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I love how each season brings a new perfectly ripe fruit. Winter has citrus, spring has strawberries and rhubarb, summer has berries and peaches and fall has apples. Ok, you can get almost every fruit year-round in the grocery store and because of this, we’re all a little spoiled that we don’t have to live purely by the seasons. I think this also has left many of us forgetting the truly amazing flavor of ripe, in-season fruits and vegetables.
There is nothing like walking up to a tree, picking an apple, and eating it. The tart, sweet, crisp flavor hits your tongue in all the right spots. The heavens open up and you all of a sudden realize what unique flavor an apple has… Whew, was that almost too dramatic for you? Yeah, it was for me too, but I think it’s because I’m overly passionate about what I grow. I like to view the seasons as a gift to reintroduce you to the flavors and dishes you’ve been missing.
Apples store for quite a while in the fridge but there are many ways to preserve them, lock in their flavor and enjoy them throughout the year. The easiest and quickest way is homemade apple chips (or dried apple slices). Growing up, when we had a bumper crop of apples, Mom would fill the dehydrator with thinly sliced apples – sometimes sprinkled with cinnamon – and let them dry. The dehydrated result was a soft, almost chewy apple slice that was used as a snack, in baked goods and granola. Sweet and full of apple flavor, I still crave them.
I don’t have a dehydrator at my home so I instead opt for a crispier version of these dried apples. Personally, I actually prefer the texture that drying the slices in the oven gives.
You don’t need a bumper crop of apples to make these. Just take a day and go to a local orchard or farmer’s market. If you only make one batch of this recipe, you’ll only be sorry you didn’t make more of these when winter comes.
I’ve been a little apple crazy lately, but there are just too many delicious apple recipes not to share them all:
- Homemade applesauce – seriously, one ingredient and a world of flavor!
- What better way to use that homemade applesauce than in an applesauce cake! Oh, and it’s topped with caramel frosting – yum!
- I love my apple and spice cake from last year. It’s a classic!
Watch how to make these homemade apple chips
Once you make these homemade apple chips, let me know in the comments how they turned out for you! And if you add other spices, let me know which ones!
Homemade Apple Chips
Ingredients
- 5 large apples (choose crisp varieties: Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Pink Lady)
For the apple pie spice
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp allspice
- ½ tsp ground ginger
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 225°F.
- Use a corer to remove the apple core from each apple. Thinly slice the apples with a mandolin or sharp knife to ⅛-inch thick. Lay the apple slices on parchment-lined baking sheets evenly, making sure the slices do not overlap.5 large apples (choose crisp varieties: Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Pink Lady)
- For apple pie spiced apples, in a small bowl combine the cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger. Stir to evenly combine. Sprinkle apple slices with the spice mixture.2 tsp ground cinnamon, ½ tsp ground nutmeg, ½ tsp allspice, ½ tsp ground ginger
- Place in preheated oven until dried and slightly soft, 2-3 hours. Remove from oven and cool. As they cool they will become crisp. Place in an airtight continer and enjoy.
Video
Notes
- If it’s humid when making these, they will soften when stored. They can be crisped back up by placing them in a 200°F oven for 10 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment below!
Kaleb
Can you please let us know what kind of apple corer you used in this video? Please post the link… Thank you for all you do!
How long will these keep in an airtight container?