Healthy Fruit Leather
A simple recipe for preserving fruit. Homemade fruit leather that's free from artificial ingredients, preservatives, and sweeteners. A healthy snack for kids and adults alike.
Equipment
- dehydrator (optional)
- blender
Ingredients
- ripe fruit (see above for recommendations)
- sweetener (if desired, use honey)
Instructions
- If using an oven, preheat it to 200℉.
- Prepare fruit. Wash fruit that needs it and peel, pit, or core those that contain skin, pits, or cores. If you are dealing with a harder fruit, roughly chop it and soften it by simmering it in a pot on the stove.
- Add fruit to a blender and blend until smooth.
- Taste and add sweetener if needed.
- Prepare dehydrator trays or baking sheets with parchment paper. Cut the parchment paper to size.
- Pour the puree onto the paper and use the back of a spoon or spatula to spread it evenly to between a ⅛-¼ inch thickness.
- If using a dehydrator, place the trays in at 135° for around 6-10 hours. If using an oven, place them in for around 4-8 hours. For either option, check your fruit leather after 4 hours and every 1-2 hours after until dry. When they have lost their initial shine, aren't wet, and a gentle press doesn't leave an imprint, then they are done.
- Allow them to cool completely at room temperature.
- Use shears to cut the fruit leather and attached parchment paper into strips. lay them flat or roll them up into a storage container, jar, or sealed bag. You can store them in the fridge or freezer.
Notes
- The blog post contains five recommended fruit combination recipes for fruit leathers if you want to start with something tried and true.
- If you are adding a sweetener, try to stick with natural ones such as honey, agave, or maple syrup.
- Adding lemon juice will help preserve the light color when dehydrating.
- The blog post contains helpful information on how to thicken or thin out your puree to a desired consistency.
- If stored in the fridge, these last at least 2 months for us. If stored in the freezer, they will last around a year. If mold appears, they have spoiled.