Easy-Peasy Dehydrated Apples

My mom recently visited Mercier Orchards in GA and brought me back 1/2 a bushel of apples (about 20 lbs). I thought I would get a chance to make apple butter and apple sauce with them, but there never seemed to be enough hours in the day to pull off a canning operation (mostly because it meant I had to go to the store to get some lids and rings).

So, I decided to dehydrate as many of these beautiful Maya apples as I could. It wasn't very labor intensive and the results were delicious.

I started out by reading several different people tell me how to do it in a dehydrator but since I didn't have one on hand, I needed to use my oven. All of the instructions I found said you had to do it at 140-150 degrees. And well, my oven doesn't go that low so... I present to you, Jennifer's Easy-Peasy Oven-dehydrated Apples:

First, wash your apples thoroughly. Then, slice them in half and scoop out the core of the apple. You can be fancy and use a corer too, but, again, I don't have one. So, I used a melon baller, and then eventually just got them out with my knife.

Then, if you are lucky enough to have a Pampered Chef Mandolin, slice your apples using the v-blade. (If you aren't lucky enough, I'll sell you one.) Otherwise, just slice your apples into about 1/4" slices.

Lay them out in a single layer on something. The online instructions all say you need cookie racks to help with the air flow. I don't have any that are oven safe, so I just spread my slices out on a cookie sheet, and the 2 pieces of a broiler pan. It worked just fine.

Put them in an oven heated to 170 degrees (or as close to that as possible) and set the timer for 60 minutes. If you have one, place a fan next to the over and prop the over door open with a dish towel or wooden spoon. This helps the air circulate around the apples and keeps them from getting soggy.

After 60 minutes, flip your apples and set the timer for another 60 minutes. Your apples may or may not be done, depending on the humidity where you live. Some of my batches were done, and some needed another 15-30 minutes. You will know the apples are done when you break one in half and no longer see beads of moisture. You can also bake them longer and enjoy apple chips too.

Be careful when you make these... even though it takes about 2 1/2 hours from start to finish, the apple slices will disappear in a flash!

For variety, you could sprinkle the apples with cinnamon and sugar, or apple pie spices. I, however, am a purist, and let the taste of delicious apples stand alone. Let me know if you decide to make some apples and how they turned out.