Dried fruit strips, also called fruit leather, are a healthy and delicious alternative to fruit snacks on the market. A few ingredients are enough to turn fruit into a colorful snack similar to gummy candies that your children can take to school or enjoy at home. Choose the combination of fruit you prefer and subject it to a dehydration process (using an oven or food dryer) in order to obtain dried strips.
Ingrediants
- 700 g of chopped fruit of your choice
- 150 g of sugar
- 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Prepare the Fruit
Step 1. Choose the fruit
The dried fruit strips can be made with any type of fruit you want. You can choose just one or select the combination you prefer to make a snack with a personalized taste. In total, you will need 700 g of fruit (peel excluded). The following types of fruit allow you to prepare delicious fruit leather, with an ideal consistency:
- Strawberries;
- Grape;
- Plums;
- Peaches;
- Nectarines;
- Pears;
- Apples;
- Mangoes;
- Papaya;
- Kiwi;
- Bananas.
Step 2. Wash the fruit well
It is important to get rid of all soil and pesticide residues before starting. Thoroughly wash each fruit under running water. Let the fruit air dry or pat it dry with a sheet of kitchen paper.
Step 3. Peel the fruit as needed
If the fruit has a thick skin, it is best to remove it before drying it. The pulp, or the soft part that is inside the fruit, dehydrates sufficiently until it reaches the right consistency. Instead, dried peels may become overly chewy and unpleasant to chew. If you have decided to use the following fruits, peel them before starting:
- Peaches;
- Nectarines;
- Pears;
- Apples;
- Mangoes;
- Papaya;
- Kiwi;
- Bananas.
Step 4. Cut the fruit into small pieces
They don't have to be the same, the important thing is that they are small enough to fit into the bowl of a food processor. Cut the fruit with a sharp knife and remove the bruised areas.
Step 5. Mix the fruit, sugar and lemon juice
Place the fruit, sugar, and lemon juice in the food processor bowl. Turn it on and let the ingredients blend until you have a smooth, lump-free puree. It may be necessary to divide the fruit into several groups and process each one at a time.
- If you don't want to use sugar, try replacing it with honey, or use 75g of sugar and 75g of honey. Using honey, the process required to completely dry the fruit will take longer.
- If you don't have a food processor, a blender will work too. Aim for a smooth and homogeneous puree, as the lumps tend to ruin the texture of the dried fruit strips.
- Lemon juice intensifies the flavor of the fruit and is a natural preservative. Add more or less to taste.
Part 2 of 3: Dry the Fruit Puree
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 95 ° C
Using a slow cooking method with a low temperature allows the puree to dry completely without burning it.
- If you have a food dryer, use it instead of the oven. The drying process will take longer, but there is no risk of burning the puree. For this method, the puree must be prepared in the same way as described above.
- Alternatively, try the microwave method. Also in this case the puree must be made in the same way described in the first part of the article. After preparing it, let it dehydrate in the microwave on medium power for 5 minutes or until it is completely dry. Divide the fruit into several groups and dry them one at a time, as the whole puree will not go into the microwave.
Step 2. Line a baking sheet with a sheet of non-stick aluminum foil
You can also use a non-stick silicone mat. Fruit puree tends to stick to almost any surface, so it's best to use a coating.
- If you're using a food dehydrator, line the pan with non-stick aluminum foil.
- If you use the microwave, avoid aluminum foil. Use a non-stick microwave-safe mat or a suitable non-stick pan.
Step 3. Sprinkle the fruit puree on the baking sheet creating a thin layer
It should have a thickness of about 3 mm, in order to obtain a very rubbery consistency. If the layer is too thick, the dried fruit strips will be difficult to chew. If it is too thin, they will become crunchy rather than chewy.
Step 4. Bake the puree for 3 hours
Check it after 2.5 hours to see its progress. In most cases you will see that cooking has not yet finished. After about 3 hours it should be slightly sticky. This is the perfect texture for dried fruit strips.
- If the fruit puree has a basically dry consistency (as happens in the case of apples or bananas), it is possible that it will cook in less than 3 hours.
- If you use a dryer, you will have to wait for at least 8 hours or overnight. Select the correct program following the instructions in the manual.
- If you use the microwave, the fruit should be ready in 5-6 minutes.
- If you use fruit with a high water content, such as strawberries or peaches, it may take more than 3 hours.
Step 5. Let the dried fruit strips cool completely
If you try to touch them while they are still hot, you will burn yourself and make them crumble. Place them on a cooling rack and wait for at least 20 minutes before picking them up.
Check the underside of the fruit. If it has dried completely on both sides, then it is ready. If it is still moist on the underside, turn it over carefully and bake it again for another hour or so to complete the drying process
Part 3 of 3: Cut and Roll the Dried Fruit Strips
Step 1. Once cool, spread the dried fruit pulp on a sheet of parchment paper
This will prevent it from sticking to itself as you roll it up. Rolling up dried fruit strips is a great way to store and eat them later.
Step 2. Cut the dried pulp into strips
Use a pizza wheel or a pair of scissors to make strips. Make sure you cut the parchment paper as well. The strips can have the width you prefer.
Step 3. Roll up the strips
Start rolling the strip from the bottom and work your way up, as if you were making a jam roll. Keep rolling until you've wrapped the entire strip in parchment paper. Repeat with the remaining strips.
Step 4. Store dried fruit strips in an airtight container
They will keep fresh for up to a week.
Step 5. Done
Advice
- Do not raise the temperature just to speed up cooking, otherwise the pulp will burn.
- Make sure you blend the puree until smooth and homogeneous. If it is not processed well, it can become excessively sticky.
