Dehydrated Apple Snacks

Dehydrated Apple Snacks

This is a recipe for pure deliciousness.  These taste like candy!  These dehydrated apples have a bit of an orangy flavor with a hint of clove and cinnamon.

INGREDIENTS:
about 1 cup lemon juice
about a quart of water
about 10 drops of doTERRA On Guard Essential Oil Blend
about 3-4 pounds of apples (use at least partially tart, definitely firm type.  Honeycrisp, Gala, Fuji, Granny Smith, etc.)




EQUIPMENT:
dehydrator (I use an Excalibur, but any one will work, even a solar one)
mandala or other slicer to get even, fairly thin slices
glass 9"x13" cake pan (not metal, it reacts with lemon)


PREPARATION:
1)  Wash apples very well to remove any wax or chemical residue (organic is best, but if not, wash well).  To do this, you can fill a pan with water and add several drops of doTERRA Lemon Essential Oil, or you can use Wild Orange Oil or Grapefruit Oil.  The essential oil helps to break down any waxes, oils, or pesticides.  Rub apples well with your hands or a very clean rag while in the oiled water. Rinse apples well under running water, just to make sure all of the residue is gone.

2)  In the glass cake pan, combine the lemon juice, water and On Guard. There should be enough liquid to fill the pan 1/2-3/4 of the way (enough to cover the apples.  You can re-use the liquid for more than one batch, but add more On Guard for each batch, since it sticks to the apples).  I give approximate measurements because basically what you want is something like unsweetened lemonade. The acid in the lemon juice helps to keep the apples from turning brown.  If you don't have lemon juice, you can use citric acid or ascorbic acid.  I prefer lemon juice though.

3)  Slice the apples into approximately 1/16" thick pieces.  You don't need to peel them.  I sliced mine on a mandala and just pulled out the seeds for a pretty star shape in the center, and the parts without pretty stars, I just cut in half trimmed out the core bits.  Doing it this way created a lot less waste than cutting wedges and coring the apple.  However, you can also just slice wedges, but try to keep them even in their thickness so that they dehydrate evenly.   As you get them sliced, drop them into the lemon/oil/water mixture.

4)  Lay out slices on your dehydrator trays without overlapping them.  Do not rinse them, just take them out of the liquid and place on the trays.

5)  Dehydrate at 95-100 degrees for 6-8 hours.  Slices won't get crispy (I tried), but will be slightly flexible.

6)  Eat.  Enjoy.


NOTE:  I developed this recipe and made these dehydrated apple slices and they are amazing!  When I tasted one of the slices after I had dipped it, I was afraid I had added too much On Guard because it was a bit bitter and strong.  Instead of wasting the slices, I put them in the dehydrator anyway, and they taste amazing.  Addictive even!  I'm looking forward to tucking them into care packages or munching on them through the winter.  I'm not sure if the 100 degree temperature is too hot to maintain the health properties of the oil or not, but the taste is amazing anyway!

On Guard is 10% off for the month of November 2012!  You can order yours at www.mydoterra.com/livingmindfully