We are having an incredible apple season this fall! Apples abound in every size, shape, and color.
A dear friend of mine had quite a collection from her backyard, so she came over and we got busy with apples. And talking. And tasting. Though I’m still not sure of what variety of apple it is, they are delicious!
I got out my handy apple peeler/corer/slicer (Pampered Chef, $32) and off we went. I didn’t really have a plan with the apples…we just decided they needed to be cut up!
The apples quickly started to turn brown once they were naked. I got out my bag of lemons and my new lemon squeezer, and bathed them in drops of lemon juice as we went. Those ones went into the dehydrator for later snacking!
For the apples that I decided to cook, I just placed those in a bowl and wasn’t concerned that they turned a bit brown until I was ready to put them on the stove. It didn’t seem to affect the delicious, cinnamon sweet outcome!
At the end of a few dozen apples, what we were left with was a pile of cores and peels. With my new quest for returning “nature to nature” in the compost pile, I figured I would just enhance the budding mulch with some sweet apple parts. It struck me though, what if I tried the peels in the dehydrator?
I received some hilarious responses to my post on the Facebook page as to what these looked like:
These were so easy to make, and rather tasty! I’m always looking for a good snack with a little crunch or chewy texture. These varied between the two, depending on the cooking method and time. Give it a try!
Take the raw apple peel and place them in a bowl (be sure the apples were washed well prior to being cut/sliced/peeled). If you would prefer apple peel chips (also delicious!), be sure to cut the peel off in larger chunks, not strings.
We cut and peeled about 25 apples. I really enjoy the way cinnamon and apple flavors combine, so I added a cinnamon/sugar mix to the peels before I dehydrated them. I combined 1/2 cup of sugar and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon to make a cinnamon/sugar mix (for Paleo, use 1/2 cup raw honey or maple syrup). You can also add some nutmeg to the mix. If the peels have dried out before you get to them, you might want to add 1 teaspoon of water to ensure that the cinnamon/sugar mixture can stick to them. Place the mixture on the apples and stir them until the peels are coated.
Feel free to adjust the sugar/cinnamon to your taste’s desire – just don’t overdo on the cinnamon, as it may come out too spicy for the taste buds.
If you have a dehydrator, place on the fruit setting (135 degrees) and run for 10-12 hours, depending on humidity levels in your area. You can also make these in the oven. At 250 degrees, bake them on cookie sheets in a single layer for an hour. Stir and turn them over, then bake for another hour. Be sure to check them intermittently to ensure they don’t burn.
Great for kid’s events, appetizers, and snacks! Enjoy the best the season has to offer!
~GGF Gourmet