How to dry fruit (after using it to power small clocks)

After my tweenage sister and I punctured an apple for an experiment using copper and nickel to harness it's natural electricity, and then carelessly tossed it back into the fruit basket for a few days, I figured it would be best to dry it but didn't know how? So I activated the Google machine and here's what I found out:

• You can dry any fruit that is ripe, but not too ripe, and in good condition, including but not limited to apples, bananas, peaches, pears, apricots, berries, cherries, etc. For eco-sake, it's best to stick with fruits that are in season in your area.


• Wash, peel, pit, core and slice up your fruit unless it has skin (like blueberries and cherries). The thickness of your slices is up to you but try and keep pieces uniform for equal dry time.


• Steam those slices and berries for 3-5 minutes then place them on a parchment lined baking sheet with enough room so that the pieces don't touch. Turn the oven to about 125 degrees Fahrenheit and find something else to do around the house because it will take a few hours to dry the fruit and any attempts to speed up the process by turning up the heat will just result in dehydration.


• Let the now-dried fruit sit overnight. In the morning, pop it back in the oven for ten minutes at 175 degrees in order to destroy any possible insect eggs. Then let it cool for a bit and viola! Dried fruit without added sugar and preservatives.