Making and using dried apples can be very fun and rewarding, both for kids and for adults. Apples are easy to dry, and dried apples make great snacks and ingredients as well. The main advantage of using dried apples instead of fresh is convenience. They don’t have to be peeled or chopped, and are ready to eat directly from their storage jar. Here are some uses for dried apple rings.
Whether apple slices have been dried in a dehydrator, in a car, on a porch under cloths, or in the oven, they are delicious and fun to eat. Dried apples make good snacks on their own, but they also offer other snacking opportunities. They can be chopped and mixed into granola or sprinkled in yogurt. They’re great as dippers for caramel, peanut butter or cheesy dips. Dried apples can be spread with peanut butter and sprinkled with raisins, or a bit of brown sugar. They can also be used to make stewed apple sauce. The apples should be place in a sauce pan, covered with an equal amount of water, and brought to a boil. After simmering for five minutes, the apples should sit, covered, for about a half an hour, then smashed and mashed into applesauce. Honey or cinnamon added to this is also delicious.
Dried apples can be an easy and effective way of adding fruit to breakfasts as well. Incorporating chopped dried apples into pancakes and muffins can be done as simply as gently stirring them into the batter, but they make a regular recipe really special. Chopped dried apples are great oatmeal and cereal add-ins as well, and make a welcome change from raisins or banana. A quick breakfast of dried apples and almonds mixed into yogurt is healthy and complete, and dried apples on peanut butter whole wheat toast is a good complete breakfast as well.
Baking pie with dried apples is simple, as is using them in quick breads, crisps and cobblers. In general, when baking with dried apples, they are re-hydrated in apple juice or water, and simmered gently for a couple of minutes, then used in the recipe just as fresh apples would be. I find dried apple pie to be even better than fresh, since the apples bake softer, but still have their shape and texture, and the pie is sweeter, with less added sugar needed.
Apple rings don’t only have to be in desserts and snacks though, they’re also very good in different dinner applications. A stuffing made with dried apples, sausage, broth, and bread cubes would make the perfect fall dinner from pork chops or a pork loin. Dried apples can be re-hydrated and mixed with sautéed onions for a quick side dish of Fried Apples n Onions.
In the autumn when apples are inexpensive and abundant, it’s definitely worth drying apple slices in large quantities to have them available all year round for snacking, using in baked goods, and eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
