I don't know why it has taken me this long to finally make some homemade fruit leather. I can remember flipping through my mother's Time-Life cookbook collection as a child, and drooling over the idea of making my very own fruit roll ups! Anyway, better late than never. And it was so easy! I can't wait to try mixing the apple puree with some strawberries, cranberries and all kinds of yummy fruits next summer. Oh and don't forget the possibility of pear leather..........
APPLE FRUIT LEATHER
(please note I used a Vita-Mix blender to make this puree, which really liquifies the apples. You may need to use more water if you are using a different blender)
1 quart of local organic apples(I used Macintosh, but feel free to experiment), cored and sectioned - keep skin on
a wee bit of water
a squeeze of organic lemon juice (optional)
Method: Place the apples in the blender and add a wee bit of water to get the blades moving. Blend until it reaches the consistency of applesauce. Spread onto a dehydrator tray fitted with a Teflex mat, about 1/4" thick. Dry at 108* overnight. Peel off and cut into strips. Store in a glass jar.
Oh and freezing the fruit first can make it easier to work with.
ReplyDeleteHi Ana - I've made lots of fruit leather and here are some of the things I've found:
ReplyDeleteStay away from Cortland apples except as part of a blend of apples; they don't sauce well.
You can use cider if you need to thin the consistency.
I also mixed blueberries and strawberries with the apple puree. I found about 1/3 fruit to 2/3 apple worked well.
Cranberries are harder to make into leather because of their "walls" but go for it and let me know. Sandie Troop