Fruit leathers are easy to make and are enjoyed by many people. They can be healthy snacks and are a great way to use overripe fruit. You can start with simple fruit leathers or experiment with different flavor combinations. You are limited only by your imagination and your dehydrator's capacity.
Leathers From Fresh Fruit
Select ripe or slightly overripe fruit. Wash fresh fruit or berries in cool water. Remove peel, seeds, and stem. Cut fruit into chunks. Use 2 cups of fruit for each 13-by-15-inch fruit leather. Puree fruit until smooth. To prevent darkening, add 2 teaspoons of lemon juice or ⅛ teaspoon ascorbic acid (375 milligrams) for each 2 cups of light-colored fruit.
If you choose to sweeten the leather, add corn syrup, honey, or sugar. Corn syrup or honey is best for longer storage because they do not crystallize. Sugar is fine for immediate use or short-term storage. Use ¼–½ cup sugar, corn syrup, or honey for each 2 cups of fruit. Saccharin-based sweeteners could also be used to reduce tartness without adding calories. Aspartame sweeteners might lose sweetness during drying.
Leathers From Canned or Frozen Fruit
Home-preserved or store-bought canned or frozen fruit may also be used to make leathers. Drain fruit and save liquid. Use 1 pint of fruit for each 13-by-15-inch leather. Puree fruit until smooth; if too thick, add liquid. Add 2 teaspoons of lemon juice or ⅛ teaspoon ascorbic acid (375 milligrams) for each 2 cups of light-colored fruit to prevent darkening. Applesauce can be dried alone or added to any fresh fruit puree as an extender. It decreases tartness and makes the leather smoother and more pliable.
Preparing the Trays
For drying in the oven, a 13-by-15-inch cookie pan with edges works well. Line the pan with plastic wrap, being careful to smooth out wrinkles. Do not use waxed paper or aluminum foil.
To dry in a dehydrator, purchase specially designed plastic sheets or line plastic trays with plastic wrap.
Pouring the Leather
Fruit leathers can be poured into a single large sheet (13 inches by 15 inches) or into several smaller pieces. Items on the trays should not touch; allow space between items for airflow. Spread puree evenly, about ⅛ inch thick, onto the drying tray. Avoid pouring puree too close to the edges of the cookie sheet. Larger fruit leathers take longer to dry. Approximate drying times are six to eight hours in a dehydrator, up to 18 hours in an oven.
Drying the Leather
Dry fruit leathers at 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Leather dries from the outside edge toward the center. Remember to watch food more closely at the end of drying times, as the decline in moisture causes food to dry faster and may scorch. Test for dryness by touching the center of the leather; no indention within the leather should be evident. While warm, peel the leather from the plastic and roll. Allow the leather to cool and then rewrap the roll in plastic.
The fruit leather likely won’t last long enough for storage. If it does, it will keep up to one month at room temperature. For storage up to one year, place tightly wrapped rolls in the freezer.
Additional Resources
Note: This fact sheet uses language, recipes, procedures, and data from reliable sources such as the ones listed below. For the most part the original text has been preserved because safety around food preservation is especially important. For safe and healthy preserved foods, be sure to carefully follow directions.
- Colorado State University Extension: Drying fruits
(extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/nutrition-food-safety-health/drying-fruits-9-309) - So Easy To Preserve, University of Georgia Extension
(extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.html?number=B989&title=so-easy-to-preserve) - USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning
(nchfp.uga.edu/resources/category/usda-guide) - USDA: Fruits
(myplate.gov/eat-healthy/fruits)
Originally written Nov. 7, 2016, by Melinda Hill, Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension; and Katherine Shumaker, Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension.