Dried Apple Grades and Standards

Dried apples are prepared from sound, properly ripened fruit of the common apple (Malus pumila) by washing, sorting, trimming, peeling, coring, and cutting into segments. The prepared apple segments are properly dried to remove the greater portion of moisture to produce a semi-dry texture. The product may be sulfured sufficiently to retard discoloration. The dried apples are sorted or cleaned, or both, to assure a clean, sound, wholesome product.

Grades of Dried Apples

  1. U.S. Grade A or U.S. Fancy dried apples is the quality of dried apples in the style of pie pieces, slices or rings, or wedges in which the moisture content of the finished product is not more than 24 percent by weight, that possess similar varietal characteristics, that possess a normal flavor and odor, that possess a good color, that are practically uniform in size, that are practically free from defects, and that possess a good texture.
  2. U.S. Grade B or U.S. Choice dried apples is the quality of dried apples in the style of pie pieces, slices or rings, or wedges in which the moisture content of the finished product is not more than 24 percent by weight, that possess similar varietal characteristics, that possess a normal flavor and odor, that possess a reasonably good color, that are reasonably uniform in size, that are reasonably free from defects, and that possess a reasonably good texture.
  3. U.S. Grade C or U.S. Standard dried apples is the quality of dried apples in the style of pie pieces, slices or rings, wedges, or cuts in which the moisture content of the finished product is not more than 24 percent by weight, that may possess dissimilar varietal characteristics, that possess a normal flavor and odor, that possess a fairly good color; that are fairly uniform in size, except for cut style; that are fairly free from defects, and that possess a fairly good texture.
  4. Substandard dried apples is the quality of dried apples that fail to meet the requirements of U.S. Grade C or U.S. Standard.

Inspection Aid

  • IA #30A Area Measurement Guide, 8 x 10 in English Units
  • IA #30C Area Measurement Guide

Detailed standards, Inspection Instructions & Other Resources: