Preserved Apple Rings, Shandong-Style
2 min readThe Chinese adore apples—the best are said to come from Shandong, famous for its superb apple orchards. While there is nothing better than a fresh apple eaten out of hand, sometimes the next best thing is a preserved apple eaten out of the oven. In fact, a recent study indicated that women who ate dried apples every day for 12 months lowered their total cholesterol by 14 percent and their levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol by 23 percent—not bad for a year’s worth of delicious work. This totally goodfor-you recipe draws its inspiration from my student whose Chinese name in part— the ―( pingguo)—creates the Mandarin character for apple, . This one is for you, Victor, the apple of my eye—really!
MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS
2 large apples (Fuji, Gala, Honeycrisp, or other sweet-crisp variety), about 8 ounces each, peeled, if desired, left whole, and cored
Preheat oven to 150F (65C). Set a cake rack on a large baking sheet. Alternatively, line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice each apple into rings about 1⁄8 inch in thickness. Arrange slices in a single layer on the cake rack or parchment. Bake 8 to 10 hours in the center of the oven, turning over halfway through cooking time if using parchment (turning is not necessary with a cake rack), or until apple slices are leathery and flexible, but not brittle. Let cool completely before placing in a resealable plastic bag and storing at room temperature for several weeks. Alternatively, store in the refrigerator or freezer for several months.
{PER SERVING} Calories 62 • Protein 0g • Total Fat 0g • Sat Fat 0g • Cholesterol 0mg • Carbohydrate 16g • Dietary Fiber 3g • Sodium 0mg
