Drying apples in a gas oven for the winter: rules, tips, recipes. How to dry apples in an electric and gas convection oven

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Diets and healthy eating 12.10.2017

Summer this year did not please us with warmth, and autumn also brought many surprises in the form of flooding rains and crushing hurricanes. Accordingly, the harvests left much to be desired. But apples have pleased many with their abundance, and now our task is to preserve them for the winter. Jam and jam are cooked, compotes and juices are rolled up, many craftsmen have supplied wine, but there are still a lot of apples.

I propose to dry the apples, this is a great way to preserve the nutrients that apples are very rich in, and in winter, when there are so few local fruits, they will be very useful. And today, dear readers, we will consider how to dry apples at home, we will figure out how to do it correctly in order to preserve their maximum benefit.

Why apples are useful

First of all, let's figure out what benefits apples bring us, what is their value. Despite the fact that almost 80% of fresh apples are water, their benefits for our body are enormous. They contain complex polyphenolic compounds that protect the body from premature aging, from the development of oncological processes, from disturbances in the functioning of the nervous and endocrine systems.

Organic acids, glucose, fructose, sucrose, tannins, essential oils, and pectins were found in apple fruits. Apples are rich in vitamins: ascorbic acid, carotene, vitamins A, E, H, rutin, niacin, vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, B8, B9.

Apples are rich in essential for maintaining health macronutrients potassium, sodium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium. Apples also contain 28 trace elements, including iron, copper, zinc, iodine, molybdenum, manganese, and others.

Apples are the most important tonic product, they

• Improves digestion;
• Strengthen intestinal motility;
• Cleanse the body of toxins;
• Regulate blood cholesterol levels;
• They have diuretic and choleretic properties;
• Relieve inflammation;
• They have disinfectant properties.

Apples are recommended in dietary nutrition for anemia and vitamin deficiency, constipation, edema, jaundice, hypertension and atherosclerosis, and obesity. When baked, apples are useful for inflammatory diseases of the stomach and intestines, kidneys, and liver.

Read more about the benefits of apples in the article On the medicinal properties of apples, you can read the article

How to dry apples yourself for the winter

There are several ways to dry apples for the winter, and I will try to disassemble them all. I remember how in childhood in the village of my grandmother we cut apples into slices, strung them on strings, and such apple beads were hung on the shady side of the house under the roof, covering them with gauze from insects. Such drying in a natural way is the most correct, it allows you to preserve the maximum amount of vitamins. But this method is not available to city dwellers, and the time is already autumn, it is cold for drying in the fresh air, so we will dry apples in our own apartment.

Preparation for drying

Before drying, the fruits must be prepared. Summer and autumn varieties with a sweet and sour taste are well suited for drying. Fruits with a thin skin dry faster. We wash, dry and remove the core. To remove the core, you can use a special device or do it with a knife, after cutting the apple into 4 parts.

You should not cook a lot of apples in advance for drying, their pulp is oxidized in the air and darkens. It is best to prepare one serving that you can dry.

You need to cut it as thin as possible, then the drying time will not be long. To do this, it is best to take a special grater, which is called a slicer, the apples are cut into thinnest slices and dried very quickly. It is better not to remove the peel if the apple trees grow in an ecologically clean place, there are a lot of useful substances in the peel and it is worth saving them.

How to air dry apples at home

It is quite possible to dry apples in a house or apartment without an oven and dryer, you just need to cut them thinly and spread them in one layer on a clean cloth or paper. Drying occurs naturally without exposure to high temperatures, which means that all the beneficial properties in dry slices are preserved.

Watch the video how you can quickly cut fruit into thin slices with the help of tools and quickly air dry them.

How to properly dry apples in the oven

The simplest thing is to dry apples for the winter in an oven available in every home. It does not make a significant difference where to dry apples, in the oven of an electric or gas stove, it is important at what temperature to dry apples. The recommended temperature is 50 - 60 degrees.

Well, if the model of the oven allows you to set the exact temperature, then you can not be afraid to dry the fruit. Most of our ovens do not have such low temperatures, and high temperatures are difficult to set accurately, but there is still a way out. We set the temperature to the lowest and slightly open the oven door. It is advisable to heat the oven in this state and place a thermometer in it. We regulate the temperature by opening or closing the door. When I didn't have an electric dryer, that's how I dried apples.

The drying process itself is very simple, the main thing is not to overdry the slices. Best of all, if the slices are thin, the drying process will proceed faster in this case.

The fruits are chopped, now cover the baking sheet with parchment or baking paper, lay out the slices in one layer and send to the oven. It is advisable to mix them several times during drying so that they dry evenly from all sides. After 2 - 3 hours, it is advisable to turn off the oven and leave the baking sheet with apples outside until it cools completely. Only when the slices have cooled down can you correctly assess whether the apples are properly dried. Several of these approaches and delicious, flavorful and healthy apple wedges will be ready.

Drying apples in an electric oven is even easier than in a gas stove oven. Modern electric cookers are equipped with precise temperature controllers and fans, they have the ability to turn on an even supply of heat throughout the chamber, which makes the process extremely easy. You just need to periodically open the oven so that excess moisture does not accumulate in it.

By watching the video, you will find out how easy it is to carry out such drying.

How to properly dry apples in an electric dryer

An electric dryer is an unusually useful thing in the house, with its help you can dry not only fruits, but also mushrooms, berries, and medicinal herbs. The dryer is arranged very simply, it has several lattice trays, which are installed on top of each other, and apples cut into slices are laid out on them.

There are different models with different prices, we choose for ourselves what suits us best. In the dryer, the drying process is simple, the temperature is set with a special regulator, laid out the slices, turned it on and that's it. It remains only to follow and not forget about safety precautions, because this is an electrical device.

How much to dry apples in a dryer? Get ready that it will take a lot of time, from 4 to 15 hours, it all depends on the density of the fruit and on the thickness of the sliced ​​slices. I stretch the drying process into several stages, after 2 - 3 hours I turn off the dryer, let the apples cool down, taste them, and if they do not seem dry enough to me, I turn on the device again.

At what temperature to dry apples in an electric dryer

The temperature for drying apples is the same, and wherever you dry them, it should not exceed 60 degrees Celsius.

Drying apples in the microwave

You can dry apples in the microwave, although I personally have not used this method. But there is such a way, and I decided to tell you about it. My friend often dries in this way. To dry in the microwave, the fruit must be cut into thin slices, placed on a plate in one layer, placed in the oven and turned on at full power. Apples dry very quickly under the influence of ultra-high frequency waves, so we set the time for 3 - 5 minutes and see in what condition our slices are.

If there is a lot of moisture on them, once again put the plate in the oven for a few minutes. Do not be discouraged if, for the first time, instead of elastic dry slices, you get coals, experience is needed here, everything will depend on the variety of apples and the thickness of the sliced ​​slices. My advice: set the minimum time, then adjust.

I suggest watching a short video will give you an idea of ​​how to dry apples in the microwave

Other ways to dry apples at home

Apples dry perfectly on a central heating battery, I also dried them this way when I did not have an electric dryer. Prepare the apples in the usual way, put small portions in clean cotton bags. Roll up the bags and lay them out on the batteries, periodically turning them over. A few days is enough for the slices to lose moisture. After that, you must definitely air dry them, spreading them out on the table, so that they are ready for storage for the winter.

Many people dry apples by hanging a special grate over the burners of a gas stove. I do not advise you to use this method, as the products of gas combustion are extremely harmful to humans.

How to determine the doneness of dried apples

Properly dried slices should not crumble or break, they should be elastic, retain the apple flavor, but they should not contain moisture. This is usually learned through experience, over time there is no longer any doubt. Pay attention to the skin, it should darken.

During the ripening season of apples in orchards and vegetable gardens, many cannot cope with the huge volume of harvesting. In addition to juices, compotes, preserves and marmalades, which are cooked from apples, there is another very good way to process and prepare apples for the winter - this is drying apples. The method has long been known to everyone. Apples have always been dried. But the drying process itself was not so technologically advanced before, it was carried out simply in the open air in a shaded place. This method had its drawbacks: in the open air, the apples dried for a long time, darkened and did not look very beautiful.

Today we have modern household appliances that allow you to dry apples quickly. I mean both special dryers, air ovens, and electric ovens with a fan, which have a "convection" mode. From a physical point of view, convection is the movement of air. In convection mode, you can easily and quickly dry apples and cook compote from them all winter. Or you can just chew when you are hungry, taking a small bag of sweet and sour dried fruits with you to work, study or for a walk. When there is no way to fully eat, it is better to satisfy your hunger with dried apples than crackers, chips or sweets. Oven-dried apples are perfectly stored throughout the winter, preserving useful trace elements and vitamins in their pulp.

Recipe Information

Cooking method: drying in the oven.

Total cooking time: 16 h

Ingredients:

• apples are juicy, hard - 10 liter bucket

Recipe

Note to the hostess:

• Dried apples have a positive effect on the cardiovascular, digestive, endocrine and lymphatic systems. They are useful for strengthening hair, nails, eyesight; improve the appearance of the skin, strengthen immunity, saturating the body with vitamins and microelements.

For residents of city apartments, the question may arise where it is most convenient to dry fruit - or an electric oven. Each has its own characteristics, pros and cons, but, of course, it is best to give preference to the most optimal one.

basic information

Can apples be dried in an electric oven? Experience has shown that it is possible to achieve a good result in both cases - when drying in a gas and electric oven. Of course, the quality and cooking time will depend on the power of the furnace, its state and how well she had time to warm up.

Experts advise using an electric oven, not only because it more reliable, but it is also much easier to ensure that the air is not "heavy" from long work in the case of a gas oven.

In addition, an electric oven is a priori safer and more reliable in maintaining stable fire.

In the event that you are lucky and the house has just a stove powered by electricity, consider a few simple rules to properly cook mouthwatering dried fruits.

An electric oven is good because it allows preserve the bulk of nutrients... For this reason, you can do without full cleaning and not cut the core of the fruit, leaving it with the seeds. This will not affect the taste in any way, but will only serve as a benefit in preparing a good basis for the future compote.

rules

What is drying apples in an electric oven? The first thing to remember is maintaining the correct temperature... It is advised to gradually increase it so that the apples are not fried and burned. When the required temperature is reached (approximately 60-80 ° C), the stove should be slightly opened.

Thanks to this "airing" excess moisture, which evaporates from the pulp, will freely come out.

Apples need to be looked after periodically. Once every few hours, you may need to turn the slices, stirring slightly so that they not adhered to the surface of the sheet, and reached an even color.

Step-by-step instruction

How to dry apples in an electric oven? We have already discussed the key principles, and we will not focus much on this process. After the sliced ​​apple slices or rings are ready, they need to be laid out on the lattice covered with baking paper ( parchment paper).

Trays they are not suitable for this purpose - dried fruits will be unevenly dried, and drying will take much longer than planned.

Leave the apple skin before drying or not is a matter of personal preference and the purpose for which you dry the fruit.

For cooking for charlotte, jelly and other sweet dishes, they are most suitable completely cleaned apples so that the skin does not scratch and spoil the taste.

Cooking time

How many hours to dry apples? Cooking times will vary depending on how new and strong your oven is. Drying takes 5 hours on average with proper supervision. However, the process may take up to 8-10 hours maximum if the apple variety is too tough and sour in taste.

Exposure temperature

At what temperature do we dry? The most profitable solution is considered to be a gradual increase in temperature, followed by a decrease closer to readiness. First, preheat the oven at 45-50 ° С... At this stage of drying, the fruit withers slightly. Then you can increase the fire to 70-95 ° С and hold for several hours until most of the moisture has evaporated from all the fruits.

At the final stage of drying, the temperature should be lowered again to protect the product from combustion.

The apples will reach the desired state and will be sterilized, which will be clear by a yellowish or brownish tint.

Modes

In what mode should apples be dried in an electric oven? Modes should be alternated: from low to medium, and vice versa. Otherwise, you will not spoil future dried fruits at all by drying them for 6-7 hours on medium mode with the convection function (with a fan).

How to determine the readiness of dried fruits?

Take several slices from different parts of the wire rack, making sure all the slices are the same color and size.

It is important that among dried fruits there is uniform color.

If you are pre processed apples in solution or blanched, the dried fruit will be light brown and slightly "rusty". Otherwise, a delicate light beige color is ideal.

Try bending one of the pieces. Properly cooked dried apples feel enough flexible and not crumble... Don't worry if the bites are dry and brittle, as they can still be used to make jellies, fruit salads, and more.

Recipes

For a dessert option, where the apples turn out sweet and elastic, stock up on a small supply of sweet syrup - homemade or store-bought (cranberry or any other). Pour fruit slices into deep containers with them, leave soak for a day or a day, and only then transfer to drying in the oven, as usual.

Dried apples are an irreplaceable nutritious and healthy product in the winter season. Some housewives buy ready-made dried fruits, but many prefer their own preparations and dry fruits at home to provide themselves and their families with vitamin drinks and dried compotes on cold days. Therefore, it is very important to know how to dry apples in the oven, outdoors and using household electrical appliances.

Selection of varieties and preparation for drying

Before you dry apples at home, you need to choose the right variety suitable for drying. Sour and sweet and sour fruits are better suited for blanks. They use different varieties, but more often they choose Aport, Antonovka, Pobeditel, Slavyanka.

Sweet and juicy varieties can be used too, but during the drying process, they lose their taste. The finished delicacy will not be as tasty as from sweet and sour fruits. And when turned over for better drying, the slices may crack or fall into pieces.

Apples, prepared for drying, need to be washed well, cut out (if the damage is minor) wormy and rotten places, remove the tails and core with seeds. The middle can be removed using a special tool or a sharp knife.

It is advisable to dry the washed apples by spreading them out on paper towels or on a clean cloth to shorten the drying time. Then cut into slices or rings. The slices should be approximately the same, their thickness should not exceed 5-7 mm. To prevent the apples from darkening, you can sprinkle them with lemon juice or water acidified with citric acid.

Drying is started immediately after cutting. You can prepare dried fruits using household gas and electrical appliances, as well as using drying in the open air. There are several ways to dry apples:

• in the oven of the gas stove;
• in an electric oven;
• in an electric dryer;
• in a microwave oven;
• in the sun.

Drying in a gas stove oven

The pre-prepared slices are spread in one layer on baking trays or wire racks lined with baking parchment. It is important to know at what temperature to dry apples in the oven so that they dry evenly and do not lose their nutritional properties. First, the oven is heated to a temperature of 50-60 degrees. Then, trays with fruit are placed in an already preheated cabinet. The oven door is left ajar.

After 1.5-2 hours after the start of drying, the apples are turned over, the temperature is raised to 70-80 degrees. At this temperature, most of the moisture contained in the product evaporates. In the process, the pieces must be carefully turned over (mixed) several times, the baking sheets can be interchanged.

At the end of drying, the temperature is reduced to 50-60 degrees and the slices are dried until cooked for another 2-3 hours. The total drying time for apples in the oven of a gas stove is 6-8 hours. You can check the readiness by taking a few dried fruits with your hand, while:

How to dry apples in an electric oven

Drying apples in an electric oven is similar to drying in a gas oven. The cabinet is heated to the initial temperature (50-60 degrees), grates with unfolded workpieces are installed, after 1.5-2 hours the temperature is increased to 70-80 degrees. Before the end of drying (1.5-2 hours before the end), set again 50-60 degrees and bring the fruit to readiness.

The advantage of electric ovens is that many of them are equipped with a convection function. This is a special heating method using a built-in fan to distribute hot air throughout the cabinet. With this mode, apples dry evenly, they are turned over less often, the grates do not need to be interchanged. Drying in an electric convection oven takes less time, dried fruit will be ready in 3-6 hours.

Dried fruits from an electric dryer

The prepared slices are laid out on pallets in one layer. After installing the pallets in the electric dryer, set the temperature, it should be 70-75 degrees. At this temperature, the process will take longer, but more nutrients will remain in the finished dried fruits.

Many dryers have a choice of mode (fruits, vegetables, berries). Select the fruit setting and dry until tender. The trays can be rearranged during the drying process, changing the upper and lower places for uniform drying. Readiness is checked periodically.

Drying in an electric dryer takes 6 to 8 hours. Finished fruits have a pleasant apple aroma, have a slightly darkened appearance, no moisture is released from them, they are elastic and flexible.

Fast drying in the microwave

The main thing is to choose the right mode and power, then the microwave drying process will take no more than 5 minutes. The disadvantage of this method is that a small amount of fruit can be dried this way.

When drying in the microwave, the slices are evenly laid out on a dish, the microwave mode is set, the power is 250 W. The fruits are dried for 30-40 seconds. After that, the apples are turned over, the power is increased to 300 W and dried until tender for another 3-4 minutes.

Sun-dried apples

Sliced ​​apples are laid out in one layer on trays or on a grid. Cover with gauze on top so that there is no access for insects. During the day, the trays are exposed to the sun, and at night they are removed in a closed, ventilated room. During the drying process, the fruit slices are periodically turned over.

You can dry apples by stringing slices or circles on a long strong thread and hanging in the sun in gauze covers. After 6-7 days, the dried fruit will be ready. This method of harvesting dried fruits is possible in the summer using summer varieties of apples and is available only in a dry hot climate.

Where and how to store dried fruits

Dried apples are harvested and stored in paper bags, cartons that can be made from cardboard, and natural fabric bags (linen, cotton). You can also use dry glass and wooden containers for storage, periodically opening them and checking the safety of dried fruits.

To protect drying from pests (moths, bugs), you can put sprigs of mint, lavender nearby, the smell of which will scare away insects. Properly dried fruit can be stored and used for up to 1 year, provided the following conditions are met:

• dry dark place;
• coolness and ventilation (optimum temperature up to 10 degrees);
• lack of moisture;
• no mold.

Apples, when properly dried, lose liquid, but retain useful vitamins and minerals, and have an excellent fruit taste. Having spent a little time and effort on the preparation of dried fruits in summer and autumn, during the winter you can please yourself and your loved ones with a delicious delicacy, vitamin drinks, compotes and apple-based jelly. And also use the dryer as a filling for sweet pies prepared according to home recipes.

Dried fruits have been accompanying people for centuries. It is assumed that it was one of the first products of our distant ancestors. Apricots and apples that fell from the tree, peeled and not picked in time, dried up in the sun, weathered, lost excess moisture and turned into a real delicacy. It is noteworthy that such a delicacy could be stored for a long time. Hundreds, maybe even thousands of years have passed. The harvesting technology has hardly changed. Today, many people love dried fruits and dishes made from them. And even novice housewives know how to dry apples in the oven.

The benefits of dried fruits

It's no secret that dried fruits are health products. They contain many vitamins, especially group B. In addition, they have mineral elements: calcium, sodium, phosphorus, iron, potassium, magnesium. Apple "drying" contains vitamins A, B and C, essential oils, pectin, organic compounds. The glycemic index of this delicacy is low, so even those who adhere to strict diets can use it.

The benefits of dried apples are also confirmed by doctors. They advise to eat this food for those who have problems with sugar levels, suffer from gout, rheumatism, atherosclerosis.

And cosmetologists appreciate this product for its beneficial effects on skin, hair, nails.

Choosing raw materials

Almost any apple variety is suitable for drying. Before drying apples for the winter, they must be sorted according to their size. The large ones will have to be cut, and the medium ones can be dried in halves. The forest wild apples of a very small size are very tasty. They can be prepared entirely.

Making dried fruits in the oven

Today, you can easily find dried fruits of all kinds in the supermarket. On the shelves are dried pineapple and melon slices, colorful berries, "drying" of tangerines, plums, watermelon, papaya and passion fruit. There are also apples on sale. The same assortment can be found in the markets. Among the imported delicacies, you can easily find the most common fruits dried by local grandmothers.

It is always easier to buy, however, in order to be sure of the quality of the product, you will have to do it yourself. Moreover, there is nothing difficult in drying apples at home. This will require an oven and the apples themselves. And patience.

Apples need to be washed, dried and chopped. You can do this in the usual way, or you can use a special recess for the middle. Then you get beautiful rings. If, before drying in the oven, the apples are soaked in cold salted water, then their color will remain light. Place the slices on a wire rack or baking sheet and place in the oven. At what temperature to dry apples? Of course, with a minimum! And the oven door should be kept open. This is done so that the fruits are not fried, but dried. If the chunks are on a baking sheet, stir them. This should be done at least once every 30 minutes. They will be ready in 8 hours.

How to dry apples on the wire rack in the oven? Similar. Only the pieces should be larger so that they don't fall through. And you don't need to stir and shift anything. Such apples will dry completely in 5-6 hours.

Alternative procurement methods

In addition to drying in the oven, there are other methods of harvesting apples. Previously, they were simply dried in the sun, laid out on pallets. This method is, first of all, good for its economy - it does not require practically any costs. In order to dry apples in the sun, you will need several baking sheets. You can lay out the slices only in one layer so that the fruit does not deteriorate. The process will be long. For the fruit to completely lose moisture, you will have to wait at least a week. But no intervention is needed. You can simply cover the sliced ​​fruit with gauze to prevent insects from settling on them.

The second method, on the contrary, is the most modern. Electric dryers were on the market a few years ago. In such dryers, dried fruits are cooked for several hours. Washed and chopped apples just need to be stacked on trays and turned on.

Apple slices can be strung on a string and hung in a draft. Preparing "drying" in this way will be interesting and easy even for children.

Apple "drying" recipes

The most common recipe with dried apples is compote. Its taste has been known to everyone since kindergarten. The main rule of dried fruit compote is that it cannot be boiled for too long. Otherwise, the apple flavor may evaporate. No less popular are baking recipes, which contain such a healthy and tasty ingredient. Anyone who knows how to dry apples in the oven probably bakes pies with them in winter. In order to add to the dough, the dried fruit must be prepared. To do this, they are poured with boiling water and allowed to stand. Then you can cut the slices into small pieces and add to the dough.

But with all the abundance of recipes, the use of "drying" in its pure form does not lose its popularity. This is a great alternative to overseas chips and sweets.