DEHYDRATING

Dehydrating is a brilliant way to preserve seasonal produce, reduce waste, and enjoy tasty, healthy snacks all year round. With just a dehydrator or a low oven, you can transform fresh fruit and vegetables into shelf-stable treats that are perfect for snacking, adding to recipes, or gifting.
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This year, I had an abundance of apples and decided to borrow my brother's dehydrator and try my hand at dehydrating. The results were amazing, chewy apple chips that not only keep for months but also won over my teenager!

It worked so well that I dehydrated the extra beetroot I had in the kitchen, and just wow. They are delicious and great with the apples. Even my brother, not a beetroot fan, liked them!

How to Dehydrate

• Peel your apples or beetroot.
• Core the apples.
• ​Slice thinly and evenly (a mandoline is useful here).
• For apples, a quick dip in lemon water helps prevent browning (I didn't bother!)
• Arrange slices on dehydrator trays or baking parchment in a low oven (about 60–70°C).
• Dry until crisp but not burnt, I did 12 hours in a dehydrator.
• Cool completely before storing in airtight jars.

The best part? Dehydrated apples and beetroot keep for months, are easy to store, and mean you always have a zero-waste, healthy snack at hand. They’ve become so popular in our house that the apples are nearly all gone,  I might even have to buy more just so I can dehydrate them!

Geraldine Fitzpatrick