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Good Morning, everyone! I don’t know about you, but with all this Halloween candy lying around the house and with all these pumpkin goodies I’m making, I need healthy snacks! The scale has determined that for me! Ha! So, I decided to try making some oven-dried fruit, starting with apples. I chose apples because we all love them, we usually have them on hand, and living in Oregon, we have access to really fresh delicious ones! So, away I went!
I was a little confused at first as to what they should look like or what they should taste like, but after reading a few blogs and websites, I got my answer : “they should have a similar texture to a raisin- a little moist still, but mostly dry and chewy.” So, I kept mine in the oven until they were that way! Your drying/cooking times will probably vary because it depends on the kind of apple and the thickness of the pieces. It is important to cut your apple slices to the same thickness so they all have the same drying times….unless you don’t care in which case you don’t have to pull your hair out worrying about this like I did.
Once mine were all done, my daughter LOVED these. Seriously. She almost ate the entire batch. And, my husband said “Wow. These have good flavor!” which is really unlike him to give me more feedback besides “these are good”–so you know they have to be great (not to mention healthy)! Of course I added a little cinnamon and sugar, but it’s for the greater good. I promise.
If you have the time to make these, then these Oven Dried Apples will certainly make a great snack on their own or delicious accompaniment to granola! I did that a few times for breakfast and it was mighty tasty! So, be sure to make these some time this season! You’ll feel good about eating them and about feeding them to your kids! Happy baking 🙂
Oven Dried Apples
Ingredients
- 2 large apples any kind
- 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 lemon juiced, about 1-1/2 tablespoons
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Place a cooling rack over a baking sheet and set aside.
- Peel apples and slice (however you like) to desired thickness (around 1/8 inch). Place into large bowl and toss with lemon juice, sugar and cinnamon until all apples are evenly coated. (If you don’t want a slight lemon flavor in your apples, you can soak them in water and lemon juice first for 2-3 minutes, remove, pat dry and then coat in cinnamon and sugar.)
- Place onto prepared racks in a single layer. Bake 45 minutes, turning apples half way through. Turn off oven and keep apples in hot oven for 2-3 hours or until desired texture is reached. Apples should be done when they are pliable, (not crispy!) slightly sticky (from the sugar) and completely dry to the touch. Remove from oven and store in air tight containers.
I make dried apples a lot, I peel, core, and slice them into rings then either make them plain, sprinkled with cinnamon & sugar, or sprinkle with dry sugar- free jello. ( they like peach, strawberry, raspberry, or cherry flavored). my family loves them…I don’t have any trouble with them turning black. I dry them in my oven on 170 degrees (on my oven racks sprayed with PAM) with the door propped open 4 ” for approx. 5 hours.. (until crispy but not burnt) then I cool and place in a ziplock bag and freeze overnite then remove from freezer and enjoy.
I have a batch on as I type this. I used lemon juice, water and honey infused with ginger (store bought) I also sprinkled cinnamon on a few to see how they will taste, now all I have to do is wait!
I don’t care for the lemon juice taste, so I use apple juice. I find it works well. I have used orange juice before also, but using the apple juice doesn’t distort the flavor!
Just found your blog via Tasty Kitchen ~ very nice!
Oh, I can’t wait to make this recipe. I love apples especially during this time with so many beautiful apples coming in. I have been eating one a day – trying not to eat chocolate. So far it has worked beautifully. Thanks for sharing this recipe and for the wonderful website.