Dehydrating foods

11 years ago

I tried making fruit roll ups. I had to improvise instead of using a regular blender I had to use a smoothie maker - not sure if there's a technical difference between the two. Anyway, I pureed strawberries and pineapple and poured it into the dehydrator trays. Tastes great, but didn't come out in a leathery consistency - it's hard and breaks so I can't roll them. I'm going to assume that I dried them too long, unless someone chimes in on an alternate way to make fruit roll ups in the food dehydrator. I didn't treat them with anything, just used fresh fruit that I pureed.

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Comments (3)

grainlady_ks
11 years ago
You've diagnosed your problem and the link I've provide below at the National Center for Home Food Preservation (their drying section) has a couple articles about making fruit leather.

"Test for dryness by touching the leather in several places; no indentations should be evident. Lift the edge of the leather, which will adhere tightly to the surface, and peel it back about an inch. If it peels readily, it is properly dried. If the leather has cooled, it may need to be warmed in an oven at 150-degrees F for a few minutes to help it peel away more easily. If the leather cracks or chips, it has dried for too long, but is still edible."

I know I've had this happen before, but don't worry, there is a secondary use for over-dried fruit leather. Cut it up (I use my kitchen scissors) or break it into smaller pieces and add some water or fruit juice and make a fruit sauce to use as a topping. Add it to homemade applesauce for a mixed fruit applesauce.

Hope there is some information there that will help you out.

-Grainlady
dcarch7 d c f l a s h 7 @ y a h o o . c o m
11 years ago
I prefer my fruit "leather" dried to crispy. Leather tends to stick to your teeth.

Perfectly crispy leather is dried at higher temperature to kill all germs also the very dry leather will not get moldy.

I also use the coffee grinder to turn crispy leather into fruit powder.

Tomato powder is a great seasoning for cooking.

I will make a video to show how you can have seeds and skin removed to make tomato leather, using a regular blender.

Here is a post (link below) of my "leather" making. BTW, the use of thin veggie plastic bags prevents the leather from sticking and can be re-used again and again.

dcarch

Here is a link that might be useful: Leather
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triciae
11 years ago
I also dry fruit "leathers" past where they can be rolled. I don't like to eat them plain for the same reason dcarch mentioned - stick to my teeth. But, I love having a variety around. I like adding them to sauces - made an especially good BBQ sauce this summer adding a few pieces of peach "leather". I also use them ground for making quick dessert fruit sauces. Strawberries are very good for this use.

I just received my fun trial purchase from Just Tomatoes that barnmom referred. I got freeze-dried whole red grapes and freeze-dried pommegranate seeds. I'm going to take a picture this week to show the fun grapes - not raisins - they're whole grapes.

/tricia

Dehydrating foods

Comments (3)

grainlady_ks

dcarch7 d c f l a s h 7 @ y a h o o . c o m

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triciae

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