Dried Apples a L'Anglaise

This is oven-drying in a cooling brick oven, spread over several days: the apples go in after the day's baking is done and come out when the oven is cold. The whole method rests on very low heat and patience.

• "Very slack oven"The book's term for its lowest heat; period usage is imprecise, but something in the region of 150-250F is the usual modern reading. In a modern oven use the lowest available temperature with the door propped slightly ajar so moisture escapes; a dehydrator at 135-145F does the same job unattended.
• Why three or four daysA wood-fired oven gave only falling residual heat after the day's baking, so the fruit was returned to it each time the oven was fired. In a modern oven the same drying is usually done in one stretch, roughly 6-10 hours for halves and longer for whole fruit.
• The fruitThe recipe says only "them" and gives no preparation; the apples are presumably whole or halved. Firm cooking apples will hold their shape better under a weight than soft dessert varieties.
• The pressingThis is the step that gives the finished sweetmeat its character. Flatten only while the apples are warm and pliable, between two boards or plates with a light weight, and never so hard that juice is forced out.
• Increasing the heat at the endA final warmer pass drives off the last surface moisture and firms the skin. Do not let it colour or caramelise, or the apples turn leathery and bitter at the edges.
• Knowing when they are doneProperly dried apples feel pliable and dry to the touch, with no bead of moisture when a piece is torn open. Cool them completely, then leave them loosely covered a day or two so any remaining moisture equalises.
• StorageAirtight jars in a dark cupboard. Check the first week for condensation; if any appears, return the fruit to low heat, as undried patches will mould.
• YieldThe original gives none. Reckon on about 1 lb of dried fruit from 6-7 lb of fresh apples.