Oven-Dried Apple Chips
The Recipe Redux – September, 2014: Get Your Dehydrator On

Ever gone apple picking, then afterwards wondered what to do with that delicious basket full of goodies

collected? Consider dehydrating some of your fruity sweets into crispy treats. If dehydrated properly, your dried apple chips could keep well into the next season.

I am a big fan of food dehydrators, and personally own two of my own. Unfortunately, with my recent move into the Big Apple came a drastic reduction in living space. This forced my dehydrators to their current sad fate of spending their days in a storage unit instead of in my kitchen. For developing this recipe I worked with what I had, and used the oven set at a low temperature. If you are less limited in kitchen space as I, then you could make these apple slices in a regular dehydrator as well. Do make sure to extend dehydrating time if using a lower temperature.

This recipe calls for Autumn Pie Spice Blend, and I have included the recipe for it. You could also substitute with a premixed Apple or Pumpkin Pie spice blend. When you prepare the Autumn Pie spice blend, the recipe will make more than what is needed for this Oven-Dried Apple Slices recipe. Make sure to save the leftover spice for use in other fall fruit dishes, including baked apples, apple or pumpkin pie, or fruit crumbles.

While I only used Granny Smith Apples, you can use most any type of apple for this chip recipe. By instead using an assortment, you will get to enjoy a greater variety of flavor when it becomes time to indulge in your dried creations.

PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

Using a Mandolin slicer, slice apples to 1/8 of an inch thickness. As apples are sliced, add to large bowl and brush with lemon juice to keep them from browning. Carefully remove seed pieces from apple slices. Add spice to bowl and toss well to lightly coat apples.

Lay apple slices on sheet trays covered with parchment. Bake apples for two hours, or until slices are crispy. Make sure to flip slices over half-way through baking.

Store dried apples slices in an air-tight container.

Makes about 50 – 60 slices.

*To make the Autumn Pie spice blend: mix 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon with 1/4 teaspoon each of ground ginger, nutmeg and allspice.