Make Healthy Fruit Leather Snacks With Fresh Fruit and a Food Dehydrator

Do you, or your children, have problems eating enough healthy snacks? Do you, or your children, eat too many chips, sweets and other processed foods and snacks? It is fairly well known that most people do not eat enough fruit and vegetables. In fact a recent study by the Center for Disease and Control stated that only about 30% of adults and students eat the recommended amount of two to three fruit servings per day.

Eating fruit leathers, or fruit roll ups, is an easy, fun and delicious way to incorporate more fruit into a diet. Fruit leathers are also a great way to use fresh fruit before it spoils. Plus fruit roll ups are shelf stable and can be stored for months. Lastly, they are portable and thus a great snack to pack when traveling or on the go.

Dried Fruit

Making fruit leather with a food dehydrator is easy. Here is a basic guide to quickly and easily turn fresh fruit into fruit leather!

Puree the Fruit: Use a food processor, a blender, a mixer, or lots of good old fashioned elbow grease to puree the fruit. Fruit leather can be made with just about any type or fruit or it can be a combination of different types of fruit. Experiment with various combinations. Just add the fruit in a blender or food processor and mix until smooth. Prepare the Drying Trays: Line the food dehydrator's tray with fruit leather sheets or parchment paper. Fruit leather can be sticky, thus, it is a good idea to line the drying trays. You can use paper clips to secure the parchment paper to the trays to keep it from moving around. Pour and Spread the Puree: Spread the puree evenly to about one quarter inch thick. It is important to achieve a constant thickness as this will prevent the dried fruit leather from tearing. Dehydrate: Most roll ups dry in five to ten hours. Dry the puree until it feels leathery and pliable and contains no visible moisture. Flipping the leather over, halfway through the process, can help achieve a faster and more even drying. Cut into Strips: Cut the roll ups into smaller strips and place each rolled up piece in plastic wrap. Securely Store for Future Snacking - Store the roll ups in an airtight container. Enjoy for the next several months, if they last that long!

Make Healthy Fruit Leather Snacks With Fresh Fruit and a Food Dehydrator

Visit Food Dehydrator to learn how to dehydrate food and make beef jerky and dried fruit. Use our content and calculators to find the best dehydrator and the benefits of food dehydrators and dried food.

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