Are you one of those people who are always on the hunt for the perfect sweet to savory to salty ratio in your snacking sessions? These apple chips, dehydrated or baked, are a healthy alternative to processed grain snacks, and play with the concept of sweet with savory components. The main ingredient is just apples! You’ll want to use about one apple per dehydrator tray, depending on the size of the trays. It is best to avoid really juicy apple varieties when dehydrating, but sweeter varieties are nice to counterbalance the savory seasonings. We recommend using fuji, gala, pink lady, honeycrisp, or golden delicious apples. If you prefer tart flavors, use varieties like granny smith, pippin, McIntosh or jonagold. The flavors will concentrate as they dry.
SEASONING OPTIONS
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
1 teaspoon curry powder and pinch kosher salt
“Cheezy Flavor” 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast and pinch kosher salt
Wash and dry the apples. Using a very sharp knife or mandoline, thinly slice the apple into 1/8-inch rounds. You can remove the core and seeds if desired, but it is not necessary. It is important to keep the thickness of the cut apples even for consistency in drying time. To prevent browning, soak the apple slices in lemon water.
Layer the slices on your dehydrator trays evenly, avoiding any overlapping, and sprinkle with desired seasonings.
Dehydrate at 125º F or 52º C for 4–6 hours for chewy dried apples OR up to 8–10 hours for crispy chips. (Remember, they will crisp up even more as they dry and cool.)
Rotate the trays once halfway through the drying time, and check them once every hour or so to make sure they are not overcooking.
Note: If you don’t have a dehydrator, you can also make these in the oven. Set the temperature to 180° F. Spread the sliced apples on parchment-lined baking trays (single layer, no overlapping) and bake for 2–3 hours, flipping the slices every half an hour.
Tip: After cooling, or over time, if your apple chips are not as crisp as you prefer, you can reheat them in a low oven for a couple of minutes. Just be sure to watch them closely to prevent overcooking and burning.
About the author
Amber Turpin is a freelance food and travel writer based in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
Jessica Tunis lives in the Santa Cruz Mountains and spends her time tending gardens, telling stories, and cultivating adventure and good food in wild places.
