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Fruit Leather Dehydration Tips
Sometimes referred to as Fruit Rolls, Fruit strips, or Fruit Jerky, fruit that is
pureed and dried in thin sheets becomes a tasty , chewy, candy-like snack we
will call fruit leather. You have probably sampled the commercial versions
from the market, but once you’ve tasted it made fresh at home with quality
fruit, you’ll never go back to the store bought. Fruit leather is a good way to
make use of leftover or overripe fruit that might otherwise be discarded.
Making fruit leather is very easy. Start by thoroughly washing the
fruit in cold water and remove any stems or leaves left on the fruit. Re-
move the peel, skin, pits, or seeds as necessary. Then just puree the fruit
or fruit combination of your choice and add just enough liquid to the
blender to make a smooth, thick puree. Honey, fruit juice or water can
be used, but don’t make the mixture too thin or it won’t stay put on the
dehydrator trays. With fruits that have a high moisture level, little or no
liquid needs to be added at all.
Since you are the cook, you get to taste the puree as you are making it.
It is not only your privilege but an important part of the process. Because if
the puree tastes good the fruit leather will taste even better! Remember that
the flavors and sweetness will concentrate when the leather is dry, so don’t
make it too sweet!
It is best to use a fruit leather sheet designed for the purpose, but if
not available you can line on half of each drying tray with plastic wrap.
To maintain adequate circulation only half of each tray should be covered.
As always, you must leave the drying tray’s center hole uncovered. If us-
ing more than one tray, place the plastic on alternate halves of the trays in
the stack. Remember that the trays only go in one way, so stack the trays
properly on the counter before lining them to assure proper placement of
the plastic wrap.
When drying sticky purees (bananas, for instance) spray a small amount
of vegetable oil based spray on the fruit leather sheet or plastic wrap. After
all fruit leather sheets are filled, stack the drying trays atop the base. Dehy-
drate until the fruit puree is the texture of leather. It should be easy to peel
off the fruit leather sheet. Wrap in plastic wrap and store at room tempera-
ture. Spices, chopped nuts or coconut may be added to the puree for extra
flavor. For further variation, puree several types of fruit together.
Feel free to experiment with your recipes. Single fruit flavors will work
just fine, but there are lots of various fruit combinations that combine to
make flavorful snacks. These include: Strawberry Banana, Pineapple Or-
ange, Raspberry Banana Coconut, Strawberries Rhubarb, Pineapple Apricot,
Mixed Berry, Pineapple Peach, Raspberry Apple, Apple Blueberry, Apple
