Totally Crunch-tastic Apple Chips

I like the idea of having a treat that's crunchy, but healthy & so I've tried commercially-made apple chips and found they tasted NOTHING like an apple, and EXPENSIVE. After years of making them, I've found this method tastes the best. Read on, and MAKE SOME TOO! :)

MATERIALS NEEDED:
-Apples (9 for a 4 tray dehydrator)
-Paring Knife
-Bowls - 1 Small, 1 Large
-Cinnamon - 1 Tablespoon
-Sugar - 1/2 Cup
-Glass Jars (3)
-Dehydrator

OPTIONAL:
-Apple Peeler
-Circular Cutting Implement (cookie cutter)

I like the sweeter-tasting apples like Jono Gold, Honeycrisp, Macinstosh, and Cortland.

If you like tartness, Granny Smith, Fuji, and Dudley are good choices.

I also like the larger-sized apples for making bigger chips.

If your apples are fresh and crisp, an apple peeler works AWESOMELY. You don't need a peeler and can skip to step # 3 if you are using a paring knife.

If you are using a peeler, I've found that if your apples aren't kept cold, you can refrigerate them the day before to make them crisp.

This apple peeler has a suction cup on the bottom and so it can stick firmly to your table or counter. Price for a peeler $9.95

Skip to step #4

If you're using a paring knife: Cut your apples into quarters, cut out the core, cut off the outer peel. Then slice into 1/4" lengthwise pieces. They then look like crescent moons. The reason why I like cutting them this way rather than in rings is that they can be packed into the dehydrator better.

Skip to step # 5

If you're using an apple peeler, then your apple slices are rings with the centre cut out. I've found the rings take up a lot of space in the dehydrator, so cut the rings in half. Your pieces will look like "C's" or crescent moons.

Some of the pieces may have bits of peeling still on them, just tidy them up with your paring knife. I've found that the dried peel poses a choking hazard.

Some of your larger pieces may have bits of the apple core still embedded (also a choking hazard). You can use your paring knife to cut them out or you can use a circular cookie cutter to cut them out. I am using part of a tea infuser because it's just the perfect size.

Now is a good time to turn on your dehydrator and get it "warmed up".

This brand is a NESCO. It comes with 4 trays and a couple fruit leather trays (that's my NEXT instructable, haha)

I've set the dehydrator to 140 degrees Celsius
I'm sure you can do this in your oven as well, just haven't tried it
Dehydrators run about $59 - 89 & up ....Savvy tip: August/September, they go on sale

In a small bowl, put 1/2 Cup Sugar & 1 Tablespoon of Cinnamon, stir to mix it up.
(If it's too "cinnamon-y" for you, just add a bit more sugar)

I mix it up in an old mayo jar, as I make lots of other cinnamon-sugar things.

Put your apples in a big bowl and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture LIGHTLY over top
and stir, sprinkle some more, stir - keep repeating until all your apple slices are lightly sprinkled

Now, arrange your DELICIOUS-SMELLING apples onto the trays.

I like arranging them this way (circular) so I can get more apples on each tray

Stack your trays and put the dehydrator cover on. Sit back, and enjoy that yummy smell.

This is my 2nd dehydrator in 20 years. I bought a dehydrator that used the same size
trays as my old one, so now I've got 8 trays of apples going.
If you do have this many trays going, every couple hours, rotate the trays around.

I start the apple chips at 6pm so that when I wake up at 7am the next morning, THEY'RE DONE- YAAAY!

You can start them at whatever time you'd like, but expect to get up and turn them off 12 hours later for "TOTALLY CRUNCH-tastic"

Okay, so now your apple chips are SUPER crunchy as they cool off. Put them into GLASS jars to keep them crunchy.
Always keep the lid on after sneaking some for a snack...OFTEN

I used recycled spaghetti sauce jars because they don't recycle glass here.
So I make them and give them to our local food bank. They seem to be  a favourite there.

They'll be YOURS TOO, when you taste them - ENJOY!