Drying is the oldest form of preservation and, at its simplest, this recipe needs no more than perfectly ripe unbruised apples.

Wash the apples ( I use late eating apples such as Tydeman’s Late Orange), cut off the bottom and core. You may also choose to peel the fruit. Using a wide (coin thick) setting on a mandolin, slice them and place in a bowl of cold water into which the juice of a lemon has been added. The reason for adding lemon juice is that it stops the slices from turning brown: slightly salted water could be used in its place but, in this case, the slices would need to be washed before eating.

Using generous amounts of kitchen paper, spread out the rings and pat them dry. Then thread them onto BBQ skewers. Allow space to keep the rings apart. Place the skewers over a roasting pan and put into an oven on the lowest heat for as long as it takes for the slices to become dry. Check from time to time and be sure the rings remain separated. I use the coolest oven of the Aga where it can take up to eight hours for the slices to dry. Don’t worry if you have to take the apples from the oven if it is needed for other cooking – just put them back when the oven is cool enough. 

When dry, leave them to cool and store in glass jars. Should any slices feel moist and a little leathery, restring them on the skewers and put back into the oven to dry for longer or play safe and freeze them.  Any white coating found on the rings is not mould but dried fruit sugar. 

These form a very welcome addition to a winter breakfast table.