Making Fruit Leather - Klarstein 10029505 Handbuch

Lemon, Pineapple or Orange Juice
Fresh or bottled lemon, pineapple or orange juices are the best because of their natural sweetness. Pineapple
and orange juice can be used full strength or diluted to taste. If you use lemon juice, it is best to dilute it with 1
part juice to 8 parts water and soak the fruit pieces for two minutes. Be aware that the taste of these juices can
overpower the taste of the fruit being dried and may not always prevent discoloration of food. Experiment with
the dilution and soaking times to suit your taste.
Ascorbic Acid
Crystalline ascorbic acid or products with ascorbic acid made for preserving fruits for canning may be obtained
from drug stores or from stores selling canning supplies. Most grocery stores sell it with their canning supplies
as well. Mix 1 tablespoon in four cups of water and soak the fruit for about two minutes. Like lemon juice, the
taste can be quite overpowering so experiment with concentrations and soaking times.

Making Fruit Leather

Sometimes referred to as Fruit Rolls, Fruit Strips, or FruitJerky, fruitthat is pureed and dried in thin sheets be-
comes a tasty, chewy, candy-like snack we will call fruit leather. You have probably sampled the commercial
versions from the market, but once you've tasted it made fresh at home with quality fruit, you'll never go back
to store bought! Fruit leather is a good way to make use of left-over or overripe fruit that might otherwise be
discarded.
Making Fruit leather is very easy. Start by thoroughly washing the fruit in cold water and remove any stems
or leaves left on the fruit. Remove the peel, skin, pits, or seeds as necessary. Then just puree the fruit or fruit
combination of your choice, and add just enough liquid to the blender to make a smooth thick puree. Honey,
fruit juice or water can be used but don't make the mixture tooth in or it won't stay put on the dehydrator shelf.
With fruits that have a high moisture level little or no liquid needs be added at all.
Since you are the cook, you get to taste the puree as you are making it. lt is not only your privilege but an im-
portant part of the process, because if the puree tastes good, the leather will taste even better! Remember that
the flavours and sweetness will concentrate when the leather is dry, so don't make it too sweet!
lt is best to use a fruit leather sheet designed for the purpose but if not available, you can line one half of each
drying tray with plastic wrap. To maintain adequate circulation only half of each tray should be covered. If us-
ing more than one tray, place the plastic on alternate halves of the trays in the stack. Remember that the trays
only go in one way, so stack the trays properly on the counter before lining them to assure proper placement
of the plastic wrap.
When drying sticky purees (bananas, for instance) spray a small amount of vegetable oil spray on the fruit
leather sheet or plastic wrap. After all fruit leather sheets are filled, stack the drying trays atop the base. Dehy-
drate until the fruit puree is the texture of leather. lt should be easy to peel off of the fruit leather sheet. Wrap
in plastic wrap and store at room temperature. Spices, chopped nuts or coconut may be added to the puree for
extra flavour. For further variation, puree several types of fruit together.
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