If you're lucky enough to have access to lots of fresh fruit all at once, use this kid-favorite recipe for turning it into a healthy snack with just a few simple ingredients. Homemade fruit roll-ups AKA fruit leather are a simple and effective way to turn all that fresh fruit into something that can store long term. You'll want to add this to your homemade recipes for anytime you find yourself overwhelmed with the bounty of a good harvest. This homemade recipe will work for plums, peaches, nectarines, apricots, fresh strawberries, grapes, or you can try another favorite fruit you have on hand or even different fruit combinations. Strawberry fruit roll ups are one of our favorites in my home!
It's July where we live and that means the fruit trees are full and ready for picking. For the hobby gardener or homesteader, it is both an amazing and overwhelming time. What to do with all that fruit so that it doesn't spoil. If you're all stocked up on jams, preserves, frozen fruit, canned fruit, and you're tired of eating the raw thing itself, it's time to add dehydrating fruit to your list of preserving skills. With a few simple ingredients you can complete this simple recipe in no time.
For whatever reason, I've always avoided preserving food this way. I often stuck to strategies that kept the fruit as close to its original shape and texture as possible, usually canning or freezing huge batches. But as my family has decided to cut back on our sugar intake and our cold storage is completely stuffed, I'm extremely grateful that preserving food via dehydration is here to save the day.
What are the health benefits of homemade fruit roll-ups (fruit leather)?
Not only does this method retain all the wonderful flavors of the original fruit, but it also stores easily at room temperature in an airtight container and is conveniently light-weight and portable. Fruit leathers also contain substantial quantities of dietary fibers, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants (which remain constituents of the finished product) that become greatly concentrated when dried this way. This is one easy snack that I truly don't mind my kids reaching for between meals and it feels to them like they're getting a treat at the same time. With no artificial colors and the ability to control how much sugar is in the recipe, it is sure to be a hit with parents too.
A quick note about a food dehydrator
For years I put off buying my own food dehydrator. How many times would I really use it? Maybe 2-3 times a year? But man, I was so very wrong. It turns out, there are lots of projects and crafts and food skills that use dehydration. I make raisins, craisins, dried teas, herbs, fruit leather, citrus slices. I use it more, dare I say, than my instant pot. If you're interested in a recommendation, this is the one that I have and I also bought the extra dehydrator tray set to make life easier. But if you're still doubtful, or you're not quite ready for the investment, you can still make your own fruit leather using a conventional oven or good ol' fashioned sunlight (see below). There are also these nifty round trays if you already have a dehydrator that's circular.
How to make your own Homemade Fruit Roll-ups (fruit leather)
Ingredients:
Several pounds of fruit, a full harvest bucket or mixing bowl's worth (for this recipe I used plums and apricots)
Regular table sugar or cane sugar (optional, you can make these with no added sugar if you wish)
Lemon juice or just from couple fresh lemons (optional)
Equipment and tools:
Parchment paper
Blender, food processor, or immersion blender
Sheet pan, (and optional edged silicone mat)
Oven
Dehydrator (optional but will give the best results) I have this one
Knife or pizza cutter
Airtight container (for storage)
Method
Preheat your oven temperature to 400℉
Rinse your fruit thoroughly and slice in half. Remove any seeds or pits and cut away any bug damage.
Arrange your fruit onto a baking sheet. It's okay if the pan is crowded or if the pieces are facing different directions.
Bake for 15 minutes in the oven
Once you remove your fruit, let it cool for a couple of minutes so it's not too hot to handle, and then transfer it into your food processor (or move it into a bowl where you can use your immersion blender). The goal is to turn that roasted fruit into a smooth fruit puree.
Add your sugar (if using) and lemon juice. You can decide how much sugar and lemon juice to add based on your personal preference, but note that both help to preserve your fruit, so even adding some to your mixture will help extend the storage life. For about 10 cups of fruit puree I added 1/4-1/3 cup of sugar and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.
Quick note: If you hear banging inside the processor when you first start it, stop it immediately and check your mix for seeds and pits. You don't want any of that hard stuff making it into your final product.
7. Take out a clean baking sheet and line it with parchment paper OR line the trays of your food dehydrator with parchment paper OR grab your trays and silicone mat. If you have special fruit leather trays like the ones linked above, you can use those without the need for paper lining.
8. If you're using one type of fruit, pour your fruit purée onto your tray and then gently shimmy the tray around to move the liquid until it spreads out evenly over the tray into a thin layer. Use a spatula to spread your fruit mixture if it's thicker and then gently wiggle it again to level the whole tray. You can also pick up the whole tray and gently drop it straight onto your counter a few times which will level the liquid and pop bubbles at the same time.
9. If you're using a second or third fruit, pour or scoop your different fruits onto the trays in a random pattern and then shimmy the whole pan to spread out the liquid into an even layer.
10. You're now ready for the the drying process (3 ways detailed below):
The drying process varies depending on how much liquid is in your fruit. Plums, for example, have more liquid than apricots, and will add to the overall drying time. Start with the lower amount of time on each estimate and then check yours for doneness. You will know they are finished when you can touch the fruit mixture and it doesn't come off on your finger. It will also peel off your tray in one solid but flexible sheet without falling apart. If you're tray is overcooked, the leather will become stiff and brittle. When you try to remove overcooked fruit leather, it'll crack apart in shards.
In a Dehydrator (8-10 hours, best results)
Put the finished trays into your dehydrator at 140℉ for 8 to 10 hours depending on how wet your mixture is. Apricots typically need less time (8 hours) while the plums need more (10 hours) Over-drying your fruit will result in very tough jerky texture, so start with the shorter time and then add time if you see your fruit leather is not dry enough.
In the Oven (4-6 hours)
If you don't have a dehydrator, set your oven to its lowest temperature setting (usually 170℉-200℉) and set your timer for 4-6 hours. Come back and rotate the pan halfway through so that it dries evenly.
In the sun (2-3 days)
Set your trays of puree somewhere off the ground, in direct sunlight. Drape a cheesecloth or similar protective fabric over them to keep off the fruit flies, or take a chance and leave them out without cover. After the first day, peel the fruit off the parchment paper and flip it over so that your leather dries evenly. By the 3rd day, you should have a finished sheet. Some people even choose to hang the leather on a clothes line on the third day to encourage thorough, even drying.
10. To make your roll ups, cut your fruit leather sheet into long strips about 1.5"-2" wide. Then grab your parchment paper and cut it into strips that are slightly wider than your fruit leather. Set each strip of fruit onto a piece of parchment paper and roll it up like a sleeping bag. The paper will keep the roll from sticking to itself while in storage.
11. You can store these newly created roll-ups at room temperature for a few months if you used lemon juice and/or sugar. If you didn't use either, you may want to store these in the fridge after a few weeks just to be safe. Store in a cool, dry location in an airtight container.
Did you try making your own delicious fruit roll-ups? Let me know how it turned out!
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