How to store dried apples at home

In a year especially rich in apples, many summer residents and gardeners literally do not know what to do with so much harvest. And the compote-jam-jams seem to be closed for the winter, and the apple tree continues to bring new fruits - tasty and healthy. You can save the apples, you just need to dry them. With proper storage, they can be saved almost until the next harvest. Dried apples are not just tasty, but also useful, because drying allows you to save all the vitamins and glucose. Constant consumption of apples in any form contributes to the normalization of the digestive tract, improves vision, stabilizes blood pressure, promotes the development of memory and the brain.

How to dry apples for long-term storage

Usually, dried, battered and wormy fruits are used for drying, while the whole can be preserved completely. When cleaning apples from damaged parts and wormholes, you need to be very careful.Do not allow spoiled parts of apples to be dried, otherwise one wormhole may spoil all the dried apples.

1. Apples need to be washed and cut in half. Remove the core and all damaged areas. Peel the skin is not necessary - it contains a greater amount of nutrients.
2. Apples darken in the process of cutting, and to prevent this from happening, they need to be held in a weak salt solution. In addition, it protects the chopped fruit from the settling of midges, bees and flies. If this is not done, the apples will not be stored for a long time - the insects will bring some infection to the clean fruit and dried slices will start to become covered with mold and rot. Add a couple of tablespoons of salt to warm water and dip the apples into the cooked composition for 10 minutes.
3. Soaked apples can be dried "beads." To do this, take a thick needle and a fairly thick thread. Begin to string the pieces of apples on a thread, piercing them with a needle. To keep the apples well, you need to string them so that the needle pierces the middle of the apple peel. It is denser than the flesh, and it will be better to keep a slice on a string.
4. After all the fruits are strung, the “beads” made should be hung in a well-ventilated place. It is better to hang apples on the balcony, in the open air.Apples will be completely dry when they become almost solid, they will not emit liquid when pressed. However, this method of drying is suitable only in the event that rainy weather is not expected in the near future.
5. You can dry the apples in a special dryer for vegetables and fruits. If you do not have such a unit, you can quickly dry the apples in a conventional oven on a fine grid. Put the sliced ​​lobules on the grid so that the apples are in one layer, do not touch, and then set the minimum heating temperature. Usually at 80-100 degrees, the apples are dried for several hours. Then they need to get and let them cool.
6. Do not rush to collect dried apples in containers, containers and bags. We need a large surface, where dried apples can "reach." Put a clean towel, cotton cloth or napkin on the table and empty the slices. Apples should be in a ventilated place, but they should not be exposed to direct sunlight. Turn and shake dried apples periodically.

Keep the apples on the open surface need a few more days. And only after that the dried fruit can be sent to storage.

What to store dried apples

The container for storing apples must be breathable so that the fruit does not rot and rot. In addition, air circulation allows the fruit to dry completely. But storing apples in baskets with large holes is also not worth it. They can crawl through mice and other rodents, who are also not averse to eat your supplies.

It is best to store dried apples in canvas bags, special baskets for vegetables and fruits, a glass jar with holes in the lid. It is very good to store apples in cardboard boxes. Choose food boxes - chocolates, cookies, etc. In no case do not need to take the box from household appliances or building materials. The specific smell is absorbed into the fruit and it will be impossible to get rid of it.

Where to store dried apples

Apples should be stored in a well-ventilated, dark and cool place. If you have a glassed-in balcony, this is the perfect place to store dried fruit. You can not store stocks on the open balcony - high humidity will spoil the product. Apples can be stored in the refrigerator, but in this case they need to be picked more often and ventilated.There should be no sharp-smelling objects and products near the storage site (for example, cleaning products or spices). Apples perfectly absorb extraneous odors, it is often impossible to eat them after that. Apples can be stored in entresol, in closets, in storage rooms or simply on the upper shelves of kitchen drawers.

How and how much to store dried apples

If you want to keep the fruit for a long time, you need to constantly view them. This can be done every few weeks. The fact is that timely response to a pair of spoiled slices allows you to save the rest of the strategic stock of dried fruit. In addition, the constant turning does not allow apple slices to stale.

If you notice that the apples are damp, have become soft or wet - it does not matter, they need to be dried again in the oven. If the lobules become cleft or even slightly moldy, they can also be rehabilitated. In this case, rinse each slice under running water and dry the apples in the oven again. But you need to dry for a very long time to get rid of excess moisture. Keep the oven door open so that the steam will erode.The heat will not only dry the apples, but also kill the mold spores. If there is a lot of mold, it is better to throw out such apples, it is unlikely to save them.

Sometimes it happens that insects - insects, bugs, and spiders - infest in a container with dried apples. Get rid of the pests and their larvae will help the temperature drop. Warm the apples in the oven or keep them in the freezer and the insects will die.

Dried apples can be stored for a very long time, up to several years. However, it is best to use dried fruit until the next harvest, then to prepare a new batch of healthy delicacies.

What to cook from dried apples

Dried apples have a very good effect on the body. In winter, it is a storehouse of vitamins that can support immunity and protect against colds. Dry apples can be poured into a vase on the coffee table - they are not stale for a long time. But of them you can cook and other full meals.

1. The most common use of dried apples is compote cooking. Indeed, various dried fruits give the drink a fruity aroma, rich taste and a special sweetness.Add a little raisins to the apples and a handful of frozen cherries for the color and get a delicious summer drink at the exit.
2. A slice of dried apple can be thrown into the kettle when brewing tea. This will give the drink a special savory taste and aroma.
3. If the dried apples are cut and stewed in butter with a small amount of water and sugar, you get an amazing filling for pancakes.
4. Roll the apple slices dried and soaked in water through a meat grinder and add a bit of lemon peel, cinnamon and sugar to the mass. The mixture can be eaten as a jam or used as a filling for the cake.
5. Add a couple of dried apple slices to the cauldron where you simmer the beef or poultry. Meat acquires a delicate taste and appetizing aroma.
6. Prepare the following mixture, which is not only very tasty, but also incredibly useful. Crush apples, add walnuts, raisins and honey. The resulting mixture should be rolled into small balls and sprinkled with coconut chips. Such natural and attractive candy will surely please your child. They not only strengthen the immune system, but also perfectly raise hemoglobin.

In winter, when fresh apples begin to rise in price, dried apple slices are a real salvation for many housewives. They can be eaten as marmalades, or added to many dishes.

It has been scientifically proven that drying is the most useful, optimal and natural way to preserve vitamins in apples. Dry apples, stock up, store dried fruits properly and there will always be something in your kitchen than to please the household!

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