I was reading the book "Keeping Food Fresh" by the Gardeners and Farmers of Terra Vivante. I can't remember who recommended it, but it was someone on this forum. Thanks!!!

Anyway, one of the apple drying recipes said to core, but not peel the apples, then slice. Has anyone ever dried apples with the peeling on them? It seems that it would make it faster and be more nutritional. But all the other drying books I have read say to peel. What do you think?

Thanks.

-- Joli Beevers (rjr90@ev1.net), January 24, 2002

Answers

Ive done it both ways,, I guess it depends on preferance,, and what your going ot do with them., maing pies without peeling them may not work too well

-- Stan (sopal@net-port.com), January 24, 2002.

The apple chips you can buy in the store (they're deep fried like potato chips) have the peel on them.

If you have a mandoline (expensive) or a v-slicer (inexpensive, and does everything the mandoline does except waffle cuts) and are very easy on the hand pressure, you should be able to slice them very thinly.

I assume you are using either organic apples or have washed the wax/ pesticide residue off them?

-- GT (nospam@nospam.com), January 24, 2002.

I dry apples all the time with out peeling them, but I use mine for crafts.

-- Jo in PA (farmerjo02@yahoo.com), January 24, 2002.

Every great while I get some apples that have a bitter taste in the peel, these I peel before drying, because the bitter flavor gets stronger when dryed, other wise I don't peel.

-- Thumper (slrldr@yahoo.com), January 24, 2002.

I always dry them with the peels on. My guess as to why most books have you peel them is the same silly reason people peel carrots and potatoes before cooking. Asthetics! Personally I like the looks of food with it's skin on. I think it tastes better and as you said it is better for you. My 2 cents worth.

-- Susan northern MN (nanaboo@paulbunyan.net), January 24, 2002.

I leave the peel on. once I dried some for someone else who wanted them peeled - so I dried the peels for myself.

reminds me of a friend whose wife refused to fry taters with peels. - he rescued peels from the sink [she peeled them thick] and fried those!

-- carol (kanogisdi@yahoo.com), January 25, 2002.

Skins on here, too. What is the purported advantage of peeling? I also never peel potatoes, even for mashing. To peel is to lose nutrients, and I know not the advantage. I'll admit that I do peel oranges, but then I usually eat a fair amount of the "peels" as well. GL!

-- Brad (homefixer@SacoRiver.net), January 28, 2002.