How to Make Apple Chips: 5 Recipes

Candy and other confectionery products children love, sometimes just rampantly, but normal nutrition they will not replace. Particular benefits from them, too, among the ingredients are often found flavorings, dyes, stabilizers and similar substances. It is much healthier for children, and for sweet-tooths of any age, to eat treats made from natural products. Many people love the usual dried fruit, not realizing that you can also prepare more refined and rich in flavor types, such as apple chips.

The unique taste of apples

The saying that "new is well forgotten old" perfectly characterizes culinary finds and discoveries. Often an author's recipe simply repeats a long-known version, differing from it in minor details. McDonald's, the fast-food chain, knows how to present traditional dishes beautifully, giving them a beautiful wrapper and making a great advertisement, as in the case of apple slices. In fact, a simple product, which, by the way, is difficult to spoil, but easy to make even for a novice, has become a fashionable line on the menu.

Nevertheless, the recipe is several thousand years old, the benefits of dried apples in thin slices were known long ago and used the product not only as a dessert, but also as a preventive measure against avitaminosis, low immunity, with a lack of micro and macronutrients in the body. Their usefulness is much higher than that of any toffee or chocolate candy.

How and which apples to choose

Apple tree is considered one of the first trees that man cultivated and began to grow on an industrial scale. In doing so, a huge number of varieties and species have been bred. Some of them are zoned even for very dry areas and the expanses of Siberia and the Far East, with their severe frosts.

Taste qualities of fruits also vary greatly. According to the timing of fruiting, varieties are distinguished into summer, autumn and winter varieties. You can choose raw materials for making chips from any category, the main thing is that they are not too dry and loose. They will not make a quality product. The ideal choice is a harvest from your own dacha or homestead. Then you do not have to think about the varieties and terms of ripening, it's enough to walk up to the tree, pick and bite the fruit to determine whether it is suitable for drying. It is worth bearing in mind that the level of sweetness during heat treatment does not change much, so if the apple is initially sour, then the chips will be the same, if you do not add sugar, honey and other sweeteners, and prepare the product in its natural form.

If there is no possibility of using your own, grown with your own hands, then domestic apples are preferred. No exported products are comparable to them in terms of health and taste. It has been noted that various caterpillar worms do not live in imported fruits. They subtly sense the presence of chemicals and, unlike humans, do not intend to spoil their bodies.

As soon as the apple season begins, you can already look closely at the fruit and gradually create a vitamin reserve for the winter.

Summer varieties

The earliest varieties, such as White Bulk, should not be used. They quickly cross the line of juiciness, and if you miss the deadline a little, the flesh becomes loose. For making dried fruit will do:

• Summer Stripe;
• Melba;
• Honeydew;
• Candied.

Especially since they lie poorly, if the crop is large, you have to process it quickly, and apple chips require a large initial volume, in which half a bucket of fresh fruit turns out only a handful of delicacies.

Autumn varieties.

The most numerous group, where you can choose sweet, sour-sweet varieties, pick the optimal juiciness and density of flesh of the fruit. But also consider that they must be recently harvested, because their storability is better than summer apples, but also not great. And spoiled, wrinkled or soft apples are not suitable for potato chips. Top of the list:

• Stripe;
• Streaky;
• Autumn Joy;
• Glory Winners;
• Mekintosh;
• Cinnamon Stripe;
• Rossoshanskoe.

These varieties have dense flesh, consistent flavor, very juicy and well tolerated transportation. For the preparation of chips in the natural version or with the addition of spices are excellent.

Winter varieties

In principle, it is possible to use, but not desirable. The peculiarity of most of them is the necessary period of ripening after removal from the branches. Harvested crops are placed in the basement, cellar or in any cool dark place for 30-50 days. The measure is forced, this is a kind of payment for the fact that the apples of these varieties in fresh form can then be enjoyed almost until mid-spring. At first, they are very hard, almost flavorless and dry. If one does try to dry them in thin slices, one should choose:

• Northern snapper;
• Saffron Pepin;
• Welsey;
• Aport;
• Ranet bergamot.

Those who don't want to be puzzled by names and characteristics should pay attention to the purely practical side of the choice. Apples for chips should be:

• domestic;
• Freshly picked;
• Without obvious external defects;
• Have a consistent and pleasant flavor;
• The flesh is preferably dense, fine-grained, juicy.

Fruits with traces of bruises, already soft and long stored are not suitable.

The benefits and harms of apple chips

First of all, the product is all-natural, and therefore healthy. There are no preservatives and flavor enhancers, as well as sugar in the original form, only fructose. The large amount of fiber perfectly satiates and acts as a broom, sweeping toxins from the body, eliminating intestinal stagnation. When dried without prolonged heating, most of the useful substances are preserved. In the composition:

• vitamins K, C, E, Rr, B-group in almost full composition;
• iodine;
• magnesium;
• potassium;
• phosphorus;
• iron;
• sodium;
• zinc;
• copper;
• calcium;
• selenium;
• manganese;
• flavonoids;
• antioxidants;
• pectins;
• essential oils;
• catechins;
• organic acids.

Interesting: In fresh fruits, which are designed for long storage, over time the amount of useful substances decreases, some of the vitamins decay, but in apple chips, prepared by drying with the observance of technology, they are preserved much longer.

The usefulness of the delicacy in its naturalness and rich composition, it can be used for snacking, adding to dishes and leisurely enjoy the taste while watching your favorite movie.

Dried fruits, as well as fresh fruits, support the nervous and cardiovascular system, prevent the development of avitaminosis, strengthen bone tissue, normalize the gastrointestinal tract, neutralize toxins and speed up metabolism. And also improve blood circulation, remove excess water, help reduce nausea during toxicosis of pregnant women.These are quite good reasons to spend a little time in the apple season and cook chips at home, providing yourself and your loved ones with an excellent vitamin reserve for the winter colds.

How to make apple chips at home

They are essentially dried fruit, but there are still differences from the traditional version. If the first are cooked in natural conditions, in the summertime in the shade of a shed and the process takes several days, the chips do not require such a long period and the use of kitchen appliances is allowed.

In the oven.

If the temperature of heating is observed, the treat turns out fragrant, crispy and very tasty. To do this, ripe juicy apples are rinsed under running water, dried with a cloth napkin. For quick cooking, the fruit slices should be very thin, it is better to slice them with a vegetable slicer. You can also use a knife, but it will take much longer. The slices are placed on parchment paper, dried at 100 degrees. You can go higher, but then there is a risk that they will burn.

With cinnamon and ginger
Spices shade the main flavor, giving it a spice and increasing the level of usefulness. To prepare you will need:

• 4 large apples;
• 1 lemon;
• water - 2 cups;
• Ground ginger and cinnamon to taste.

Juice is squeezed from the lemon, mixed with water, the apples are cut into thin slices. Then the slices are dipped in the lemon water for a few seconds and immediately laid out on parchment paper, which covers the baking tray. Spices are sprinkled on the already prepared and arranged slices. The delicacy is placed in the oven with the door ajar. It is advisable not to turn the slices in the process of drying, setting the heating level on the upper and lower segments at once.

In the microwave.

The method is simple and fast. Prepared slices are laid out on a grid in a single row, set the minimum power for 2-3 minutes. Then you need to check the condition of the fruit and, if desired, further dry in short sessions to the desired level. If the apples are sour or you want to cook a dessert version, then first the slices are dipped in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar, and then spread out, but already on the form, as almost immediately begins to release juice, which will stain the bottom of the microwave.

In the electric dryer.

During the heat treatment of food, most of the useful substances are lost. They are broken down by exposure to high temperatures. Fruit twists require the addition of sugar, which in a number of diseases is undesirable in the diet. An alternative is to use an electric dryer. Apple slices in it, retain the flavor and the full range of useful substances. In this variant of cooking, it is desirable to peel the apples from the skin, it becomes very tough when drying. Thin slices are spread out on trays, the thinner the thickness, the faster the finished product will turn out. It will take an average of 12 to 24 hours.

The advantages of this method of cooking chips in the excellent quality of products, hygiene, little effort. The disadvantages include the noise background when working and high energy consumption. But health is more expensive and it is much better to cook dried fruits yourself than to buy them in the store, the result will be better and cheaper.

In the multicooker

If you carefully cut the apples into thin circles, without removing the core, when drying in the multicooker, you will get charming wavy slices, resembling flowers. It's best to dry on food-grade parchment. There are several options:

• natural, no additives;
• with cinnamon and sugar;
• with lemon juice and vanilla.

The principle of preparation is the same, only you need to take into account that with any additives, fruits give juice for a few minutes, so it is not recommended to keep them in a dish. After the slices are dipped in sugar or splashed with lemon juice, they are immediately put out to dry. Set the program "Baking" for 20 minutes, after its completion, the fruit is turned the other side and the process is repeated.

In the pan

If there are no home appliances, and you want to eat apple chips, then a great way out - an ordinary cast-iron skillet. Thin-bottomed models are not suitable. You can take a teflon cookware with a thick bottom. Apples, cut into thin slices, spread out on a dry, warm frying pan and dry. You'll have to stand by the stove and gently turn the slices. If you don't have the patience to wait for them to dry in the oven, the method has merit.

What you can add to apple chips

Apples are great with cinnamon and vanilla, these are classic options. Dipping them in honey is not recommended, at high temperatures bee products lose their useful properties, and honey on an open fire can and ignite.

If you really want something sweet, you can make chips in the glaze. To do this, take 5 tbsp. spoons per glass of water with the addition of 10 ml. lemon juice. First, the syrup is boiled, then cooled to room temperature. Thin slices of apples are put in it and infused until completely saturated. To enrich the taste, you can add crushed nuts. Then they are placed on a cloth to remove excess liquid, then placed on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and placed in the oven with the door ajar, where the temperature is set to 70 degrees. As soon as they are dry and wavy, they are taken out and dried at room temperature. The finished product is stored in jars with tightly lapped lids. If there are children in the house, then the chances of surviving until storage are slim, because the fragrant slices are eaten instantly.

Shelf life and storage conditions

You can store apple chips for a year, until the new harvest, if they are prepared without any other ingredients. It is better to put them in cloth bags. Plastic product does not hold up and very quickly covered with mold. For a treat with spices or with the addition of syrup, the best option would be a glass jar with a tight lid, placed in a dark cool place.

Apple chips are considered an almost universal product. The only limitations to use can be an individual intolerance, which is very rare, and exacerbation of gastrointestinal diseases. In other cases, the chips are eaten without additives, or put in porridges and granola, dipped in honey and get an incomparable pleasure from the taste. By the way, the aroma of apples relieves the effects of stress and chronic fatigue, as well as puts you in a romantic mood, regardless of age.