07/04/2012

Fruit Leather

Fruit Leather
 

Our kids love Fruit Roll-Ups and I don't buy them any. The ingredients are shocking! Chemicals upon chemicals (hormonal disturbants), sugar upon sugar, sweeteners (another hormonal disturbant), colouring- the list goes on! So I make our own with real berries, fruit and juice. Sometimes I add shredded coconut or chocolate chips on top to make it a even yummy-er treat! Sometimes I add homemade yogurt into the mixture to give it a candy taste and feel to it. Be creative! An oven works just as well, for those who do not own a dehydrator.


Fruits and berries to use and to mix together:
Banana, passionfruit, peaches, persimon, apricot, cranapple, apples, pears, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, cherries (YUM!), pineapple, blackberries, gooseberries, papaya, mango (another YUM!), soaked raisins, plums, figs, orange -you name it! Sometimes I even add small amount of vegetables (shhhh!!!)


Puree fruit and berries in blender. Pour onto a Paraflexx*, kitchen parchment paper, or plastic wrap. Using a spatula spread thinly leaving the outside slightly thicker, and dehydrate at 135*F/57*C untill leathery. Tip1: as you spread, make it slightly thicker on the outside than the middle, this way it will dry evenly. Tip2: You can sprinkle, chopped nuts, seads, coconut, chocolate before dehydrating for an extra special treat. Add a squeeze of lemon juice as a natural preservative and colour enhancer ;)




Do note, I have done this in my oven too! You just keep the heat low (under 50) and the oven open. I had a few trials and errors, but you can figure it out! It's worth it!

I roll them up in plastic wrap and cut 1" thick slices and keep them in a ziplock bag. If your mixture has yogurt in it, it would be best to store it in the fridge.

Enjoy!

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