How to Make Homemade Fruit Leather Roll-Ups without a Dehydrator

Thursday, September 13, 2012

I always thought that making my own fruit leather sounded hard, especially since I don't own a dehydrator.  But in my recent quest to try to cut down on some of the junk in our diet, I learned that it is actually a lot easier than you might think! 

You start off with about 5 cups of fruit, a little squeeze of lemon, and a little swirl of honey...

You throw them together in a saucepan and cook until the fruit is softened...

Throw it in the blender....


blend until smooth...

Then you'll either grease a parchment paper lined cookie sheet (or you can use a Silpat Non-Stick Baking Mat)...

Pour on about 2 cups of the puree and spread until it is about 1/4-inch thick...

Bake in an oven on its lowest setting...

and three or so hours later....you peel off the beautiful supple sheet of fruit leather...

Lay it on some wax paper or plastic wrap...

Roll it all up...


Then cut it into perfectly sized roll-ups for your kids' lunches...

Naturally bright and flavorful, your kids will never miss the red dye #40, buckets of sugar,  and artificial flavorings! 
Click here for printable recipe. 

Posted by Lara.

The ingredients: 
5 cups red seedless grapes  (or other fruit)
2 Tbs. lemon juice
1 Tbs. honey (helps it to stay soft)

Directions: 

Makes about 16 two-inch wide fruit leather roll-ups.

Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan and cook over medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes, or until mixture is juicy and most of the grape skins have fallen off.   Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool for about 10 minutes.  In a blender, blend until mixture is smooth.  Pour 2 cups of the pureed mixture over a greased parchment paper lined cookie sheet (you'll grease the actual parchment paper) or you can use a Silpat if you have that (no need to grease the Silpat).    You should have enough puree to make 2 batches.  Refrigerate or freeze the unused  puree until ready to bake. 

Heat oven to its lowest setting (about 150 degrees) and place the baking pan into the oven.  Depending on how hot your oven is and how big your cookie sheet is, it will take 3-5 hours.  I set the timer for 3 hours, then check it every 20-30 minutes after that.  It will be done when there are no more sticky spots on the surface.  Take care not to overbake it or it will be crispy and lose its flavor. 

When the fruit leather is ready, remove from oven and allow to cool completely.  Gently peel away parchment paper/ Silpat and invert the leather in its entirety onto a sheet of wax paper.   Using cooking shears or a pizza cutter, cut the leather into 2-inch wide strips (about 8).  Roll and store at room temperature in an airtight container for about 2 weeks. 

Other flavors to try:  (the formula 5 cups of fruit, lemon juice and honey works well! Use your creativity)
Mango-Apricot (pictured above) 4 cups chopped mango (fresh or frozen), 1 cup dried apricots, 2 Tbs. lemon juice, 1 Tbs. honey.  Follow directions as listed above.
Raspberry-Peach:  2-1/2 cups sliced peaches (drained), 2 cups raspberries (fresh or frozen), 2 Tbs. lemon juice, 1 Tbs. honey.   Follow directions as listed above.
Blueberry:  5 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen), 2 Tbs. lemon juice, 1 Tbs. honey.  Follow directions as listed above. 
Next I want to try pumpkin and apple for the fall! 

Enjoy!



8 comments:

Nancy September 13, 2012 at 10:52 AM  

What a great idea to cut and roll it up in the parchment paper! Thanks for sharing!

Karey September 13, 2012 at 1:35 PM  

I never knew it was so easy! I will definitely have to try this because Lincoln LOVES fruit leather strips, and I don't feel too bad about the ingredients, but man are they expensive!

Aitch September 13, 2012 at 2:04 PM  

We've got a box of peaches sitting on the counter. I will have to try the raspberry peach version.

teresa September 14, 2012 at 3:31 PM  

love love love! i have got to try this!

Bonny,  September 14, 2012 at 4:12 PM  

Yum! I have been wanting to try this. Thanks for walking us through it and showing us how easy it is!

Velva September 15, 2012 at 5:15 PM  

That's it! That is simple. Awesome!!!!

Velva

Stephanie,  January 3, 2015 at 5:17 PM  

I like this idea! How would you recommend storing them? And have you tried freezing?

Lara January 3, 2015 at 5:47 PM  

I've never tried freezing them, but have good success with storing them in either a zipped plastic bag or a container with lid. They go fast in our house, so I've never had to worry about them lasting longer than a couple of weeks. Next time I make them, I'll set some aside for freezing and see how that works.

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About This Blog

My name is Lara and while I'm definitely not a gourmet cook, I do love preparing tasty, healthy meals for my family. Finding new recipes to try and sharing the ones we've already fallen in love with is a passion I've had since college and the reason why I've started this blog! With five kids, I'm usually in a hurry, so you'll find most of these recipes kid friendly and simple to make.

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