Fruit Leather - Tips and a Recipe

Fruit leathers, also known as fruit rolls, are home made dried food snacks. Fruit leathers are made from pureed fresh produce which has been dried in a food dehydrator and then rolled into healthy snack sized pieces. Fruit leathers are easy to make and will cost less, and be better for you, than sugar laden imitators bought at the store.

Here are some tips to follow when making fruit leather:

Dried Fruit

Almost any produce will make an excellent roll. In particular, apples, apricots, peaches and nectarines are great fruits to dry. Many fruits can be pureed and combined together. Citrus fruits, which have a lot of juice, and smaller seedy fruits, like raspberries and blackberries, are best used in combinations with other fruits. Fruits high in fiber and pectin, such as apples or plums, have great textures when dried. Use fruits that are in season to obtain the best taste. Fruits that are over ripe, slightly bruised, or otherwise less than perfect are great for roll ups. Dehydrate fruit that will otherwise spoil. Apples or applesauce are excellent to combine with just about any other fruit Canned fruits can be used instead of fresh fruit. Make sure any liquids are completely drained before pureeing and dehydrating.

Try this recipe that mixes applesauce and strawberries:

Preparation

In a bowl combine 1 cup of unsweetened applesauce, 2 cups of strawberries and 1 tablespoon of lemon or lime juice. Puree the strawberries and applesauce mixture. If desired, you can add some sugar and sweeten to taste. You may want to taste the strawberry apple puree before sweetening. Mix together thoroughly.

Drying

Line a food dehydrator drying rack with parchment paper or non-stick dehydrator sheets. Pour the strawberry apple puree onto the drying tray and spread until about 1/4 inch thick. Dry at 130° Fahrenheit for 6 to 8 hours. You may want to flip the leather over half way through the drying process. Dry until no moist spots are visible.

Fruit Leather - Tips and a Recipe

Visit Food Dehydrator to learn how to dehydrate food and make beef jerky and dried fruit. Use our numerous articles and recipes to make great tasting fruit leather.

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