A cheap fruit dryer you can build on a Saturday afternoon; it gives great results with apples.

Step 1: Materials and Tools

some pieces of (scrap)wood
plastic mosquito netting, as used on a screen door
stapler, hammer and nails
pair of scissors, stanley knife
hair dryer or heat gun
cardboard
ducttape

Step 2: Construction

make 5 or 6 square wooden boxes with no bottom; mine are about 30 cm square
make a hole for your hair dryer in the wall of the lowest box
staple or nail the netting onto the bottoms of the other boxes
make a chimney from the cardboard and ducttape

Step 3: Recipe for Dried Apples

Peel and slice 1,5 kg of apples
To prevent the apples turning brown, mix with fresh lemonjuice; from half a lemon
Put the apple slices in the boxes with the netting
Put all the boxes on top of each other, and onto the box with the dryer
Let the dryer run for some hours (depending on he power of your dryer)

Your apples are dry enough if the total weight is reduced to 200 g

you can store them for months in ziplock bags