How to dry apples, peaches, or pears

1. Wash fruit.

2. Fill a quart jar with water.
   Pour it in a big pan.
   Add 1 tablespoon of salt.

3. Fill the jar with water again.
   Pour it into the pan.
   Do this until the pan is half full.
   Add 1 tablespoon of salt for each jar of water.
   Stir the salt and water.

4. Peel one piece of fruit.
   Cut it into two pieces.
   Cut out the core and seeds.
   Cut out any bad spots.

5. Cut each piece into 8 or 10 small pieces.

6. Put pieces in salt water.
   Fix other fruit like you did this one.

7. Put tin in the sun. Put it out of reach of dogs and cats.

8. Spread a clean cloth over the tin.
   Cloth must be as big as the tin.

9. Put tin cans on top of cloth.
   Put one can at each corner.
   Put one can on each side between the corner cans.
   Put one can in the middle.

10. Take fruit pieces out of water.
    Spread them on the cloth.
    Do not let pieces touch each other.
    Do not let them touch the cans.

11. Put the big cloth over the fruit.
    It should cover the fruit.
    But it should not touch the fruit.
    This will keep flies off the fruit.

12. Put a can at each corner of the big cloth.
    This will keep the cloth off the fruit.

13. Turn fruit over every once in a while.
    Fruit is dry when it is not sticky.
    It will feel tough and leathery.

14. Put dried fruit in a clean, dry jar.
    Do not pack fruit. Screw the lid on tightly.
    Put jar on shelf or in the corner of the room.

15. After 3 days take fruit out of jars.

16. Turn oven to 175°F. The oven needs to be just warm.

17. Put fruit in a baking pan.
    Spread it one layer deep.

    

18. Put baking pan in oven.
    Shake it every once in a while.
    Do not let fruit get too hot.

19. Let oven stay on for 15 minutes.
    Turn oven off. Leave fruit in oven.
    Shake pan every once in a while.
    Let fruit stay until it is cool. This will be about 3 hours.

20. Wash jars again. Rinse them. Let them dry.

21. Put fruit in clean, dry jars.
    Screw lids on tightly.

22. Put jars on shelf.
    Now fruit is ready to use.

For more information, contact your county Extension office. Visit http://www.aces.edu/counties or look in your telephone directory under your county's name to find contact information. Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work in agriculture and home economics, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, and other related acts, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M University and Auburn University) offers educational programs, materials, and equal opportunity employment to all people without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, veteran status, or disability.