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    The Purposeful Pantry » Dehydrating

    Author: Darcy Baldwin • Published: Jul 6, 2019 · Modified: Jul 30, 2022

    Dehydrate Apples and Make Apple Powder

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe Pin Recipe

    Dehydrate apples to make yummy cinnamon apple snacks and make apple powder! It's a great first dehydrating project for kids, and a great way to use up your apples for afterschool snacks or treats!

    Jar of dried apple slices with fresh apples

    Dehydrated apples are a terrific snack. They're sweet, they're nutritious, they are great for adding to baked goods to give an extra boost of flavor. They are a perfect snack for lunch boxes, too!

    But like bananas, their texture when dehydrated is a little different than the freeze-dried variety you may be purchasing in the store already. They are chewier, even when crisp, but I feel that lends itself to a more satisfying bite.

    Tools for Dehydrating Apples

    Thankfully, there aren’t many tools you need to preserve apples.

    • Sharp paring knife
    • apple-peeler-corer is extremely helpful when doing larger quantities.
    • dehydrator or oven
    • a blender or food processor to make applesauce

    How Will You Use Dehydrated Apples?

    • Snacks? Set aside some of the harvest and then wash and cut them into bite-size pieces with your apple-peeler-corer. These can be dried and kept in a large container or split into individual serving sizes for lunch and after-school snacks.
    • Baking? Apples that will be rehydrated for pie and cobbler should have a bit more “meat” on them than snacking apples. You might consider cutting these into small wedges so they will retain the appearance of fresh apples in the finished product.
    • Applesauce later? If applesauce is your goal, the apples should be cleaned, chopped into small pieces, and then cooked down to a sauce. You can then dehydrate them on fruit leather trays until they are crisp and ready for storage.

    How to Dehydrate Apples

    1. Wash apples. Yes, even if you are going to peel them, wash them first. They are one of the dirty dozen produce that harbors a lot of pesticides, plus the wax coating. Just wash).
    2. Peel apples if desired.
    3. Core apples.
    4. Cut into rings, slices, or chunks. Rings and slices should be ¼" (6mm) for best results.
    5. Pretreat the apples with a lemon water solution to stop oxidation (the thing that makes apples turn brown). You can soak in 1:1 lemon juice and water or use another of these pretreatment methods if they suit you better).
    6. Dehydrate at 135°F/57°CF for 6-12 hours.
    7. Pick a couple of pieces to test and allow to cool.
    8. Condition
    9. Store in an airtight container.

    If you are storing for long term, vacuum seal your container.

    Why Do Apples Turn Brown?

    Browning is a version of oxidizing - the same way that pears, bananas, potatoes, and eggplant can turn dark after cutting. When an apple is injured (or cut into pieces), the plant tissue is exposed to oxygen. This triggers an enzyme known as polyphenol oxidase (PPO) to oxidize polyphenols in the apple’s flesh -- thus turning it brown.

    While some apple varieties tend to oxidize faster than others (I'm looking at you, Red Delicious), there are a lot of other factors at play - ripeness, temperature, etc.

    So the conclusion is - use a pretreatment method you love best, or sprinkle it with some cinnamon - that hides it all!

    How to Make Apple Cinnamon Chips

    1. Follow the above directions to the slicing stage.
    2. Dust apples with a little cinnamon dust or cinnamon sugar. I prefer to use a 2:1 cinnamon sugar ratio on apples. TIP: You do not need to pretreat if you are using the cinnamon/sugar as it masks browning.
    3. Mix thoroughly if you do it in a bowl.
    4. Dehydrate as usual.

    Oven Directions

    1. Prepare your apples according to the above directions
    2. Place apples on a parchment paper-covered cooling rack. You can then put it on a cookie sheet if you desire, but the cooling rack can go straight into the oven. This allows more airflow and fewer chances of burning
    3. Dry apples at the lowest possible temperature in your oven for one hour
    4. Flip apples and dry for another hour.
    5. Cool to test - apples are done when they are crispy
    6. Condition
    7. Store in an airtight container.

    How to Make Apple Powder

    1. Place dehydrated apple pieces into your favorite blender.
    2. Pulse until a powder is formed.
    3. Condition the powder by placing it in a low-temperature, warmed (but turned off) oven for 15 minutes.
    4. Store in an airtight container with a desiccant pack.

    NOTE: because of the sugar content, apple powder may clump. Just use a spoon to break up the clumps. It's not the same as moisture clumping, but can be confusing. There are a few other ways to help reduce clumping in apple powders that you might try.

    If you'd like to see the full process of dehydrating apples and making apple powder, I've created this video for you!

    How to Use Apple Powder

    There are just some suggested uses for apple powder, but feel free to experiment on your own!

    • Dusting on ice cream
    • Sprinkle on apple-flavored muffins and cakes
    • Sweeten up plain yogurt (freeze them for yogurt pops!)
    • Flavor oatmeal without the texture of dried apple pieces
    • Use to rim an Apple Martini

    TIP: I recommend making apple powder in small portions only. As mentioned above, it cakes fairly easily because of the sugar content, so it's best to do it in small doses and store just a bit as opposed to powdering your whole supply.

    READ: Even More Ideas on How to Use Dehydrated Fruit Powders

    What are your tips?

    Have you ever tried making apple powder? What do you use it for?

    Want to learn even more about dehydrating?

    Dehydrating Basics & Journal for Beginners and Beyond book ad
    Jar of dried apple slices with fresh apples

    Dehydrate Apples

    Dehydrate apples for chips, slices, shreds, etc. for long-term storage or snacking
    Print PIN THIS! Rate
    Course: Preserved Food, Snack
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Vegetarian
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Drying Time: 10 hours
    Total Time: 10 hours 15 minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 13kcal
    Author: Darcy Baldwin

    Equipment

    • Dehydrator
    • Knife
    • Apple corer/peeler

    Ingredients

    • Apples

    Instructions

    • Wash apples
    • Peel and core apples (if desired)
    • Cut into slices, dices, or shreds
    • Dip into lemon water pretreatment to prevent browning
    • Sprinkle cinnamon if desired
    • Place on dehydrator trays
    • Dry at 135F/57C until crispy when cooled
    • Condition
    • Store
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    Video

    Darcy's Tips

    Notes:
    If you don't care about the apple turning, there is no need to use any anti-oxidizing agents. 
    Or simply use a little cinnamon to cover it all!
     

    Nutrition

    Calories: 13kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 0.1g | Fat: 0.02g | Saturated Fat: 0.003g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 5mg | Potassium: 24mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 1mg | Iron: 0.1mg

    Nutritional information is an estimation only. Nutrient information for dehydrated foods is based on fresh. Use ¼ of the servicing size for the same nutrient information. Thus 1 Cup of fresh fruit has the same sugars as ¼ dried.

    Tried this recipe?Mention @thepurposefulpantry or tag #thepurposefulpantry!

    ©ThePurposefulPantry. Photographs and content are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe's link is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. J says

      November 19, 2022 at 1:54 pm

      Can applesauce be dehydrated, and then reconstituted?

      Reply
      • Darcy Baldwin says

        November 20, 2022 at 4:00 pm

        It won't have the same body, but yes, you can.

        Reply
    2. Anna Castle says

      November 08, 2022 at 4:39 pm

      Can I powder the peelings?

      Reply
      • Darcy Baldwin says

        November 10, 2022 at 11:25 am

        Yes

        Reply
    3. Terry Mayhew says

      October 26, 2022 at 8:15 am

      I’m a beginner. I have a mandolin to slice my apples. What is the best thickness for dehydrating for snacking?

      Reply
      • Darcy Baldwin says

        October 28, 2022 at 11:48 am

        As with all dehydrating projects 1/4" slices are recommended.

        Reply
    4. Belinda Roshetko says

      September 03, 2020 at 11:59 pm

      Do you know the nutritional values of apple powder?

      Reply
      • Darcy says

        September 04, 2020 at 7:11 am

        It's the same as for an apple - but in a more concentrated serving size. You have lost a little Vitamin A & C because of heat - they are susceptible to heat. Otherwise, the carb/sugar count is the same, just in a more concentrated serving size.

        Reply
    5. Loa says

      August 27, 2020 at 3:37 am

      I wish to purchase a small grinder for making powders. What kind do you suggest?

      Reply
      • Darcy says

        August 27, 2020 at 1:29 pm

        I prefer a bullet blender - but I have a couple of options listed here: https://www.thepurposefulpantry.com/dehydrating-tools-you-really-need/

        Reply
    6. Brent Eamer says

      January 18, 2020 at 10:57 am

      This is timely. I have a grafted apple tree and produces about about 100 pounds. I'm in Prince Edward Island Canada. There is only so much freezer space for Crisp. I've been dehydrating apples with my Excalibur for years now but thought ab out powder. I vacuum seal some slices for oatmeal, but the power is a fantastic idea. And with a Vitamix, it's a snap

      Reply
    7. Jade Steely says

      December 10, 2019 at 2:10 pm

      I'm looking to make apple powder for baking this Friday. I only have a large food processor made by Ninja. Will that work to make the powder?

      Reply
      • Darcy says

        December 10, 2019 at 2:31 pm

        Jade, food processors don't work as well because the bowl is large and you may not be working with a lot of powder. But if it is what you have, use it!

        Reply
        • Linda says

          August 14, 2022 at 12:34 pm

          How do you make apple powder? Is it used as more of a spice? More details would be appreciated! Thank you!

          Reply
          • Darcy Baldwin says

            August 16, 2022 at 9:28 am

            The instructions are there in the post.

            Reply

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    Darcy Baldwin of The Purposeful Pantry.

    Howdy! I'm Darcy! I've spent twenty years learning how to stretch our budget and stock our family's pantry by dehydrating food. You can do it, too!

    Learn how I can help you →

    You can get my new book, Dehydrating Basics & Journal to help you get started on your dehydrating journey!

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