View Full Version : Your favorite apple varieties for dehydrating?
In the past I've just used whatever apples I happened to have, but I'm open to suggestions.
Old Hiker
11-13-2013, 15:01
I like the Gala - more tart and stay fresh longer than the Delicious varieties when fresh. They also seem to be a bit more tart and better tasting when dehydrated.
Yes, I like Galas a lot as an eating apple. I'll try dehydrating them.
WingedMonkey
11-13-2013, 16:24
My favorite is Carambola (Starfruit), cause I can't grow no apples here.
:sun
Another Kevin
11-13-2013, 19:54
Northern Spy. Very firm, fine-textured, tart, stands up well. Of course, nobody seems ever to have heard of Northern Spy unless they're in upstate NY.
marshbirder
11-13-2013, 21:08
I like honeycrisps. I am working on some dehydrated Macintosh that I got fresh from an orchard in VT last month. I didn't think they would be good dehydrated (I have no idea why), but they're great.
wannahike
11-13-2013, 21:28
My favorite is Carambola (Starfruit), cause I can't grow no apples here.
:sun
Starfruit is so much better dried than fresh.
That being said, I like Gala apples too.
Wise Old Owl
11-13-2013, 21:30
Granny Smith with a sprits of water, lemon and honey.
We don't grow apples here in Florida but when I was a kid in East Tennessee we grew and dried Winesap Apples. To me the best dried apples ever if you can still find them.
Just use the cheapest apples you can find. Dehydrating concentrates the flavor, and they all end up with the same texture. Don't bother spending twice as much on galas when you can get red delicious on the cheap. (For the record, I think that red delicious apples are gross to eat on their own, but dehydrated they're fine)
Just Bill
11-14-2013, 11:02
Gala, Fuji, or honeycrisp- depending on what's on sale at Aldi. For reds.
Granny Smith with cinnamon is also a big favorite too and inexpensive.
Best thing for apples is a Mandolin to speed things up. I pull the stem but no longer core the apples. I can process a three pound bag in a half hour- http://www.amazon.com/Progressive-International-HGT-11-Folding-Mandoline/dp/B001F5RSEK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1384441215&sr=8-2&keywords=mandolin+slicer
Another Kevin
11-14-2013, 19:13
If you don't need your apples in neat little rings, you can also halve them and run them through the slicer blade in a food processor.
I think I'll stick with my trusty carbon steel knife. It may take longer, but when I'm done, there's only the knife and the cutting board to wash.
Northern Spy. Very firm, fine-textured, tart, stands up well. Of course, nobody seems ever to have heard of Northern Spy unless they're in upstate NY.
Plus 1 on the Northern Spy. Haven't had one since I moved south from upstate NY!
Wise Old Owl
11-14-2013, 22:14
Crap forgot the powdered cinnamon....
In the past I've just used whatever apples I happened to have, but I'm open to suggestions.
I got the inside dope on this - Honey Crisp, gala, fuji, granny smith green apple in that order. only use organic w/ stems still attached from the lake chelan growing region, they are the best
Farr Away
11-15-2013, 09:47
Yellow delicious or macs.
Can anyone actual tell which variety of apple a dehydrated slice came from? I seriously doubt it. Use what's cheapest.
Can anyone actual tell which variety of apple a dehydrated slice came from? I seriously doubt it. Use what's cheapest.
There is a big difference in the sugar content. So if you taste one that is sweet and then one that is low in sugar and tart you can tell the difference. But it's ALL good:)
Empire, fresh or dried, is my go-to apple. And to answer Mr. Burger, I don't know if I can tell the difference, but now I have to experiment!
For the record, I can tell the difference between Coke, Pepsi, and RC Cola... apples can't be that far off!
Rolls Kanardly
11-15-2013, 19:39
I like honeycrisps. I am working on some dehydrated Macintosh that I got fresh from an orchard in VT last month. I didn't think they would be good dehydrated (I have no idea why), but they're great.
Macintosh, isn't that the apple that they genetically engineered so well to get it to look a perfect red they bled all the flavor out of it. I loved them as a kid but now the ones we get in AZ suck. They are mushy. I will have to try some when I get to VT. Maybe they are better in the Nor-East Rolls
Rolls Kanardly
11-15-2013, 19:50
I got a package of dehydrated apples and they were okay. There were a couple of different flavors and I got to thinking about how they added the flavors. My brainstorm was to slightly dehydrate a batch and then soak in a cinnamon and sugar solution, let drip or pat dry and then rehydrate completely. Anyone ever tried this? My dehydrator is on my Santa wish list so I can't do them at home yet. Rolls
My favorite is green apples.
My neighbor offered me a big bagful of who knows what kind of apples the other day. They were a little past their prime, so I cored them, leaving the skins on, and made them into applesauce, to which I added a little sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. I dehydrated this mix into apple rollups.