Apple chips

I like snacking. And I like sweet things. I also like crunchy things like potato chips and cheese doodles. All of these things are high in calories and processed food and things that probably shouldn't be eaten, but I eat them anyway.

Two years ago, a friend bought me a dehydrator for Christmas. I then discovered that dehydrated strawberries are AMAZING. So, after some research I decided to try dehydrating apples in the late summer. I did some searching and then some experiments and after trying a bunch of things, I have figured out how I like them best.


First, you want hard, sweet apples (like Gala or a Delicious variety). Stay away from softer apples (like Cortlands), they don't hold up well to slicing and dipping. Second, you want to create a very simple Lemon Simple Syrup. Into a medium sized sauce pan combine 4-5 cups of water, 1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice, and 1/4 c sugar. Heat and stir until everything is combined and then take off heat.

Once you have the Lemon Simple Syrup created, you can then worked on the apples (this syrup could be used any time you needed to coat apples to keep them from browning). My dehydrator will take between three and four apples. I wash them (I use a vinegar wash), quarter them, and core them. I keep the skins on, but it's totally up to your personal preference.

Slice them 2mm thick. I use my fancy OXO mandolin, and I really suggest using one for uniform thickness. Or, just use a sharp knife and watch your fingers.

After every couple of quarters, I drop them into the syrup in the sauce pan and make sure each slice is covered in water. I keep the slices in the pan until I'm done slicing. DO NOT SKIP THIS NEXT STEP: after all slices are in the sauce pan, drain them. This is super important. They will get soggy and fall apart if not drained. After you drain them, arrange them on the racks per your dehydrator's instructions. Make sure they don't overlap each other so that everyone can dry on their own.

After about 3 hours this is how my beauties look. I prefer mine crunchy like a potato chip. Pull one out from each rack and let them dry completely (another step to not skip). Once dry, pop them into your mouth to check their doneness. If properly done, turn off the dehydrator and let them cool.

Once every slice is cooled, put them into an air tight container, I prefer plastic bags. Some people suggest storing them in the freezer or with a sachet of rice to keep them crisp. Mine don't usually last long enough to become less crisp.

Lemon Simple Syrup

 4-5 cups of water

1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice

1/4 c sugar

Combine all ingredients into a medium sized sauce pan. Heat and stir until everything is combined and then take off heat.