Homemade Fruit Leathers
An easy on-the-go snack for any adventure! Small, packable, and with endless flavour combination options!
Hey friends! Happy New Year! 2020 was quite the year, hey? It was tough for many of us, including myself, but I am walking away grateful for the many things I was able to learn, the most important being how valuable community, friends, and family are. I don’t believe we were meant to live this life alone, and covid has taught me that on so many levels. And so I just want to say how grateful I am for YOU! This little Camp Kitchen community has brought me so much joy and encouragement over this last season, and for that I am extremely grateful.
Alrighty, so let’s get to the food. I’ve been getting quite a few questions about dehydrating and fruit leathers specifically, so I am very excited to share this with you!
Fruit leathers are a great on-the-go snack for hiking, biking, climbing, travel, really anything where you’re moving and needing a little energy boost! There are so many commercialized products out there (granola bars, energy gels, energy drinks, caffeine products, etc.) that are marketed as energy boosters for physical activity and sports. These may be a good option depending on your activity, food preferences, personal beliefs, and budget. What I love about homemade fruit leathers is they are affordable, versatile (in terms of flavour combinations), they pack small and light, and there’s little to no plastic waste involved. You get to bring your fruits and veggies with you without packing 10 lbs of fresh produce on your back!
Flavours
When it comes to flavours, there’s really endless possibilities! My advice would be to follow your tastebuds and experiment a little too! You never know if you’ll discover a new favourite flavour combination in the process! My favourites so far are anything with berries. I experimented with watermelon in the summer and it was dang good! I still need to fine tune the recipe though, so be looking for that to come to the blog in the future. I have included 4 delicious flavour combos for fruit leather at the bottom of this page to give you some inspiration!
Fruit leathers can be made from fresh, frozen, or canned fruits and vegetables. I love using frozen because it if often much more affordable than buying fresh produce, and you still get the great nutritional benefits that you would from fresh produce. Canned fruit is also a good choice, however I would recommend choosing fruits canned in water or their natural juice (not syrups).
I tend to prefer my fruit leathers without any added sweetness, but if you prefer a little more sweetness than what the fruit naturally brings, you can add a little honey, maple syrup, or pitted dates to your fruit puree.
Tip: when using wetter fruits (those with a higher water content), like berries or pineapple, you can thicken the the puree by adding a banana or some applesauce to help produce a thicker, chewier fruit leather.
Nutrition Nugget: when possible, keep skin on the fruits you are pureeing (apples, peaches, pears, etc). This helps retain the fibre and important nutrients provided by the whole fruit.
Instructions
Once you’ve decided on your ingredients/flavours, throw everything into a food processor or blender and blend together until smooth. The product should be a thick fruit puree/smoothie. If you’re using fruit leather trays, lightly oil them with olive oil or canola oil, this helps them come out easier without breaking apart. You can also use your dehydrator trays lined with parchment paper.
Spoon mixture onto tray and spread to 1/4 inch thick. Spread fairly evenly, but slightly thicker on the sides, as they dry first and may become brittle otherwise.
Dehydrate at 135F for 6-9 hours, until dry to the touch and leathery looking. Remove from dehydrator and roll up while they are still a little warm. Let cool then store in airtight container at room temperature for up to a month.
Using the Oven
If using a household oven, set oven to lowest temperature setting (ideally around 170F). Spread fruit leather puree onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper and dehydrate in oven until no longer sticky (approx. 3-6 hours).
TIP: prop oven door open with wooden spoon to allow air flow in. If your oven has a convection setting, turn this on to ensure good airflow.
Want to learn more about dehydrating using the oven? Check out my blog post Dehydrating in the Oven!
What are your favourite flavour combinations? I’d love to hear! Let me know below!