* 4 kg ripe fresh apples. Discard any bruised, damaged over-ripe or mushy apples.
* Juice of 1 lemon


===Method===
* Remove any labels if they are shop-bought apples.
* Wash them in clean, fresh cold water and pat dry with a towel.
* They can be dried with or without the peel, it's your choice - though why not make half and half?
* Cut out any damaged parts.
* Peel them if required.
* Core them and cut into slices or rings, about 5 mm thick (¼”)
* Add to a bowl with the juice of a lemon and mix well to coat with the juice
* If you have a dehydrator follow the manufacturers instructions from here on.
* If you wish to prevent discolouration (browning), then follow the step in preventing discolouration, below.
* Preheat the oven to its lowest setting - use the slow oven if you have an Aga.
* Arrange on mesh racks so they are not touching each other and leave for 24 hours to dry
* You can use trays but you will need to flip the apples half-way through to dry both sides properly
* The finished product should at least be as dry as a sultana to touch, though you can dry to a crisp if required
* Allow to cool at room temperature and bag up in zip-lock poly bags, squeezing out any excess air
* They will keep for months like this or even longer if frozen
===Preventing discolouration===
There are various way to prevent discolouration:
'''Ascorbic acid'''
Dissolve one tablespoon of crystalline ascorbic acid in one litre of cold water. Soak the sliced apples for a few minutes, remove with a slotted spoon, drain and then dehydrate.
'''Vitamin C'''
Using two tablespoons front to back or a rolling pin on a board, crush normal vitamin C tablets so you have 1 tablespoon of vitamin C powder. Dissolve in one litre of cold water. Soak the sliced apples for five minutes, remove with a slotted spoon, drain and then dehydrate.
'''Lemon juice'''
Mix one cup of lemon juice with 1 litre of cold water. Soak the sliced apples for five minutes, remove with a slotted spoon, drain and then dehydrate.

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