The slices can be fresh, or dried. Generally, though, the term refers to fresh, uncooked slices, with terms such as “Dried Apples” or “Dried Apple Slices” being used to refer to the dried slices.
Fresh Apple Slices can be used as a snack out of hand, as a salad ingredient, as a decorative and edible component of snack trays such as cheese trays, or used in cooking.
They can be peeled or unpeeled, depending upon preference and use.
Pits should be removed, as well as the tough core.
You can buy tinned, partially-cooked Apple Slices for use in cooking.
If you have to slice a great deal of apples at once, and have to do this often enough, an Apple Slicer might be a worthwhile kitchen utensil to ponder.
Cooking Tips
Much of the pectin in Apples, a natural thickening agent, is concentrated just under the skin. So if you’re cooking with Apple Slices and need them peeled, make an effort to remove just the peel and as little of the flesh under the Apple as possible. It will help your pies and sauces to set better.
Preventing Apple Slices from Browning
Thanks for Beth Dorschner for prompting this page dedicated to Apple Slices and how to prevent browning.
When Apple Slices are meant to be consumed fresh, either out of hand as a snack that is being sent to school or to work, or on a cheese tray, or in a salad, the trick of course is to stop the exposed apple flesh from being turned brown by the oxygen in air.
There are several ways in which this can be achieved.
Note that many of the methods involve using a juice and water solution. For these methods, use about 1 tablespoon of juice per 1 cup / 250 ml of water. For a less acidic juice such as apple juice, use 3 or 4 tablespoons, or just straight apple juice, even.
- brush with or dip in an acidic juice such as apple juice, lemon or lime juice, grapefruit juice, etc. Some people prefer pineapple juice or orange juice, as they work just as well, while adding some sweetness instead of sourness;
- brush with or dip in water that has been acidulated with apple cider vinegar;
- brush with or dip in white wine;
- dip in an acidic soft drink such as lemon-lime soda pop or Ginger Ale;
- if sending off as part of a lunch, you can put them in yoghurt or slightly-salted water in a sealed plastic container — the yoghurt or water will keep the air off them;
- Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) powder dissolved in water. Note that as this is just pure Vitamin C, you can just crush up a Vitamin C tablet. A Vitamin C tablet crushed into water (about 125 mg tablet [Ed: a bit more is fine] per 4 cups / litre of water) will do the same trick as soaking in acidulated water or juices because in juices, it’s the Vitamin C that is preventing the browning.
If you soak the apple slices in water with something in it, drain the slices and pat them dry after soaking for about 15 minutes.
Note that there is a class of apples called “Salad Apples”, which are slower to brown when sliced than other apples.
If you are routinely sending off as part of packed lunches sliced fruit that might brown, you can make up solution of water and either juice / cider vinegar / Vitamin C powder, put it in a spritzer, and keep in the fridge, then just spritz the slices quickly in the mornings when preparing the lunches.
The techniques discussed above also work for sliced peaches, pears and avocados.
Equivalents
1 pound Apples = 450g Apples = 4 small Apples = 3 medium Apples = 2 large Apples = 2 ¾ cups sliced (peeled & cored)
1 cup sliced, peeled Apples = 6oz = 150g
Storage Hints
Peeled, sliced Apples freeze well for cooking use afterwards. Before packing and freezing the slices, Immerse them in water with a bit of lemon juice (or use one of the other soaking methods discussed above.)