When I have too many apples that I cannot eat up before they spoil, I like to preserve them by dehydrating or drying them. Then I can store the dehydrated apples without using any electricity until I want to use them as a snack, make them with oatmeal, add them to cereal, or use them in my baking.
Making dehydrated sugared apple slices is pretty simple. We sliced the apples making sure not to use the apple core or seeds. Since apples have a tendency to discolor and darken during storage and drying we pretreated them. To pretreat them, we dissolved 1 tablespoon citric acid powder into 1 quart water. Then we put the sliced fruit into this solution for 2 minutes.
We then drained the apple slices for a few minutes. Afterwards, we placed the apples in a plastic food storage bag with a couple cups brown sugar. We sealed the bag closed and shook the bag until all apple pieces were coated with brown sugar.
Afterwards we placed the fruit on the dehydrator trays. Depending on the humidity it takes about 24 to 36 hours for the apples to dry. Dried apples should not be dehydrated to the point of brittleness. Instead apples should be dried to the point where you are not able to squeeze any moisture out of it. Also dried apples should remain pliable, but should not be sticky.
After dehydrating the apples, allow them to rest for 30 to 60 minutes before packaging to avoid moisture build up inside the closed container. I store my dehydrated apples in sterilized, dry canning jars with tight-fitting lids. I then place the containers in a cool, dry, dark area (my pantry). I check the dried apples often in the pantry to make sure the apples are still dry and that no moisture is seen on the inside of the canning jar. If I do see moisture, I need to use the apples immediately or re-dry them. If I ever see mold I know to discard the food immediately.
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