Drying Apples in an Airfryer: Delicious Dried Fruit at Home
Drying Dried apples are a great way to preserve a large harvest and save them for the winter, when vitamin deficiencies are particularly noticeable. Dried apples can be used to make compotes, baked goods, or simply enjoyed as a treat. However, the natural drying process can take a long time. To speed it up, you can use an air fryer.
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Can you dry apples in an air fryer?
An air fryer is a great way dry Not only berries, but also many other fruits. It removes moisture evenly, making dried fruits easier and longer to store. The resulting slices have a good consistency and texture. Furthermore, an air fryer reduces drying time significantly.
Benefits of drying
The main advantage of using an air fryer for drying fruit is the speed of preparation. The slices are ready in just an hour and a half after being placed in the device. However, this method also has several other advantages:
- moisture removal occurs evenly, thereby preserving the texture of the fruit;
- After drying, the slices are completely ready for consumption and do not require rinsing or steaming;
- the slices have a more attractive appearance compared to other methods;
- All useful micro- and macroelements are preserved, vitamins are almost not destroyed.
Flaws
As with any method, this harvesting process has its drawbacks:
- it takes time to prepare the fruits;
- when laid out on the grill, the slices should not touch;
- Do not remove wet fruits.
Which fruits are best for drying?
Ripe, high-quality fruit is best for air-drying. Large fruits dry more slowly, so choose small or medium-sized apples with thin skins for preserves. Sweet and sour varieties are best; they retain their flavor longer. Sweet varieties lose their flavor.
You can use not only apples plucked from the branches, but also fallen ones.
The best varieties for this type of preparation are: Gala, Fuji, Antonovka, Saffron pepin, Fetch. White filling It fits a little worse, the slices turn out unaesthetic, and the taste qualities are greatly lost.
How to dry apples in an air fryer
Drying apples in an air fryer is generally simple, but it does require certain steps in preparing the fruit itself. All fruit must be clean. coredSome housewives leave the core, but use such dried fruits in baking it is then undesirable - the feeling of seeds and seed receptacles getting on your teeth in baked goods is not the most pleasant.
It is worth remembering that fruits lose up to 90% of their total volume, which must be taken into account during harvesting.
To prevent apples from oxidizing and darkening, they can be additionally treated with a 1% saline solution. To do this, dissolve 10 g of table salt in 1 liter of clean water and soak the apple slices in the resulting solution for 4–5 minutes.
Oxidation can be avoided by using lemon juice or a citric acid solution.To do this, dilute the juice of 1/2 lemon or 1 teaspoon of citric acid in 100 ml of warm boiled water. Place the apple slices in the resulting solution for a few seconds, then remove and let the mixture drain or dry with a paper towel.
What modes should I set on my air fryer?
All air fryer models vary in operating time, temperature settings, and fan speed settings. Generally, all air fryers have at least three fan speeds, which can be adjusted smoothly for better control. Low speed is suitable for thin slicesto avoid them from drying out. The average speed is the most optimalIn some models, this may not be enough, and it is necessary to resort to high fan speed, but usually it is used exclusively for frying foods.
Drying time and temperature for apples
The optimal drying temperature is 120°C (240°F) at medium fan speed for 30 minutes. A temperature of 100°C (212°F) at low fan speed is acceptable for more precise control over the drying process of the dried fruit.
On average, depending on the model, the temperature at which the fruits are dried ranges from 95 to 120 degrees, and the operating time ranges from 30–40 to 70–80 minutes.
Drying instructions
To get beautiful and high-quality apple slices, follow these instructions:
- Wash the apples thoroughly and dry, remove the core. There is no need to remove the skin.
- Cut the fruit into thin slices or rings no more than 5 mm thick. Slices that are too thin will quickly dry out and become tough.
- Place the slices on the air fryer levels so that they do not touch each other.
- Set the required mode depending on the air grill.
- After drying, assess the results. The slices should feel soft and elastic, but still firm. Insufficiently dried apples can easily develop mold during storage.
- If the drying process is not sufficient and the dried fruits are clearly damp, they are dried further at intervals of 15–20 minutes to avoid overdrying.
It is highly undesirable to place wet or damp slices in an air fryer, as this will slow down the drying process and increase the risk of ending up with overly moist dried fruit, which will easily become moldy during storage.
Additionally, you can sprinkle the apples with spices before placing them in the air fryer. – cloves, cinnamon, coriander, or a mixture of them. This way, you can create a fragrant treat without much expense or effort.
To sum it upYou can dry apples in an air fryer—this method significantly reduces the time it takes to prepare dried fruit. Before storing, be sure to wash the apples and remove the cores. To ensure beautiful and aesthetically pleasing slices, you can treat them with a saline solution before storing them, preventing oxidation and browning. The slices shouldn't be too thick or too thin—the former will retain moisture and won't keep well, while the latter run the risk of overdrying and creating apple chips.
