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Fruit Leather: A Summer Harvest Treat 

Fruit Leather: A Summer Harvest Treat 

Date
Oct, 06, 2024

Fruit Leather: A Summer Harvest Treat 

Summer is the prime time for abundant berries and fruits, and it’s the perfect time to make this homemade fruit leather! 

Fruit Leather: A Summer Harvest Treat 

Homemade fruit leather is delightful, healthy, and captures the essence of summer fruit in a portable, chewy snack. The best part of making fruit leather is that you can mix different fruits and berries for fun, exciting combos. All you need is an assortment of your favorite summer berries and fruits. Luscious strawberries, vibrant raspberries, juicy peaches, or succulent plums—the possibilities are endless! 

Making Fruit Leather

To prepare the fruits, wash and peel them, removing any seeds or pits as necessary. Then, blend the fruits into a smooth puree. The puree should be thick and spreadable, similar to the consistency of yogurt.

Some fruits and berries are tart—adding a drizzle of maple syrup helps to cut the tartness. Other fruits like peaches and plums are naturally sweet. Be sure to puree them first and check if they need sweetener before adding any. 

Next, spread the puree evenly onto a lined dehydrator tray or a baking sheet, making sure it’s about ⅛ inch thick. If using a dehydrator, set it to the temperature for fruit leather and allow the puree to dry for 6-8 hours or until it becomes leathery and tacky to the touch. It should peel off the sheet pretty easily when done. 

Finally, dry the leather. We have been using an oven lately. We use the lowest setting, which is 90°F, and dry the puree for 6-8 hours, leaving the door slightly ajar. Once the fruit puree has transformed into a pliable and supple leather, carefully peel it from the tray or baking sheet. Cut it into strips or fun shapes, roll it up, and store it in an airtight container to maintain freshness. 

Fruit leather is a ton of fun to do with kids, and my kids describe them as tasting like a bust of summer flavors. Not only is it a tasty snack, but it’s also healthier and more affordable than store-bought fruit snacks. Embrace the abundance of summer and savor its fruits in the form of homemade fruit leather!   

Black Currant Leather

We have tons of black currents growing in our courtyard that we use for fruit leather. Black currents are pretty sour, so we like to add extra sweetener. We also roll some of them in sugar to make a sour/sweet combo. 

Ingredients:

  • 500g blackcurrants, ripe
  • 4 tbsp maple syrup (or honey)

Directions: 

  1. Blend the blackcurrants with a bit of syrup or honey to create a thick, runny, smooth consistency similar to the thickness of yogurt. If you prefer a seedless texture, push the mixture through a sieve to remove the seeds.
  1. Pour the mixture onto a dehydrator sheet and spread it evenly to a thickness of about 2-3 mm.
  1. Set the dehydrator to approximately 55°C (131°F) and dehydrate until completely dry, which should take around 6-8 hours, depending on the thickness.
  1. Alternatively: Spread the mixture onto a baking sheet and place it in the oven at 40°C (104°F) or the lowest setting your oven allows, leaving the door open. Dehydrate for about 8 hours.
  1. Once dried, let it cool, then cut into strips of your desired length and roll them up.
  1. Store the fruit leather in an airtight glass jar. They will keep for up to a month, or longer if stored in the freezer.

Enjoy your homemade fruit leather!

Here are more tips for how to preserve summer goodies and how to forage and preserve herbal teas

Fredrika Syren

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