How To Dehydrate Apples

a step by step guide on how to dehydrate apples slices for a delicious, healthy and convenient shelf stable snack.

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 12

Total Time 12 30

Dehydrator
Apples Peeler Corer Slicer or a mandoline; or cut thin 1/4 inch slices with a knife

In a large bowl, combine fresh lemon juice with water and stir.
Wash apples and begin processing apples using your Apple Peeler Corer Slicer. If you are using a mandoline or a knife, peel apples and slice about 1/4 inch thick. See note 1 below
Add slices to the lemon water solution to soak for at least 5 minutes before transferring to the dehydrator.
Arrange apple slices on the dehydrator. Try to keep them from overlapping as best you can. See note 2 below
Set your dehydrator at 135 degrees for 12 hours. Halfway through the dry time, rotate the trays to allow for more even drying. See note 3 below
Once apples are fully dried and cooled, store in an airtight glass jar. Enjoy! See notes 4 and 5 below.

Dry time will vary depending on the thickness of your slices anywhere between 8 and 16 hours. The thicker your slices the longer it will take to dehydrate, so I always suggest erroring on the thinner side when cutting your apples. Don't forget to save your apple scraps to make apple cider vinegar!
If your slices overlap on the dehydrator a little bit, that's okay. Your slices with shrink down as they dry out.
It is a good idea your to rotate your trays about half way through to insure even drying. If you don't do this, it isn't the end of the world, but you may end up needing to run your dehydrator longer, and some apples with turn out harder than others.
It is a good idea to periodically check apples for doneness to prevent "over drying". You want your slices to have a slight bend to them. You know they are over dried if they are brittle and crack when bent. This is totally fine to eat though of course! I just personally like the texture of the apples when they have a slight bend. If over dried, this is a good opportunity to blend into apple powder!
If you are removing your dried apples from the dehydrator when it is still warm, let your apples cool for 10 minutes before transferring them into storage containers to prevent moisture build up. It's not a huge hurry to remove apples from the dehydrator. You can leave your apples in the dehydrator until the next day if you are unable to get to them right when they are done.