the thickness of such fruit slices should not exceed 5-7 millimeters.
Heat treatment
Before you dry apples in the oven, you need to take a baking sheet and line its surface with parchment (cooking paper). Next, you need to distribute the sliced fruits with a thick layer and immediately send them to the oven. The fresh ingredient should begin to dry at a temperature of 40-45 degrees. And after 60-85 minutes, it is increased to 70-75 units. It is worth noting that the main purpose of this heat treatment is not frying apples, but their maximum deprivation of moisture. That is why the temperature in the oven should be carefully monitored.
During the first minutes, it is advisable to slightly open the oven door. Throughout the heat treatment, it should also be periodically opened. Such actions will significantly reduce the humidity level in the oven.
During the drying of apples, it is recommended to turn them over regularly to avoid burning, as well as to promote uniform drying. After the fruit evaporates half or 2/3 of the moisture, the temperature of the oven must be reduced to 55 degrees. This heat treatment of a fresh product is quite long. Its average duration is approximately 8-11 hours (depending on the variety).
Properly dried apples have a beige-brownish color. To the touch, they are quite elastic and resilient, and when squeezed, they do not secrete juice and do not break quickly. It is recommended to store fruit products in a dry room in a glass jar or rag bag.