Pioneer Fun = Dried Apple Dolls by Belinda Mooney

Just in time for apple season!

Pioneer Fun- Dried Apple Dolls

Ingredients:
1 Cup Lemon Juice
1 Tablespoon Salt
Fresh Apples, medium to large size
Whole cloves (good for eyes, teeth and facial expressions)

Directions:
Peel the apples, trimming away bruises, and submerge in the salt-lemon juice mixture to help preserve them. After a few seconds, remove from the liquid and pat dry. Insert a wooden stick, skewer, or pencil firmly into the core for a "handle". Carve faces using a spoon or table knife and add cloves as eyes, teeth, ears, etc. Keep in mind that the apples will shrink to less than 1/2 their original size so the features should be a bit exaggerated when carving.

The heads can be propped upright by inserting the "handle" into a pot of sand or a block of Styrofoam. Allow the apple heads to dry by placing in a full size oven with the door slightly open for 4-5 hours at 200 degrees, then leave them to dry in the open air for a few days. Or simply let them air dry for several days, checking periodically to be sure mold does not develop. If you live in a humid climate, the oven drying is a better choice. The apples will remain a bit soft even when they are completely dry. When dry, tie or glue fabric, trinkets or decorations onto the "handle" to create a doll or hand puppet.