My 3 Favorite Fruit Leather Recipes
It’s that time of year again... Time to break out the chacos, dust off the camping gear, and fire up the dehydrator. In the spirit of summer, I thought I’d share some of my fave fruit leather recipes.
No, my nails do not look like that. But doesn’t my bestie’s mani look fabulous?!
As I’ve mentioned before, I stash fruit leathers away on hikes of any length. They’re great for an afternoon pick-me-up when I need a little extra oomph to get me through the last couple miles, and on backpacking, trips they add some much needed dietary variety.
Here are my 3 go-tos:
Ingredients
Lemon Blueberry Chia
2-4 cups of blueberries
Juice of 2 lemons
2 tablespoons of chia or flax seeds
Strawberry Balsamic & Basil
2-4 cups of strawberries quartered and marinated in balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup of basil
Mixed Berry
2 cups of strawberries
2 cups of blueberries
Juice of 1 lemon
My kitchen isn’t very insta-friendly…
Instructions
Modified from Fresh Off the Grid (who have some more amazing flavors to try)
Wash all the fruit & herbs, removing stems
For Strawberry Balsamic Basil: Quarter the strawberries, drizzle with balsamic to coat, and allow to marinate for 20-30 min or according to your taste
Put all the produce (+ lemon juice) into a blender or food processor & purée
Line dehydrator trays with parchment paper (if your trays are round like mine, cut parchment paper to fit)
Spread mixture onto dehydrated trays. Since the sides dry quicker, make the puree thicker around the edges
Dry at 145F/63C for 6-8 hours. Another way to speed up drying time is to check after a few hours and remove the wrap/paper. When the leathers are dried, they will be a little bit shiny and non-sticky to the touch. Allow them to cool before removing them from the trays.
Roll the leather into a tight roll and with a sharp knife, cut into a lengths of your choice. Wrap pieces with saran wrap, put in air-tight containers (like ziplock bags) or vacuum seal. Store in a cool, dark & dry place.