Is it possible to dry apples in the microwave? Video: Harvesting apples for the winter

There are many dishes that contain dried vegetables or fruits. This especially applies to dietary dishes. For example, the simplest dried fruit compote - the basis of many diets - cannot be prepared without dried apples and pears. In this article we will try to answer a rather popular question - “how to dry apples in microwave oven? So far, no resource on the Internet has written detailed instructions, well we will be the first

But then a problem arises: where to get them? Such goods are not sold in the store, but it is scary to buy dried fruits at the market - it is not known exactly how they were dried and whether the products were of high quality. Accordingly, it is possible to guarantee the quality of dried apples and pears (and indeed any fruit in general) in only one case - this is when you have prepared them yourself.

But it's not that simple. For example, to properly “dry” apples, you need long time. Traditionally this is done in the sun, the fruits are dried for several days. It is important that dust does not fall on them, that is, certain conditions must be created. Otherwise, the contaminated product is unlikely to benefit your health; it will most likely cause an upset stomach or an allergic reaction.

If the temperature is too high, then under the influence of rays the apple pieces may deteriorate and lose juice too quickly. If during drying the humidity rises sharply (it starts to rain), the apples will instantly become moldy. That is, in urban conditions it is impossible to obtain high-quality dried fruits. Almost…

A microwave oven comes to the aid of a city dweller. She doesn't need a week to dry apples or any other fruit, everything happens much faster. True, there is a small but very important point - the microwave dries so quickly that there is a real danger that instead of dried fruit you will only get overdried pieces of fruit plus a persistent burning smell. To prevent this, we advise you to listen to the following advice.

For example, we we'll dry it apples in the microwave. The process of drying apples is similar. First, thoroughly wash each apple, then let them dry. naturally. If time is pressing, you can use a towel and simply wipe them. We cut into the pieces we need (usually they are cut into half rings 0.5-1 cm thick). Please note that thickness plays an important role, because the microwave oven will dry them at the same time and at the same power. So try to stick to one size.

After slicing, place the apple pieces on a plate in a single layer and place in the microwave. We set the power to 200-300 W and the timer for 2 minutes, turn it on. Usually this time is not enough to completely dry apples cut 0.5-1 cm thick, but still, after two minutes of cooking, be sure to remove the plate from the microwave and make sure that the apples are not ready.

Then we proceed as follows: power 200-300 W, timer for 30 seconds. The interval is deliberately taken very small, because the drying process occurs abruptly. Now the apples seem to be raw, but a minute later they are already burnt (dried out). Experienced way We calculate the required time (perhaps it will be 3-3.5 minutes) and when preparing the second portion of dried fruits, immediately set the timer to the desired number.

Don't forget that various varieties apples contain different amounts of juice, respectively they take different times to dry. If you put a lot of pieces on the plate, this will also play a role.

Autumn is the time for preparations. We can it in jars during the summer. We make jam and make pickles, freeze and roll. How nice it is to take a jar of aromatic jam from the shelf in winter or make compote from dried fruits.

Previously, drying fruit was quite commonplace, but now there is no time, no time. And many of us do not know the wisdom of proper drying. In the age of machines, even this activity can be transferred to your shoulders. kitchen appliances. It’s good if there is a special dryer for vegetables, fruits, and mushrooms. But no, it doesn’t matter either, it will be replaced by a microwave oven. It dries everything perfectly. You just need to know how to properly dry apples, herbs, mushrooms, and vegetables in microwaves.

Drying apples in the microwave

You can dry any apples, but the drying time directly depends on how juicy the fruit is. Those that are too juicy need more time than those that are less juicy. Keep this in mind when setting the initial and subsequent times on your microwave.

First, the apples need to be washed, dried (wipe with a towel), cored if desired, and cut into thin slices or slices. For slicing, it is better to use a special grater, with which the circles will be of the same thickness. Having cut apples by hand, you will have to often check and remove the already dried ones, and dry large slices and circles.

Then the apples need to be spread between two cotton napkins or towels.

Drying fruits in the microwave is carried out at a power of 200 W for three minutes. Next, check readiness and, if necessary, add drying time of 30 seconds or no more, checking readiness each time and remembering that after the microwave stops, the heating process continues for some time.

The entire process of drying even the juiciest apples will not take more than five to seven minutes.

If you need to dry a large portion of apples, you will have to do this one at a time, and to prevent the cut from darkening, sprinkle the fruit with lemon juice.

In a similar way, you can dry other fruits, for example, pears and plums. And thus stock up on sweet vitamins for the winter.

Dried apples are a great delicacy and one of the oldest types of preparing apples for the winter. Thin slices are crispy on the outside and soft, sour on the inside; Most vitamins are preserved when dried.

In winter, they can be soaked and used as a filling for pies, a base for compote or part of a dessert, or they can be eaten like chips: only unlike this snack, dried apples are a natural, healthy and low-calorie product. Apples dried according to all the rules are not brittle and retain their taste and aroma.

How to dry apples in the sun

The oldest type of drying possible and the longest - but under sun rays more vitamins are retained. Sort the apples and make sure they are not rotten. Wash all the fruits and dry them, and then remove the core and cut them - you can cut them into slices, or you can cut them into circles, but both should be very thin so that the apples dry quickly without having time to rot.

In theory, this is a type of drying where you can peel the apples, but they still run the risk of losing their shape a little (although the taste, of course, will not change). Soak the slices or circles in a saline solution (very weak, 1 level teaspoon of salt per liter of water) - briefly, about 3 minutes, so that the slices do not turn yellow. If yellow suits you, you can skip this step.

Dry. Place all the slices on a baking sheet or on a wooden tray, in a maximum of two rows, and place in the sun. It is best if they have access to fresh air (preferably a slight breeze). Turn the workpiece several times a day so that the slices dry evenly. Drying apples in the sun lasts about 4 days, it depends mainly on the weather (if it is sunny all the time).

How to dry apples in the oven

A good recipe for urban conditions, and the drying time takes 8 hours. Select apples for drying, wash them and cut out the core. If you are drying them in slices, you can simply cut each fruit in half first, but if you want to dry the apples in slices, it is better to use a special tool to remove the core from a whole apple. Then chop them.

The slices or circles should be approximately the same thickness - up to 8 mm. Place baking paper on a baking sheet and place the apples on it (so they don't stick if something goes wrong). Set the oven to 50 degrees, then gradually increase to 80 and finally reduce again to 40-50 degrees. Once an hour, open the oven and turn the slices or circles over.

In the first hours, it is better to keep the oven door slightly open - at this time the moisture comes out of the apples most actively, and they are being dried, not baked. You can also make sweet dried apples - then before putting them in the oven, soak the chopped fruit in sugar syrup(but don't cook in it).

How to dry apples in the microwave

One of the fastest methods - it takes two and a half minutes for each portion. In this option, the main thing is not to dry out the apples. Place washed and cored fruits, washed and cut in any way, on a plate covered with a piece of linen cloth (cotton is also suitable). Microwave at 200 W for 2.5 minutes. If you need to dry the apples after this, put them in the microwave for another half a minute.

How to dry apples in an electric dryer

Faster than in the oven and healthier than in the microwave. Wash and cut the apples in the same way as for any other method, and dry on special sheets at a temperature of 70-80 degrees, and then lower it to 60. Drying will take approximately 6 hours.

Already in the summer, a thrifty housewife thinks about what she will feed her family in the winter, when prices for fruits, vegetables and herbs “bite.” During the harvest, there is intense work - everyone is preparing compotes, juices, jams, canned goods, but the simplest and cheapest preservation option is drying.

The main advantage of such storage of products is the preservation of all nutrients and vitamins, flavonoids, and microelements. Fiber (pectins) improves digestion, microelements improve health and stimulate brain activity.

It is also important for the housewife that dried products take up little space. We will learn more about how to properly dry apples in the microwave for the winter, as well as prepare mushrooms and herbs, medicinal and aromatic herbs.

How to dry apples in the microwave at home

Rules for preparing apples:

• To prepare dried apples, it is advisable to take winter sour varieties. If you still dry the summer harvest, it is better with the skin, but the quality of the harvest will be lower;
• the fruits must be selected undamaged and without worms;
• Wash and dry the apples thoroughly;
• cut the apples into small slices up to 5 mm, remove the core (for compote, you don’t have to remove it);
• It is recommended to soak the slices in salted water (20 grams of salt per liter of water) for 3-4 minutes. It will lighten dried apples, protect against insects and increase shelf life.

Important. It is better to dry apples from your garden with the peel, they contain many useful substances. And if you bought the fruit in a store, it is better to do without the peel.

Let's consider step by step process– how to dry apples in the microwave for the winter:

• Place the apple slices on a plate covered with a cotton cloth in a thin layer;
• put in the microwave, dry at 200 watts for 1 minute. The drying time depends on the size and juiciness of the pieces;
• remove the plate, turn the slices over to the other side and dry again at the same power for 1-2 minutes;
• every half a minute check the condition of the apples, if after turning them off they are damp, turn them on again for 20 - 30 seconds;
• When the slices are ready, the skin will become dull and the flesh will not stick to your hands. The slices will become creamy and soft to the touch;
• remove the pieces from the oven and dry them further outdoors, spreading a cloth towel on the table and laying out the slices in one layer.

It is better to store any dried fruits in a glass container or in a durable fabric bag in a cool, dry place.

Drying greens and herbs

The microwave can handle the preparation of dried herbs and fragrant herbs, which add a special aroma and taste to dishes. And if the greens are grown in your own garden, then it will be the cheapest and most environmentally friendly product. Usually dill, parsley, basil, mint, celery, lemon balm and other plants are dried.

Important. To preserve the natural aroma and taste, drying herbs and herbs should be done as quickly as possible.

Step-by-step instructions for drying dill in the microwave:

• Wash the branches without stems and place in a colander;
• chop finely, place on a paper or cotton towel in a thin layer;
• cover with the same towel on top so that the greens do not burn;
• put a plate of greens in the microwave, press down on top with a weight, for example, put a glass of water;
• dry for 3 minutes at a power of about 800 W;
• Periodically (every 30 seconds) check the degree of readiness; you can extend the process by 10 - 20 seconds if the greens are damp.

Store herbs in a cool, dark room in airtight bags; shelf life is one year.

Important. Well-dried leaves turn pale, become dry and brittle.

Drying mushrooms in the microwave

Dry mushrooms are a good help for the housewife in winter; you can diversify the menu and save money. Is it possible to dry mushrooms in the microwave, and what types, they contain a lot of moisture, can a microwave oven handle it? We'll tell you how to effectively prepare dried mushrooms.

It is advisable to dry tubular and marsupial types of mushrooms (porcini, boletus, boletus, morels, truffles), while lamellar ones do not taste bitter and dry well honey mushrooms and champignons.

Preparation process:

• mushrooms must be selected that are dense, whole, and without rot;
• There is no need to wash them, they will absorb a lot of moisture and will not dry out for a long time. Thoroughly clean the mushrooms with a brush and wipe with a damp cloth;
• for noble mushrooms, the caps are cut into slices, the stems into 2 cm slices, for chanterelles, honey mushrooms, butter mushrooms, only the caps are taken and cut into 1 cm slices;
• It is advisable to dry (wither) the mushrooms before the main drying in the microwave; this can be done in any room or in the sun. If they are not dried, they may release juice in the oven.

How to dry mushrooms in the microwave:

• place the chopped mushrooms on a wire rack, dish, tray, spreading a cloth napkin or towel;
• Place in the microwave for 15 minutes at minimum mode 100 - 180 W. The duration of processing may vary, it all depends on the thickness and moisture content of the slices;
• remove the dish, drain the accumulated liquid, ventilate the oven for 5 - 10 minutes from moisture;
• do a second drying, then a second airing, and so on several times;
• After drying, place the mushrooms on a table in the open air and leave for half an hour.

Important. After each cycle, you need to check the mushrooms. If they quickly break and crumble, it means they are too dry. Properly dried mushrooms should be flexible and not immediately break.

Mushrooms should be stored in glass containers or in durable moisture-proof bags in a dry place with good ventilation. The best, but expensive option is a vacuum container.

Drying berries

You can also dry berries in the microwave, as they are much healthier than in the form of jam. It is better to dry large berries - strawberries, grapes, cherries. For aromatic tea and compote, currants and raspberries (slightly unripe) are dried; you can also prepare rowan berries, blueberries, and chokeberries. Dried berries preserve everything useful substances, and chokeberry (aka chokeberry) becomes less tart. The berries are selected whole, firm, and collected in warm, sunny weather.

Berries are dried almost the same way as greens:

• lay out on a tray or dish covered with a paper towel in small portions;
• cover the top with the same towel;
• the power is set to 200 W, the drying time is 3 – 5 minutes, since there is more moisture in the berries;
• It is necessary to dry in several stages, constantly checking the degree of readiness (every half a minute).

There are many options for using dry preparations, but first they need to be washed with running water and then soaked for several hours in cool water. Cooking will become easier, and the taste and aroma will be brighter.

Autumn is the time to prepare homemade preparations for the winter. One way to store apples is to dry them in the microwave. It allows you not only to preserve the taste of fruits, but also the vitamins and microelements they contain, which are reduced when apples are preserved in jam or compote. And to store such a product you need significantly less space than, for example, for frozen freezer fruit. In addition, dried fruits strengthen the body's defense mechanisms and stimulate brain activity, thus they are very useful for schoolchildren and students, and they will not hurt office workers either.

How to dry apples in the microwave?

Before you dry apples in the microwave, you need to know how to prepare them. First you need to carefully sort out the fruits. Wormy and damaged apples are not suitable for drying in the microwave, as they will rot during further storage.

Then the apples should be washed well and cut into pieces. There are two options for cutting: you can remove the core of the fruit and cut into circles 1.5 - 2 cm thick or cut each apple into 8 slices - as you like. Place the chopped apple pieces in salted water for 5 minutes. This will prevent oxidation and the apples will retain their color. Salt water Prepare at the rate of 20 grams of salt per 1 liter of water.

Place the prepared apple pieces on a plate in one layer and place in the microwave oven for 2 minutes at a power of 200-300 W. Then you should take out a plate and check the readiness of the apples. They're probably not ready yet. So set the timer for 30 seconds and microwave the apples again. Drying apples in the microwave happens abruptly: the fruit was just raw and now it’s burnt. The end result should be dried fruit that feels elastic to the touch and looks like apple chips, which will take about 3 minutes to prepare. Empirically you can deduce exact time, how to dry apples in the microwave without overheating, and place each new portion in the microwave oven immediately setting the timer for the required time. Cooking time depends on the size of the apples, juiciness and the amount that can fit on the plate.