Category Archives: DIY

IMG_7753

Homemade Apple Chips Perfect for Little Hands

Baby, Baking, DIY, Home, Homemade, , , , , , , , , , ,

I’m not sure who wins the easy contest, apple chips or the applesauce?!

The apple chips are the perfect snack food for you or your baby.  I love to leave them out on the counter and snack on them throughout the day or give them to the baby while I get his lunch ready.  He loves to crunch on them and the literally melt in your mouth.

First, like the applesauce you need to wash the apples well.  I put them in a sink filled with water and 1/2 to 1 cup of vinegar.  I let them sit for 10 minutes or so and then drain and rinse well.

Next, I take the WHOLE APPLE and put it in the food processor on the slice setting.  One by one, I slice the apples.  In total, I can only fit 5 or 6 sliced apples in my food dehydrator, so make sure you keep that in mind and don’t go wild slicing only to find they won’t fit.

IMG_7725

IMG_7730

Next you have two options.  Method 1, I put the sliced apples into a bag that I had 3 tablespoons real maple syrup and 2 tablespoons cinnamon.  I seal the bag with the apples, maple syrup mixture and air and shake it to get all of the slices coated.  The second method, I just lay the apples out on the dehydrator and sprinkle with cinnamon.  Try them both and see which you prefer.  I like the sweetness of method 1, but method 2 obviously is more wholesome for your family.

Apples after shaking in the maple syrup cinnamon mix!
Apples after shaking in the maple syrup cinnamon mix!

After you’ve prepped the apples if using method 1, you’ll need to lay them out on the layers of your dehydrator.  Try not to overlap too much or they will “bake” together into one large lump.  Also, when I first started doing apple chips I would spend a lot of time picking out seeds and whatnot, but now, I just bake with them on and find they fall out a lot easier when they are baked.

 

I let them sit in the dehydrator overnight (about 8 hours) and they are nice and crisp in the morning.  I honestly could make these every week I’m so in love with them!

Apples arranged before dehydrating
Apples arranged before dehydrating
And after a night in the dehydrator...notice some appear to be missing...the husband LOVES these too!
And after a night in the dehydrator…notice some appear to be missing…the husband LOVES these too!
IMG_7753
Apple chips are perfect for little hands!

 

Apples made using method 2 with sprinkled cinnamon on top.
Apples made using method 2 with sprinkled cinnamon on top.
I used a large pot full of apples, with 1 cup water and a heavy dose of cinnamon. I put the lid on and cooked on low.

Easy DIY Applesauce in Slow Cooker or on the Stove

Baking, DIY, Home, , , , , , , ,

Applesauce is perfect for all of those leftover apples.  Applesauce is versatile.  Use it in baking as a substitute for oil, butter or eggs, use as a sauce for pork, as an easy snack for babies or just eat it as is in it’s simplistic deliciousness.

I like the idea of getting extra fiber when I eat and use applesauce so I do mine a little different then you’d normally see.

First I wash all of the apples really well.  I put them in a sink filled with water and 1/2 to 1 cup of vinegar.  I let them sit for 10 minutes or so and then drain and rinse well.

Next, I slice the apples with my apple slicer/corer WITH THE PEEL ON!  I used to spend endless amounts of time peeling apples always feeling like, “Here goes that heart healthy fiber!”  So I now slice with the peels ON.  I just start accumulating all of the slices in a large pot that I’ll use on the stove.  I’ve also used my slow cooker to cook this all day.  The choice is your’s what you use.  The benefit of the slow cooker versus the stove is that you can use a slow cooker liner  and it eliminates a lot of the cleanup.  Either way add the apples to the pot or crockpot, add a cup or two of water and get cooking!

I used a large pot full of apples, with 1 cup water and a heavy dose of cinnamon. I put the lid on and cooked on low.
I used a large pot full of apples, with 1 cup water and a heavy dose of cinnamon. I put the lid on and cooked on low.

If you are using the crockpot, I cooked on low for 4 to 6 hours.  For the stove, I cooked on medium heat until the apples were soft enough to be cut with a spoon.  If you love cinnamon like we do, feel free to add some.  I don’t have an exact measurement, just add tablespoon or so.  An alternative is you can add the cinnamon after you’ve put the apples in a food processor or Magic Bullet.  NOTE: I do NOT add sugar to my apples. I’ve found that they are sweet enough as is.  But if you want to add sugar you can start with 1/2 cup brown sugar.  But be daring, try it without sugar and I doubt you’ll be disappointed!

See how much the apples cooked down over the course of 40 minutes?
See how much the apples cooked down over the course of 40 minutes?

Once you can cut the apples with a spoon, pour them into a food processor and pulse until you can’t detect peels and the mixture looks smooth.

I've placed the apples into the food processor and pulsed until smooth. I've also used the Magic Bullet when I do smaller batches or applesauce.
I’ve placed the apples into the food processor and will pulse until smooth.  Notice that right now, it’s still a little lumpy looking.  If you leave the skin on you’ll have to pulse until smooth otherwise you’ll have chunks of peel throughout. I’ve also used the Magic Bullet when I do smaller batches or applesauce.

After that you can decide how you want to store it.  I put mine into quart freezer bags and laid flat in my freezer.  You can also can it, or if your family loves applesauce it’ll hold in the refrigerator for a week or two.