Want a healthy snack you can feel good about eating—and serving to your kids? Make dried apple chips! They are great forbento boxesor as a packable snack—without a dehydrator. It’s one of the oldest methods of food preservation and the results are an excellent way to take advantage thehealth benefits of apples: they are high in fiber and nutrients and they’re naturally sweet—without any added sugar.

Here’s how to dehydrate apples it in a home oven:

Equipment

Ingredients

Directions:

Step 1

Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Preheat to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Step 2

Combine 4 cups water and 1/2 cup lemon juice in a medium bowl.(The lemon juice helps prevent the sliced apples from turning brown.)

Step 3

drying apple slices on a cloth

Peel the apples if you want skinless dried apple slices and core them if you want perfect apple rings. Then, using a sharp knife or a mandoline (if you have one), slice 2 large apples as thin as possible, about 1/8 inch thick. Soak the slices in the lemon water for 30 minutes. Drain and pat the slices as dry as possible with paper towels (or clean kitchen towels). Place on the prepared baking sheets in a single layer.

Step 4

dried apples in the oven

Bake the slices on the upper and lower racks for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and turn each slice over; return the pans to the oven. Bake 1 more hour for soft dried apples or about 2 more hours for crispy apple chips.(Timing depends on your oven, the type of apple and thickness of the slices; check periodically and reduce or increase the total time as needed.)Turn off the oven, crack the door and leave the apples in the oven until the oven cools completely 1 to 2 hours. Store airtight for up to 1 week or refrigerate for up to 1 month.

Makes about 4 dozen apple slices or chips.

Dehydrated apples in a cookie jar

Pictured Recipe:Dried Apples

Time-Saving Tips!

Keep the peels on.Save time and skip the step of peeling the apples first. This will retain the fiber from the peels.

Skip coring the apple.The star-shaped core makes a pretty shape in the center of each dried apple.

Soft dried appleshave a chewy texture are just as delicious as apple chips-and they take less time in the oven. For crispy apple chips, bake the apples about 1 hour more.

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