Tips on where and how to store dried apples

Among the stocks for the winter, drying from apples is not the last place. They contain a lot of useful substances.

When stored properly, dried apples do not spoil for a long time. But for this it is necessary to choose a container and ensure high-quality storage conditions.

Read about whether it is possible and how to properly store dried apples at home, how best to organize storage in glass jars, bags, boxes, etc., in the article.

Which varieties are best for drying?

For drying, it is advisable to select fruits that have a small seed box and a thin peel... The prepared sorted fruits are washed and cut into pieces or circles.

Apple varieties that have dense white flesh, sour or sweet and sour are best suited for storage.

These include:

• Titovka;
• Aport;
• Pippin;
• Antonovka;
• Grushovka and others.

It is recommended to send the apples for drying immediately after cutting. In this way, all the beneficial qualities of the fruit will be preserved in the best way.

Damaged and rotten areas should be cut... If drying is carried out in the open air, the spread out apple pieces are covered with gauze on top, protecting from flies and bugs.

You can dry almost any apples after removing the damaged areas. But from sweet varieties, the yield of the dry product will be much less, and the taste after drying will be less pronounced.

How to properly organize storage conditions and locations?

Dried apples can be kept at home at room temperature. But the most suitable are:

• room temperature - up to + 10 ° С;
• humidity - up to 30%;
• lack of light.

Organize storage space at home in the apartment you can in such places:

• pantry;
• kitchen cabinets with closing doors.

When dried at home in open containers (such as plastic buckets), dried apple slices can even become moldy.

Improve the situation and prevent moisture from damaging apples, a simple technique will help:

1. A bowl is placed on a box or bucket with drying.
2. Pour salt or rice into this container.

This storage method is worse than in an airtight container, so it can only be used in the warm season. For the winter, there is no worthy alternative to sealed containers and placement in a dark, dry place.

In order for the pieces to dry evenly, which affects further storage, they must be approximately the same size.

A lot of useful information about storing apples can be found here.

How long, in what container?

The container for storing dried apples is selected taking into account the amount of drying and the characteristics of storage locations. Best for small volumes hermetically sealed containers made of the following materials are suitable:

• glass;
• plastic;
• metal.

The peculiarity of packaging a product ready for storage is wrapping it with paper (waxed or wrapping), which will allow you to control the humidity in the container.

This packaging is not airtight. As a result, dried fruits can become prey for moths and other insects.

If boxes (wooden or cardboard) are chosen as storage containers, their inner part should be lined with wax paper... This method is suitable for storing large quantities of products. But with this method, tightness is not observed, so drying will have to be sorted out more often.

Apples, carefully dried and stored in suitable containers and conditions, can last for several years. The minimum shelf life is one year. If the storage conditions are violated, the shelf life of dried fruits is reduced.

Protection against pests (moths, etc.)

Even storage in accordance with all the rules cannot guarantee that the drying will not be damaged by insects. Periodically during the entire storage period, drying is required to be sorted out.

Treatment of insect-infected lobules

The moth is attracted by the pronounced fruity-sweet smell of apples. If it was not possible to avoid infection, and pests were found, then you need to act as follows:

1. Remove damaged pieces from storage.
2. Pour undamaged dryers onto a baking sheet and place in the oven.
3. Set the temperature to 70 ° C.
4. Ignite for an hour.

Another way to eliminate pests is exposure to low temperatures. To do this, place the drying in the refrigerator for one day. Sending the injured dryer to the freezer will help to solve the problem faster. There it can be kept for only 10-15 minutes.

Mold control

Moths and other insects are not the only problems encountered. Mold can infect dried fruits if stored improperly:

• lack of dryness;
• lack of ventilation.

At the same time, freezing or calcining at high temperatures is not able to correct the situation. Fruit cannot be removed from mold - they must be thrown away.

Preventive measures

Most often drying is affected by moths... Pre-treatment of apple slices will help prevent its appearance:

1. Chop the apples.
2. Rinse with salted water.
3. Prepare a weak vinegar solution (1 tablespoon per liter of water).
4. Dip apples into the solution.
5. Leave for 10 minutes.
6. Dry the slices first in air, and then in an electric dryer or oven.
7. After drying, place in hermetically sealed containers.

If a bag made of fabric is chosen as a container for storing drying, then it must be pre-processed in one of the following ways:

1. Wash with laundry soap.
2. Hold the bag in a salt solution and dry it.

7 recommendations on the topic

In the process of drying storage, it is advisable to use the following tips:

1. Only well-dried apples can be sent for storage.
2. The tightness of the packaging prevents the absorption of odors and protects against insect damage.
3. If both well and poorly dried apple pieces are present in one package, then all drying can be lost during storage.
4. Dryers should not be stored near spices, even if well packed, as apples can still absorb off odors.
5. The key to long-term storage is adherence to drying rules.
6. When storing dried apples, it is advisable to expose them to frost from time to time. To do this, it is better to pour the fruit slices onto trays and baking sheets in one layer.
7. In a sealed container, paper must be present in order to absorb possible excess moisture.

When stored in direct sunlight, dried fruit darkens quickly.

Related videos

The video will tell you how to properly store dried apples:

Conclusion

Dried apples are a source of vitamins and other nutrients during the cold season. In order to prevent insects from growing in the product and mold to appear, it must be stored correctly, in compliance with all the necessary conditions.