Fruit Leather Roll-ups (updated 7-20-2011)

Fruit Leather Roll-ups

Added the red section after I made my own Fruit Leather and realized I left this step out.  It doesn’t have to be done, but I find it helpful.

Use any fruit that is very ripe.  The fruit that is too ripe for canning is best.  Wash and remove peels and bruised areas.

Prepare a bowl of very cold water to put the fruit in. Use at least teaspoon lemon juice to1quart of water.  Use this for any fruit that will turn brown quickly. Such as apples, peaches and pears.

Puree peeled fruit in a blender.  Add as little water as possible if it doesn’t puree easily.  I like to cook my peeled and chopped apples to soften them up first.

Add corn syrup or honey to sweeten.  The riper the fruit the less sweetener needed.  Do not use sugar.  Sugar will make the fruit leather brittle.  I have made fruit brittle on accident before (dried too long) and used the pieces in hot cereal.  It was good.

Spray your dehydrator fruit leather sheets with an ultra light amount of nonstick spray.  I hold the sheets as far away as possible and spray the sheets as little as possible.  Then I take a wadded up sheet of paper towel and barely touch the sheet to wipe some of the spray off.  Too much spray will make the puree separate and the leather when finished will feel oily on the bottom.

Pour the fruit puree onto your dehydrator fruit leather sheets or your dehydrator trays lined with plastic wrap.  Puree should be ¼ of an inch thick.  Dry at 130 – 140 degrees for 4 to 8 hours.  Fruit should be leather-like and pliable.  If you are not sure if it is done or not; turn the dehydrator off and let the leather cool, then test it to make sure it isn’t sticky and is still pliable.  If sticky turn the dehydrator on and dry some more.  Check often if using plastic wrap to make sure the plastic hasn’t rolled onto the puree.

When finished; remove the fruit leather from the drying sheets and place on a sheet of plastic wrap.  Roll up and store in a zipper lock bags.  Don’t forget to label and date the bags.  If dehydrating on plastic wrap just roll up when done and store as above.

When using strawberries or other more expensive fruit I add them to apples.  Add enough to get the taste you want.  If you don’t have apples then use an inexpensive unsweetened applesauce without much liquid in it.

Be creative and add allspice, cinnamon, vanilla and other different flavorings.  Use ¼ to ½ teaspoon of spice per quart of puree.

Here are some of the ones I make:

Peach with and without cinnamon

Apple

Plum

Strawberry (mixed with apple)

This is my plan new ideas this year:

Strawberry rhubarb (mixed with apple) Rhubarb is listed an on ok fruit for leather.  I don’t think it breaks down good, so I am going to wash and chop the rhubarb and freeze it while still damp.  The water will help expand the cells and cause it to break down better.

Pumpkin (mixed with apple and pumpkin pie spice)

See How to Dry Foods by Deanna DeLong for all kinds of great dehydrating information.  ISBN: 1-55788-050-6.  Mine was printed in 1992.