Apple scourge: summer residents were told how to properly dry their crops

This year, many summer residents are faced with an exorbitant abundance of apples. Where to put the remnants of the harvest if you have already been lucky enough to give gifts to all your relatives and friends, make jam and make compote, jam, marshmallow, jam? Many people are scratching their heads over this. After all, it’s a pity to throw away sweet fruits that won’t stay in boxes all winter, but will simply go bad. “MK” found the answer to this question from experienced summer residents. Drying is a universal means of turning waste into delicious food.

Drying apples for the winter is a long but entertaining process. Here you cannot say: “cut it and forget it,” although this does not cause much trouble.

Let’s first figure out how to properly cut an apple. First, wash thoroughly and remove moisture with napkins. Secondly, we get rid of the core. You can simply cut the apple into quarters and peel out the middle, or you can use a special device that is sold in stores. It will remove the core clearly, and in this case it will be possible to cut the apples into rings, and not just into slices. Next, let’s chop it. The thickness of apple slices for drying is 3-5 mm. But the thinner the better. We do not remove the peel from the apples – it is a kind of support for the pulp.

If you are drying apples at home just on the table, place the slices on a clean surface. This could be a dish, board, pallet, or some kind of auxiliary table, for example, on the veranda. Place the slices in one layer, do not pile on top of each other.

It is worth thinking about protection from insects, dust, etc. You can use a piece of gauze for this.

Another option is hanging drying bags, which can be purchased in stores. The advantage of such bags is that the product not only provides comprehensive ventilation, but also saves space. In this case, you don’t have to think about dishes, boards, and where to place it all.

The cooking time for dry apple slices under natural conditions is from 3 to 7 days. It depends on the quality of the apples, the cutting and weather conditions. At the same time, you need to watch the product. Check from time to time and turn over. The apple slices will shrink in volume as they dry.

To speed up the process, you can use the oven. Place our slices on a baking sheet, also in one layer. Preheat the oven to 80 degrees. After 2 hours, reduce to 50 and leave.

Important: if the oven has a convection mode, be sure to turn it on. If there is no convection mode, then we leave the door ajar (we fix it, say, with a towel). Otherwise, our apples will not be dried, but baked.

What should apple drying look like at the end of the process? As for color, it all depends on the specific variety and drying method. But you need to check it by touch.

Apple slices should be dry, but not overdried. If they break in your hands, it means they are too dry. The slice should be elastic, but when torn, there should be no moisture in it; it should look and feel completely dry.

If the drying is ready, put it in cloth bags. This is the most suitable method, but you can, of course, store it in glass jars, plastic containers, or boxes. And then we put it in the pantry or cabinets, without access to light.

BENEFITS OF DRIED APPLES

Dried apples are useful for normalizing the activity of the heart muscle and are a preventive measure against the formation of cholesterol plaques on the walls of blood vessels. The product contains practically no allergens, so dried apples can be consumed as a dessert by people prone to allergic reactions.