Are you planning on hitting the trail as the summer months turn cool? Or are you just looking for a delicious and healthy snack that will stand the test of time? Here’s your solution: dried fruit! The principle is simple. Just thinly slice fruit and pop it in an oven on low heat for a few hours. Bring it out, let cool, and enjoy!
Dried Apple Rounds
These are great on their own, or torn up in a cinnamon granola trail mix. You could also tuck a few into oatmeal or ice cream, or even drop into apple cinnamon tea. It’s up to you whether you’d prefer to remove the skins or not.
Serves 4 as a snack
2 apples
Pinch of cinnamon
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. If you have a mandoline slicer, carefully slice the apples crosswise to about 1/16th of an inch (it may help to lop off the bottom and go from there). Otherwise, use a very sharp knife to carefully cut very thin slices of apples. Lay out the apple slices on a baking sheet, preferably over wire racks if you have them, and very lightly dust with cinnamon. Bake for an hour. The chips are done when they’re pale gold and beginning to crisp. Remove and let cool before enjoying. They’ll keep for several weeks in the fridge or months in the freezer.
Dried Banana Chips
Banana chips found at the grocery store usually contain loads of excess sugar. Avoid those and pick up a bunch of fresh bananas to make your own chips instead!
Serves 6 as a snack
3 bananas
1/3 cup lemon juice
Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Slice the bananas into thin slices, about ¼ inch, and dip in lemon juice. Place banana slices on wire racks on parchment paper-lined baking sheets, and bake for 2-3 hours or until golden and crisp. The bananas will keep for a few weeks in the fridge or months in the freezer.
Strawberry Apricot Fruit Leather
Forget the sugary fruit leather you find in stores! It’s easy to make your own—another throw-it-in-the-oven-and-walk-away treat.
Serves 4 as a snack
2 cups chopped apricots (medium)
2 cups chopped strawberries
Pinch of cinnamon
Pinch of brown sugar
Pour chopped fruit and a pinch of cinnamon into a saucepan on the stove and bring it to a boil, breaking down the fruit even more as you go. After about ten minutes, take it off heat and let it cool slightly, then taste the mixture. If it needs sweetened, add a bit of brown sugar until you’re satisfied. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Pour the fruit mixture into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth and liquid. Pour that mixture onto a large parchment-paper-lined baking sheet, making sure you spread it evenly. You could also spread a light layer of vegetable oil on the bottom of a glass baking dish for the same result. Pop in the oven for 6-8 hours, checking occasionally. It’s done when it is smooth and no longer sticky. It will easily peel up from the parchment paper when cool. Slice into strips and enjoy! To store, stack strips between pieces of plastic wrap or in individual serving-sized baggies.
You can dry any fruit in the oven! Make sure you use a baking sheet, some parchment paper, and if you have them, wire racks on the baking sheet. If you’re slicing fruit, slice them thinly, then arrange on baking sheets or racks. Pop in the oven at the lowest temperature, walk away, and check back once every hour or so. Some fruit, like cherries or cranberries, can take 6-8 hours to dry and shrivel completely, and others (like those thinly-sliced apple chips) take only one or two. Watch the fruit, and don’t be afraid to remove the tray from the oven to turn over something that’s only drying on one side!
Dress Up a Plain Suit
