How to Freeze Dry Apples
Learn how to freeze dry apples at home with these expert tips. Freeze drying apples makes the best snacks and is great for long-term storage.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 pounds apples (approximately 6 pounds)
- ¼ cup lemon juice (bottled or fresh squeezed)
Instructions
Preparing the Apples
- Wash and dry the apples.
- Add parchment paper or silcone mats to the freeze dryer trays
- Fill a large bowl with cold water and add the lemon juice.
- Use a knife or an apple peeler corer slicer to make uniform sliced apples (both peeled or unpeeled apples are fine). As the apples get sliced, immediately add them to the bowl containing cold water and lemon juice.
- Scoop the apples out of the water and place them on a clean kitchen towel to drain off the water.
- Add the slices to the trays. If you are doing very thin slices you can add a second layer of parchment paper on top of the first layer of apples and do a second layer of apples on each tray (see video in recipe card).
Unfrozen Apples Instructions
- Follow the on screen prompts for your freeze dryer. Place the trays of apples in the freeze dryer and run the freeze drying cycle. There are detailed instructions for Stay Fresh Freeze Dryers under the heading: Specific Instructions for Stay Fresh Freeze Dryers
- Let the freeze dryer complete its cycle, then use the steps below to check for dryness.
Pre-frozen Apples Instructions
- Place the trays of apples into a freezer and freeze for at least 24 hours to make sure they are fully frozen.
- Follow the on screen prompts for your freeze dryer and load the frozen trays straight from the freezer to the freeze dryer. There are detailed instructions for Stay Fresh Freeze Dryers under the heading: Specific Instructions for Stay Fresh Freeze Dryers
- Let the freeze dryer complete its cycle, then use the steps below to check for dryness.
Check for Dryness
- Drying time can range anywhere 20-48 hours, depending on how full your trays are and how thick the apple slices were cut. Once the cycle is finished, pause the freeze dryer and open the release valve. The apples should be crisp and free of any cold spots.
- For the most accurate check, weigh each tray in grams, return them to the freeze dryer for 4 more hours, then weigh the trays again. If the weight decreases, that means more moisture was removed. Repeat this process until the weight no longer changes to ensure that the apples are completely dry.
- When your apples are fully freeze dried, carefully remove the trays and immediately package then in vacuum-sealed airtight containers or mylar bags with a desiccant for reliable long-term storage.