Fruit Leather Sticking To Parchment Paper? Top 6 Best Answers

Skip the packaged kind with fake food coloring and artificial flavors. How to make healthy homemade fruit leather at home using real fruit (no dehydrator needed!).

Have you ever looked at a packaged food and asked yourself: Can I make this myself?

I do, quite a bit. And fruit rolls were one of those foods.

So I was happy to find out that I could make them pretty easily – with just a sheet pan, an oven, and a few hours. It’s satisfying to be able to give my kids a treat that’s so much tastier than the one in the box and actually contains real fruit with no added oils, synthetic food coloring, or fake flavors.

Get my recipes for healthy homemade fruit leathers:

Homemade wild blueberry fruit leather

Homemade peach fruit leather

Homemade grape fruit leather

Homemade Apple Cinnamon Fruit Leather

Homemade strawberry fruit leather

Over the years I’ve experimented with different types of fruit and learned a lot about what works and what doesn’t. I’ve also had feedback from readers who have also tried it, some successfully and others not so much.

How to make homemade fruit leather in the oven

Use a Silpat baking mat. Some people claim you can make fruit leather on parchment paper, while others report it’s a gooey mess. One woman told me she uses aluminum foil coated with cooking spray. A poor reader baked her leather on wax paper, which, as you can imagine, she later regretted. I’ve always used a Silpat baking mat from the start and have always had success. If you don’t have a Silpat, it’s worth investing in one. It will last for years and you will find all sorts of uses for it (like baking these easy homemade bagels).

Distribute the mixture as evenly as possible. Your fruit leather has the best chance of turning out well if the mixture is spread evenly on the baking sheet so one part doesn’t get crispy while another stays sticky. I use a spatula to spread the fruit mixture. Then hold the sheet pan by both sides and bang it on the counter a few times to be safe. Remember that leather dries inwards: the edges dry first, the middle last.

Be patient (but check often). My leathers typically take about 3-4 hours to bake on my oven’s lowest setting of 170 degrees F (but all ovens are different, so use that as a guide only). After the first hour I usually start checking every 30 minutes by lightly touching the leather. You’ll know it’s done when it’s still slightly sticky but doesn’t pull away from your finger. This can take a long time (I’ve heard from some readers it’s closer to 4-5 hours in their ovens) so this is clearly a stay-at-home day project.

Can you make homemade fruit leather without sugar?

My recipes call for fresh fruit to be pureed, and because I like to let the fruit’s natural flavor shine through, I don’t use a lot of added sugar. I may ask for a little honey or sugar in some of my recipes, but you can also omit it entirely. My grape fruit leather recipe only has one ingredient (grapes!). I also don’t strain the fruit mixture after pureeing. Although some recipes suggest this, I like knowing that the leather contains all of the fruit puree (exception: blackberry puree, which has lots of crunchy seeds, is best strained).

How do you store homemade fruit leather?

Place homemade fruit leather in an airtight ziplock container or bag. According to the National Center for Home Preservation, homemade fruit leather lasts a month at room temperature. You can also tightly wrap rolls of homemade fruit leather and freeze for up to a year.

Is Homemade Fruit Leather Healthy?

Your child gets real fruit puree, which is a huge improvement over the kind in the box. But I still find fruit leather, even the homemade ones, to be a pleasure. They stick to their teeth like sticky candy, so it’s ideal if your child can brush soon afterwards (or at least rinse off with water or nibble on some apples or carrots to naturally wash away the residue).

If you’ve made homemade fruit leather, what are YOUR top tips? I would like to hear them!

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Making a healthy no added sugar treat for you and your family couldn’t be easier!

Too many groceries you find in the store are loaded with ingredients that belong in a toxic landfill rather than a food eaten by children or adults. Fruit leather is an ancient natural candy that needs absolutely nothing else added to it to be delicious, perfectly chewy and visually appealing. But too often, fillers, preservatives, ingredients to improve texture, and food coloring are added to store-bought products. And usually the fruit is from concentrate.

For example, here is the list of ingredients from a leading brand of fruit rolls: Concentrated pears, corn syrup, dried corn syrup, sugar, partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil, citric acid, sodium citrate, acetylated mono- and diglycerides, pectin, malic acid, vitamin C (ascorbic acid), natural flavor, Dye (Yellow 5&6, Red 40, Blue 1)

Now compare that to the ingredient list for homemade fruit rolls: 100% real whole fruit.

That’s it.

Throw that store-bought stuff in the trash where it belongs and discover how crazy easy it is to make fruit rolls yourself!

This method of making fruit leather can be used on most types of fruit, and how much water you add to the fruit will depend on how juicy the fruit is already. Choose the fruit you like best or use a combination of fruits or berries. There are so many fun and tasty combinations like apple-pear, strawberry-peach, banana-strawberry, and the list goes on and on. You can also add spices like cinnamon and cloves to your fruit leather.

We have three Italian plum trees on our property and I’ve used them in a variety of ways (plum butter, plum sauce, canned plums, dried plums, etc.), all trying not to let any fruit go to waste. I have successfully processed over 250 pounds of plums in the last four weeks!

Making plum leather is one of the ways I’ve used these plums. We also have apple and pear trees and have made and bottled a bunch of cider. I will also be making apple cinnamon leather for our family – my kids have been begging for it!

My kids LOVE this stuff. You will do practically anything for it. (Hmm, now that’s an idea 🙂 They also enjoyed helping me pick, wash and pit the fruit. But most of all, they enjoy devouring it. And it feels great to be able to give your children something they know is pure and wholesome.

Once you make your first batch of this you will make it again and again because it is so, so easy to make!

Again, I’m using plums to illustrate how to make fruit leather, but you can use any fruit of your choice.

Let’s start!

Put the fruit in a pot. If the fruit is really juicy, like plums, apples, peaches, etc., you hardly need to add water, just enough to avoid burning the bottom. So just check it out, maybe add 1/4 cup or water or something. Check your fruit as it cooks to make sure it isn’t burning. If it seems like it needs a little more water, add more.

Cover the fruit and simmer for 5-10 minutes or until tender.

Puree the fruit until smooth. You can put it in a stand mixer or use an immersion blender.

Pour the pureed fruit onto lined cookie sheets (either silicone or parchment paper).

Spread it out to a thickness of about 1/4 inch or slightly less.

You can dehydrate the fruit leather in either a conventional oven or in a dehydrator, whichever you prefer. I have a dehydrator, but prefer to use the oven for that. It’s super easy to spread on two cookie sheets and pop in the oven.

Preheat oven to 140°F. To speed up the process, you can turn on the convection setting if you have one. It usually takes 8-12 hours to dry. You’ll know your fruit leather is ready when the surface is smooth and no longer sticky.

If you’re using parchment paper, the easiest way to remove the fruit leather is while it’s still slightly warm so it doesn’t stick to the paper.

I prefer to use a silicone baking mat, but my new mats were still on the way to delivery when I made these. Still, both work well.

Cut the fruit leather into strips.

You can either store the fruit leather as one large strip and slice it later, or store it in strips.

To store, roll in plastic wrap and then place in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.

Enjoy!

Naturally gluten-free, paleo and vegan.

Having a problem with food sticking to dehydrator trays? Here are 5 ways to prevent that and what to do if you find yourself with a ruined batch.

It can be disheartening to spend time preparing fruit to dry and then find that it’s stuck to your dehydrator trays. These five tips will prevent food from sticking to dehydrator trays and make cleanup effortless. Read on as we discuss how you can also get stuck on food from your dehydrator trays.

Don’t cut your food too thin

The standard slice thickness, which is suitable for most fruits and vegetables, is 6 mm (1/4 inch). However, the higher the water content of a particular fruit or vegetable, the larger it should be cut since it shrinks more when dehydrated. Using a mandolin (Amazon) to regulate the size of the cuts can help.

Products such as tomatoes, pears, plums, mangoes, peaches, nectarines and watermelons fall under this rule. These may dry more easily on solid trays, non-stick sheets (Amazon), or parchment paper.

Turn the food after an hour

Sometimes turning the food over is enough to prevent it from sticking. If you leave the food in the dehydrator for an hour or two, the outside will begin to dry out and become a little hard. It won’t feel wet. If so, turn the pieces over. The resulting crust must not stick to the trays.

Use plastic strainers

Plastic sieves (Amazon) are sold as accessories for dehydrator trays. They are good for small items that fall through the cracks. They are also great for sticky foods. If food sticks to it, you can bend the strainer slightly and it usually pops off immediately. These screens are made of a flexible plastic that isn’t as stiff as the trays themselves, so if something sticks, their flexibility will prevent it from sticking.

use parchment paper

Dried apples, pears, pineapples, bananas and other fruits will pop right off the paper when the drying process is complete. Use a good quality, thick parchment paper so the food comes off without tearing.

Consider cooking spray

I’ve heard cooking spray like Pam can be used on trays if you spray lightly. Be sure to use the unflavored kind. If you don’t want to use anything in a spray can, wet your fingers with oil and rub on the trays or pour on a paper towel and then wipe a thin layer onto the dehydrator trays.

Be aware that even this small amount of oil will shorten the shelf life of your dried foods and will stick to your trays with prolonged use. If you won’t be storing the food for a long time, cooking spray is probably fine.

What about wax paper, foil and plastic wrap?

Bottom line: You can either spend a little more on non-stick parchment paper, buy the rigid liners for the trays in your device (much cheaper in the long run), or add a little cooking spray.

Wax paper, plastic wrap, and aluminum foil restrict your machine’s airflow and won’t work. Food won’t be ruined using these methods, your machine won’t be able to work efficiently, and the dehydrator batch will take longer to dry.

Oh no! How to remove food already stuck to the trays

For hard trays (like the white Nesco trays)

It happens to the best of us, even those who have been dehydrated for years. Press lightly on the back of the tray to lift the stuck food so it can pop off. With the Excalibur Dehydrator, the tray’s screen is removable and can be easily bent, so the food often pops out immediately.

Place the dehydrator trays in the freezer

Sometimes food needs to firm up a bit, and chilling it can help. Place the tray in the freezer for an hour. Check while still cold and use your fingers to gently press from the bottom of the tray to push the food out.

Allow the foods to come back to room temperature and assess whether you may need to dehydrate those foods again.

Mist the food gently

If you’ve overdried the food, gentle misting can help. Using a spray bottle and purified water, spray the slices just enough to wet the pieces. Leave them for a few minutes until they separate from the shell. These foods will need to be dried again, so use heavy-duty baking sheets, strainers, or parchment paper for the second round.

If food sticks to the parchment paper, take a wet paper towel and place it under the parchment paper. This moisture usually fluffs up the paper without rehydrating the food, and it comes off.

Scrape and make powder

Sometimes you cannot save the batch. If all else fails, use a strong-bristled brush or sturdy spatula to scrape the food into a bowl or pan. You can dry it again and grind it into a powder that you can use in spice blends and for cooking.

Juicy, sugary foods like fruit can drip through the sieve of some dehydrator trays and caramelize. As a result, the purees from which fruit leathers are made stick together. The flexibility of the plastic wrap makes it easy to remove fruit leather leaves from dehydrator trays without tearing them. Plastic wrap contains the juices, preserves flavor, and prevents a sticky mass from forming at the bottom of the dehydrator. But parchment paper holds liquid almost as long without the risk of chemical leaching. Parchment paper scorches between 375 and 450 degrees F and burns at temperatures approaching 550 degrees F, according to artisan bread baker Barry Harmon. Dehydration temperatures range from 120 degrees F when you start drying fruit to between 140 and 160 degrees F when you are dehydrating meat. This makes parchment paper a safe and effective choice for lining your trays.

How to make fruit leather

The ultimate guide to the do’s and don’ts of fruit leather.

Words: Marina Steinke

Most fruits that are available for free or almost free are fallen and overripe fruits. These are not suitable for drying raw, but very good for the production of fruit leather, also known as fruit rolls. However, there is a big difference between what you make in your own dehydrator and some commercially made fruit snacks, which can contain as little as 3% fruit. Her self-dried leather has one ingredient: fruit.

THE BEST FRUIT FOR FRUIT LEATHER

Our favorite fruit leathers are made from a blend of about 50% apples and 50% prunes and plums. As with dehydration, the later varieties are not as juicy as the earlier varieties and therefore result in a thicker puree and therefore thicker and more supple fruit leathers. Apples are also great stuffing if you have a few strawberries or cherries to spare: 80% apple and 20% strawberries or cherries make a delicious fruit leather. Raspberries and blueberries are suitable, but add lots of seeds to the final product. Most other berries have too many seeds to produce a tasty fruit leather. Apricots and peaches with apple are delicious, as are pears. Pure fruit skins from apples or pears tend to form gaps during the drying process due to too much fiber material, which makes it difficult to roll them up.

We find nashis unsuitable for making fruit leathers. They’re too watery and what’s left after the water has evaporated is lots of tasteless fiber. Adding a single large nashi to a fruit pot to make fruit leather tends to result in coarse leather with lots

of holes. Citrus fruits add a bitter taste that doesn’t appeal to us. Most of the fruit leathers we make are a mix of the fruit left over after the dehydrator has been filled with raw fruit halves or slices. The possibilities are endless and even quince mixed with apple makes a delicious fruit leather. Don’t be afraid to be creative. I often have a small pot next to a large pot on the stove, the small pot for a new combination and the larger one for an old favorite.

PREPARATION AND COOKING OF THE FRUITS

All fruits should be washed. We also remove anything we don’t want to eat raw, like pits, wormholes, and bruises, before slicing the fruit into thumb-sized pieces. Prunes, plums and other stone fruits are cut in half to remove the stones. Moldy and rotten parts are cut out very generously and disposed of. We leave skins on. It’s better to start with a small pot, as large pots that hold 4 liters of water or even larger will take much longer to bring to a gentle boil. Fill the pot with chunks of cleaned fruit. The juiciest fruit is best placed at the bottom of the pot as it releases more liquid than apples or quinces, preventing the fruit from burning easily.

We add a little water (2 tbsp) so that the fruit does not burn at the bottom, then we put the lid on. Bring the fruit to a gentle boil over low-medium heat. Stir occasionally.

Due to the heat, the fruit slowly starts to release its juices, so that after a while the fruit cooks in it. Simmer until all the fruit is fully cooked. This takes about 15 minutes for a 1 quart saucepan over medium heat. After cooling, this fruit compote can be eaten pure, with yoghurt or muesli or pureed and processed into fruit leather.

MAKING FRUIT LEATHER

To prepare these delicious and healthy treats, you need solid bowls for your food dehydrator. These trays are placed on your grates and filled with fruit puree or parchment paper can be cut to size for one-off use. So that the fruit leather does not stick to the tin or paper, it is best to rub it with a little olive oil. I do this with my (washed) hands as brushing gets too much oil on the trays and makes the fruit leather greasy. Three or four drops of oil per bowl, well distributed, is usually sufficient. A blender or food processor comes in handy for pureeing the compote. Before blenders were widely available, the compote was strained through a coarse sieve, but I only did this once as a lot of the fruit material had to be discarded.

In the blender or food processor, peels (not bananas, pineapples, citrus, etc.) become part of the puree, adding fiber and flavor. The more powerful the model of food processor, the finer the consistency of the fruit leather. Our 30 year old blender makes a quite fine fruit puree and after dehydrating the little scraps of skin are not noticeable. We also have a top quality blender that even a close visual inspection shows no lumps of skin. The fruit puree should only be put into the blender when it is lukewarm (or cold). If it is still very hot, the glass jar of some blenders can break, and since the solid bowls for fruit leather are made of plastic, they would buckle when pouring the hot puree.

It only takes 10-20 seconds to turn a cup of fruit compote into fruit puree in a blender. This puree can then be poured onto a tray – never leave the tray on the dehydrator when pouring puree as the machine could be seriously damaged if puree runs down into the cavity between the fan and motor. Do not overfill or underfill the bowls. The thicker the layer of puree, the longer it takes to dry, but if the layer is too thin, the fruit leather will be brittle and have no flavor. About 4-5mm thick is probably ideal, just thick enough to not see the color of the skin underneath the puree. I use the back of a large spoon to distribute the puree as evenly as possible, but slight variations in thickness are unavoidable and don’t matter.

MARINA’S TIP

If the fruit puree is watery and liquid, the selected fruit was not suitable for the fruit leather production. This can happen if too many spring plums or nashis have been used.

Most dehydrator bowls hold 1.5 to 2.5 cups of fruit puree, depending on their size. In round dehydrators, the puree along the outside tends to dehydrate faster than the puree closer to the center. Spreading the puree a little thinner in the middle is a good idea.

Since many of the vitamins have already been sacrificed during cooking, a fruit leather can be dried at around 50°C, which takes around 15-24 hours, depending on the thickness. To avoid over-drying, the temperature should be reduced to 35°C once the outside of the leather has set.

We’ve tried making fruit leathers from raw fruit, but found that the pureed raw fruit starts to ferment during the dehydration process. Pureed raw fruit oxidizes at a phenomenal rate in the warm, humid environment that a dehydrator provides early in the process, especially when apples or pears have been added, turning the leather an unpleasant dark brown.

Cooking the fruit also kills any bacteria that may be present, which is especially valuable if some overripe fruit has been added.

We don’t add sugar to our leathers since summer fruits contain enough fructose to make them a tasty treat, but adding cinnamon to applefruit leathers is worth a try.

STORAGE

The dry fruit leather should be removed from the tray while it is still warm, as it can stick to the tray when it is cold. It should also be rolled up while warm as it is more flexible. If it tears or breaks when you roll it up, it’s too dry. If parchment paper was used and the paper sticks to the fruit skin, slightly dampen the paper and it should then come off more easily. A rubber ring, a large clothespin or a tie can be used to prevent the fruit leather from unrolling. After cooling, the ring or tie can be removed. The rolls can be stored in resealable plastic bags, or shredded and stored in jars, plastic containers, or other airtight container that will keep moisture out. Store in a cool, dark place and consume before the next season provides you with new raw material.

A SPECIAL ENJOYMENT

Cooked, pureed fruit can be recooked with 1-2 cups of sugar for every 4 cups of fruit puree for a delicious multi-layered treat. Simmer over low heat until the puree is the consistency of pancake batter and the frothing created by the mixer has disappeared. This can take up to two hours and requires frequent stirring.

The resulting fruit pulp can either be bottled and stored for later use (delicious with yoghurt or pancakes) or spread on the solid trays of your dehydrator to dehydrate. Because sugar has been added and this puree is thicker than the puree used for fruit leather, it takes much longer to dehydrate than plain fruit puree.

Once this first layer of puree is set, a second layer can be placed on top and the drying process started again. After a few days, the leathery treat should be flipped so the bottom becomes the top and vice versa. After about three days, a third layer can be applied on top.

Dehydrating this way requires a lot of patience and turning the sheet several times during the 4-5 extra days, but the end product is worth the effort. The finished fruit treat is 5-6mm thick and fairly firm, yet flexible and sticky due to the sugar content so should be dusted with powdered sugar before dicing.

Although a 3-layer fruit treat takes well over a week to make, these are absolutely delicious and will keep for many months if stored in airtight containers with lots of powdered sugar. I often do 2-3 shifts on the bottom racks of our dehydrator while using the top racks to dehydrate fresh fruit to get the most out of the power.

The most suitable fruits for this treat are plums, apricots, peaches and quinces. If apples are added, the taste of the end product is not quite as intense.

Due to the highly concentrated nature of the treat, it is not a good idea to use fruit with seeds like berries. Quinces do not contain much water, so one cup of water must be added to every quart of quince nibs before stewing. The skin can be left on quinces, but the pits must be removed. The pureed braised quinces, after being cooked with added sugar, are called quince paste.

After about 1.5 hours of simmering over low heat, the quince paste turns an attractive deep red color. The finished dehydrated treat is known as quince bread. The more sugar you add, the sweeter it will be and the less time it will take to reach a pasty consistency.

There are different types of parchment paper on the market that may look the same but are actually completely different products. Some examples of this are:

Butter paper (sometimes called sandwich paper) does not have a non-stick surface, so it should not be used for baking. Instead, it is ideal, for example, for protecting the cutting board when preparing fish, raw meat, onions, chili or beetroot, for example, or for packing and packing greasy and moist food, for example on a picnic.

Wax paper (or wax paper) actually has wax on it and it has a non-stick and water-resistant finish. However, it is not heat resistant and should not be used in the oven. NOTE: Baking paper can be used in most applications that require wax paper. However, the opposite is not true as using wax paper can cause smoke in the oven and affect the taste.

Parchment paper – also known as bakery paper or parchment paper as it is often called, especially in the US – is greaseproof paper used for baking and cooking. Baking paper is the versatile kitchen helper that can be used for many different applications. It has a non-stick surface that prevents food from sticking. They are also very heat-resistant and can be used at temperatures of up to 220°C.

SAGA baking paper is a unique innovation and contains more properties than conventional baking paper. It is a perfect partner for all kinds of baking, cooking (even in boiling water) and food preparation applications. SAGA’s baking paper ensures food doesn’t stick to trays, cake tins or bowls, and since no oil is needed for coating, it also makes dishwashing easier. SAGA baking paper can also be used for decorating, grating and rolling out – it’s even suitable for the microwave. Both sides of the SAGA paper are siliconized and non-stick coated, so you can use the paper on both sides. To ensure maximum food hygiene and environmental compatibility, SAGA baking papers are white. They are also biodegradable and compostable.

This post may contain affiliate links. I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. All opinions remain my own.

Parchment paper, baking paper, and wax paper are names for types of paper used in cooking. Parchment paper is actually the same as parchment paper. It’s just that in some parts of the world it’s called one thing and in other parts of the world it’s called the other.

The only difference is between parchment or baking paper and wax paper. Most importantly, parchment paper can be used in an oven or toaster and waxed paper cannot. Many people find this out the hard way when their kitchen fills with smoke and the fire alarm goes off.

What is parchment paper?

Parchment paper is treated paper coated with heat resistant material. Nowadays a silicone coating is usually used.

It actually has a number of uses, but the most common is lining baking sheets to create a non-stick surface between the baked goods and the sheet. Similar uses can be found in cake pans, tart pans and other kitchen utensils.

Traditionally, pans have been greased with butter, but it’s much easier to use parchment paper. All you have to do is line the pan, pour your mixture on top, and then pop it in the oven. Leaving some of the paper open around the food allows you to hold onto it and use it to lift your food out of the pan more easily.

Another common use is cooking “en papillote”, where items are placed in packets and then cooked.

You can find parchment paper at most grocery stores. Usually it is brown, but you can also find it bleached white. Pre-cut shapes are often available if you have a specific shape on your menu.

Use for parchment paper

The main uses are:

For lining cake tins and other pans exposed to heat

Cooking “en papillote”

Creating collars and wraps for cooking

catch drops

What is the difference between parchment paper, baking paper and wax paper?

As we’ve said before, parchment paper is just another name for parchment paper. They are the same.

The main difference is between parchment and wax paper. Wax paper is not heat resistant and you should not use wax paper to line the surface between baked goods and a cooking pan. If you use wax paper in an oven, it can catch fire.

parchment paper versus wax paper

Wax paper has a moisture-resistant coating of wax.

Wax paper and parchment paper both have a non-stick surface. The difference between parchment and wax paper is that wax paper does not have a heat-resistant surface but is coated with flammable materials such as paraffin wax.

Parchment paper is not flammable but is less suitable for cold storage as it is less moisture resistant and therefore does not keep food as fresh as wax paper.

What is wax paper?

Wax’s highly moisture-resistant properties make it ideal for packaging and refrigerated food storage. It can be used for packaging everything from cookies and bread dough to meat and cheese. Wax paper is primarily used for this, but it also has a few other uses.

Used for wax paper

The main uses are:

Packaging food for cold storage

Lining surfaces before rolling out dough or doing messy jobs

Lining pans for preparing cold food

present things beautifully

What are good substitutes for parchment paper and wax paper?

If you’re missing the right thing to line your baking sheets or wrap something you’ve made, there are alternatives and some of these are common kitchen items.

Substitute for parchment paper

A lot of times people run out of parchment paper and they go to the closet and get wax paper instead because it looks the same. This usually results in a lot of smoke and cleanup, but it can also be dangerous. As previously mentioned, wax paper does not tolerate high temperatures and is therefore not a substitute for parchment paper.

Grease the pan

It’s often easiest to do things the old-fashioned way and grease the pan rather than finding an alternative. For most recipes, butter works best for lining the pan. You can also use oil, cooking spray or lard.

It’s often a good idea to also shake some of the flour in the pan to prevent sticking.

aluminum foil

Aluminum foil is something most people have in their kitchen and makes a good substitute. It’s less expensive than the alternatives and can be used in the same way to line baking sheets or whatever else you use.

However, aluminum foil lacks non-stick properties. It saves your pan from cleaning because you can peel it off and throw it away afterwards. But to prevent it from sticking you need to coat it with butter, oil or something similar. Aluminum foil is a poor choice for most baking recipes.

Silicone baking mats

Silicone baking mats are used by people who bake a lot or in canteen kitchens. They are used like parchment paper but are thicker, more durable and reusable. For example, I love Silpats. Read more about other baking accessories here.

Silicone rubber molds

You can also purchase silicone rubber molds that are molded to create specific shapes.

wax paper substitute

Wax paper really is the best for storing food and keeping it fresh. However, if you’re going out, there are some easy alternatives:

parchment paper

You can just use parchment paper. Lots of people do this and it works quite well. However, wax and parchment paper are not equally moisture resistant, so your food won’t stay quite as fresh.

It doesn’t look or feel that nice either. If you’re wrapping food gifts or want to give someone your favorite recipe, wax paper is the way to go. Check your grocery store to see if there are patterned and colored versions.

aluminum foil

Aluminum foil is another good alternative that most people have in their kitchen. It keeps things fresh and can be reused or recycled, but foil can stick even if not exposed to heat.

freezer paper

Freezer paper is coated with plastic on one side. For wrapping and freezing, this is often a better choice as it is stronger in cold conditions. You can also write on the outside so you know what’s in your freezer. However, it can be hard to find and usually doesn’t look quite as pretty.

plastic wrap

Plastic wrap is another good alternative to wax paper. It’s easy to use and wraps tighter than foil or freezer paper. However, it’s not as strong as wax paper, doesn’t look as pretty, and is more polluting.

Likewise

Read more about other things that don’t go in the oven here.

Hope that was helpful!

Love,

G.

In this post, we’ll show you how to make fruit leather using a dehydrator, along with recipes for three different flavors!

Looking to incorporate more fruits (and veggies) into your active lifestyle? Learn how to make your own fruit leather! Fresh Off the Grid contributors Kira and Brendon Hak of Adventure Haks show us how to make these healthy, light snacks at home.

I used to always feel guilty about our lack of fruit when packing our meals for a motorcycle ride or a multi-day backpacking trip. Fruit is heavy, takes up a lot of space, and doesn’t last very long, so it rarely makes the cut. But then fruit leathers came along and we felt a lot better which we packed up and ate!

Fruit leathers are delicious and easy! You can puree and sweeten (or not) any fruit you have laying around and dehydrate it into a nutritious, chewy, and high-energy snack.

You should pick ripe or even slightly overripe fruit. We like to use either honey or pitted dates for sweetening. Sometimes, if the chosen fruit isn’t tart, we even omit the sweetener altogether. The amount of sweetener is a personal preference, so be sure to adjust it to suit your preferences.

To fill all four of our dehydrator bowls, we need about 6-8 cups of pureed fruit; this may vary depending on the dehydrator. Line the sheets with parchment paper, as sometimes the puree can run through. We start with the wrap and remove it after a couple of hours when it starts to dry.

I’ve shared three of our favorites, but the flavor combinations are endless. We tend to choose flavors based on what’s on offer or what we have in the kitchen that needs to be used up. Luckily, we live in a region of Canada called the Okanagan that is an orchard paradise. The recipes we’ve included are what we need to fill just two bowls in our dehydrator. We like to do two flavors at a time and vacuum seal flavor packs for the trail.

Using the recipes we’ve provided as a guide, try these other flavors: Apricot (apricots and sweetener), Strawberry Lemonade (strawberries, lemons, honey), Apple Cinnamon (apples, honey, cinnamon), PB, and Jam (strawberries and 1 cup of PB) Have fun with this, you really can’t go wrong!

EQUIPMENT FOCUS: Choosing a Food Dehydrator From making fruit leather and beef jerky, to drying fresh fruit and vegetables for longer term storage, to making dehydrated, just boiling water for backpacking or emergencies, there are dozens of ways to use a food dehydrator to use. As with most kitchen appliances, there are a number of options to choose from. There are two that we keep seeing. If you’re on a budget (????), the Nesco Snackmaster Pro is probably your best bet. If you dehydrate a lot, you’ll likely be able to recoup the cost of one of the Excalibur model dehydrators, which have long held the position of best of the best in the dehydration community.

DIY Fruit Leather You can make any number of flavor combinations with this basic technique! Here we share our three favorite fruit leather flavors to get you started. Author: Adventure Haks 4.76 of 41 votes Print Pin SaveSaved! Prep Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 6 hours Total Time: 6 hours 15 minutes Equipment Dehydrator

dehydrator insert

Spatula Ingredients STRAWBERRY RHUBARB 2 cups rhubarb, diced & cooked*

, 3 cups strawberries, diced

, ¼ cup honey BLUEBERRIES CHIA BANANA 2 cups blueberries

2 small ripe bananas, peeled

, ¼ cup chia seeds

5-10 dates, pitted RASPBERRY PEACH 2 cups raspberries

3 peaches, cored and diced

, ¼ cup honey Cooking mode Keep your screen from going dark Instructions Wash, peel and remove stems or seeds if necessary. The skin of the fruit is very nutritious, so we always use the skin as well (exception: bananas, pineapples, oranges, etc.).

Place all products in a blender or food processor with your sweetener of choice and blend until smooth. *For the strawberry rhubarb variation: the rhubarb needs to be soaked, so after dicing put it in a saucepan with just enough water to cover it and cook on medium until tender, we pour everything out of the saucepan , water and everything, so in the processor we don’t lose nutrients

Optional step: We’ve found that preheating the mixture in a saucepan before putting it in the dehydrator speeds up the drying time. Simply add the blended mixture to a saucepan and heat over medium-high for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally

Line trays with parchment paper. Spread on dehydrated sheets. Since the sides will dry faster, make the puree thicker around the edges – about 1/4 inch and 1/8 inch in the middle.

Dry at 145F/63C for 6-8 hours. Another way to speed up the drying time is to check after a few hours and remove the foil/paper. When the leathers have dried they will be a little shiny and not sticky. Let them cool before removing them from the shells.

Roll the leather into a tight roll and use a sharp knife to cut into lengths of your choosing. Wrap the pieces in cling film, place in airtight containers (such as ziplock bags), or vacuum seal. Store in a cool, dark and dry place. *Diet is an estimate based on information provided by a third-party nutrition calculator

This 3-ingredient fruit roll-up recipe is an easy and delicious way to make your own fruit leather (no fancy equipment or ingredients!)

If you were anything like me as a kid, you probably thought, “When I grow up, I can have ______ for dinner every night!” (Insert: ice cream, cookies, pop tarts, cotton candy, etc.). But now that I’m finally an adult, I know that in order not to weigh 500 pounds, I have to suppress my inner child demands. But I recently discovered a way to have my cake and eat it too. Well, fruit rolls anyway.

When I first came across a recipe for a similar fruit leather thing, I was suspicious. Are you telling me that I can use my oven as a dehydrator? I don’t need one of those fancy shmancy things? Thought I’d have to try a few times, a bit of old-fashioned trial and error, but alas, the first try was a great success! Speaking of Major, these things are really good.

Homemade fruit roll-ups video

What do you need for natural fruit rolls?

You only need 3 ingredients: fruit, lemon juice and something to sweeten. You puree everything, spread it thinly on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and then bake at a very low temperature for a few hours until dry.

I used a mixture of raspberries and strawberries (about 3 cups) for my base. The sweetness is really to your liking. You can use honey or stevia/truvia/sugar (2-3 tablespoons). And finally, lemon juice (2 tablespoons) keeps the fruit’s vibrant color. Blend all ingredients in a food processor or blender until as smooth as possible.

Next, line a baking pan or baking sheet with high-quality plastic wrap or parchment paper. Pour the blended fruit mixture onto the lined skillet, then spread out with a spoon or spatula. It should be as thin as possible without pitting, about ⅛ – ¼ inch thick.

The secret of homemade fruit rolls

your oven! That’s right, simply oven dry your homemade fruit rolls, using the lowest temperature your oven will allow. The temperature at which you dry it will determine the time needed and can range from 4 to 6 hours. It’s done when the center is no longer sticky. The edges can get too dry, in which case you can rehydrate them a little by rubbing them with water.

Once dry, allow the fruit leather to cool, then remove from the cling film (alternatively, leave the fruit leather on the parchment paper and simply cut into strips). Cutting with clean scissors makes this quick! Remove the edges, then cut into 1-inch wide strips. For the real fruit rolling experience, cut strips or parchment or tissue paper and roll the fruit into the paper. Use a touch of tape or twine to hold everything together.

How do you store homemade fruit leather?

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. It will last even longer if you put a paper towel in the container to help absorb moisture.

Find the best dehydrators at Pleasant Hill Grain! We select only the highest quality dehydrators to offer our customers and we have found that American Harvest, L’Equip, Brod & Taylor and Excalibur dehydrators are the best in the world.

American Harvest dehydrators are popular in part for their expandability: up to 30 dehydrator trays can be added for 30 square feet of dehydrating space. Brod & Taylor and L’Equip dehydrators are preferred by many for their compact size and eye-catching design. Excalibur dehydrators have a solid reputation; Your users appreciate the freedom to remove any tray to dry food without having to move other trays. For dehydrator recipes, see the How To Dry Foods coobook.

A food slicer is a good companion machine for your food dehydrator, producing slices of even thickness for the most even dehydration possible.

Drying Fruit Skins Compiled by Alice Henneman, M.S., R.D., C.N., Extension Educator and Nancy Malone, Extension Assistant

Adapted from “So Easy to Preserve”, Cooperative Extension, The University of Georgia, 1993

Fruchtleder are homemade fruit rolls. They are a tasty, chewy dried fruit product. Fruit leathers are made by pouring pureed fruit onto a flat surface to dry. After drying, the fruit is pulled from the surface and rolled. It got the name “leather” from the fact that the pureed fruit is shiny when it dries and has the texture of leather.

Benefits of making your own fruit leather include the option to use less sugar and the ability to mix and match fruit flavors to suit your personal preferences.

For adults or children with diabetes, fruit leathers without sugar are a healthy choice for snacks or desserts. Individual fruit leathers should contain the amount of fruit allowed for the fruit swap.

Instructions for making fruit leathers follow. Fresh, frozen or drained canned fruit can be used.

HOW BY DRYING FRUIT LEATHER IS OBTAINED

Drying removes the moisture from the fruit leather so that bacteria, yeast and mold cannot grow and spoil the fruit leather. It also slows down the action of enzymes, but does not deactivate them. Because drying removes moisture, food becomes smaller and lighter.

The optimum temperature for drying food is 140°F. If higher temperatures are used, the fruit leather can “harden”; that is, cooking and curing on the outside while trapping moisture on the inside. Case-hardened fruit leather will eventually go moldy once the moisture levels out during storage. Therefore, the drying process should never be accelerated by increasing the drying temperature. (See Table 1 for the suitability of various fruits for making fruit leather.)

FRESH FRUIT LEATHER

Choose ripe or slightly overripe fruit.

Wash fresh fruit or berries in cold water. Remove skins, seeds, stems, and bruised or spoiled parts.

Cut fruit into pieces. Use 2 cups of fruit for each 13″ x 15″ fruit leather. Puree fruit until smooth. If thick, add liquid to achieve a flowing consistency.

Add 2 teaspoons lemon juice or 1/8 teaspoon ascorbic acid (375 mg) for every two cups of light fruit to prevent darkening.

Optional: Add corn syrup, honey, or sugar to sweeten. Corn syrup or honey are best for longer storage as they prevent crystal formation. Sugar is good for immediate use or short storage. Use 1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar, corn syrup, or honey for every two cups of fruit. Saccharin-based sweeteners could also be used to reduce acidity without adding calories. Aspartame sweeteners can lose sweetness during drying.

Fruits at a glance Fresh fruit Ripe apples Excellent Apricots Excellent Avocados Not recommended Bananas Fair to good Berries with seeds Excellent Blueberries Only in combination Cherries Excellent Citrus fruits Only in combination Citrus peels Only in combination Crab apples Only in combination Cranberries Only in combination Grapes Fair to good Guavas Only in Combination Melons Not Recommended Nectarines Excellent Peaches Excellent Pears Excellent Pineapple Excellent Plums Good Strawberries Excellent

CANNED OR FROZEN FRUIT LEATHER

Homemade or store-bought canned or frozen fruit can be used. Applesauce can be dried alone or added to any fresh fruit puree as a bulking agent. It reduces acidity and makes the leather smoother and more supple.

Drain the fruit, discarding the liquid.

Use a pint of fruit for each 13″ x 15″ leather.

Puree fruit until smooth. If thick, add liquid to achieve a flowing consistency.

Add 2 teaspoons lemon juice or 1/8 teaspoon ascorbic acid (375 mg) for every two cups of light fruit to prevent darkening.

SPICES and FLAVORS

To add interest to your fruit leather, add spices or flavorings.

Spices to try – Allspice, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, ginger, mace, mint, nutmeg or pumpkin pie spice. Use sparingly, starting with 1/8 teaspoon for every two cups of puree.

Flavors to Try: Almond Extract, Lemon Juice, Lemon Zest, Lime Juice, Lime Zest, Orange Extract, Orange Juice, Orange Zest, or Vanilla Extract. Use sparingly, try 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon for every two cups of puree.

PREPARING THE TRAYS

A 13″ x 15″ baking pan with rims works well for oven drying. Line the pan with plastic wrap, being careful to smooth out any wrinkles. Do not use wax paper or aluminum foil.

Specially designed plastic sheets can be purchased for drying in a dehydrator, or plastic trays can be lined with plastic wrap.

CASTING THE LEATHER

Fruit leathers can be cast into a single large sheet (13″ x 15″) or multiple smaller sizes. Spread the puree evenly, about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick, on the baking sheet. Don’t pour the puree too close to the edge of the pan; Leave an inch or more margin to allow it to spread out while it dries. The larger fruit leathers take longer to dry.

DRYING THE LEATHER

Leather dries from the outer edge towards the middle. Test for dryness by touching the center of the leather; there should be no nicks or sticky spots. Dry until still malleable. When warm, peel off the plastic wrap and roll up, allow to cool and rewrap the roll in plastic wrap or special plastic fruit leather sheets.

DRYING IN THE DRYER: It takes about six to eight hours to dry fruit leather in a dehydrator. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions. In general, fruit leather should be dried at around 60 °C.

OVEN DRYING: An oven can be used for occasional drying of fruit leathers. Since the oven may also be needed for everyday cooking, it may not be enough to preserve copious amounts of fruit leather. Oven drying can take up to 18 hours for fruit leathers.

Oven drying is slower than dehydrators because the oven doesn’t have a built-in fan for air movement. (Some convection ovens have a fan, however.) Fruit leather takes two to three times longer to dry in an oven than in a dehydrator. As a result, the oven is not as efficient as a dehydrator and uses more energy.

How to Use Your Oven: First check your dial and see if it reads as low as 140°F. Check the oven temperature on the warm setting with an oven thermometer. If your oven doesn’t go that low, your food will cook instead of drying out.

Low humidity supports the drying process. In order to dry fruit leather, the water from the fruit leather has to get into the ambient air. If the surrounding air is humid, drying will be slower. Avoid drying fruit leather in rainy or humid weather.

Increasing the airflow speeds drying by moving the surrounding moist air away from the fruit leather. Increase airflow to speed up drying time. Leave the oven door open two to six inches for air circulation. Circulation can be improved by placing a fan outside the oven near the door. During drying, change the position of the fan frequently to vary the airflow. CAUTION: This is not a safe practice for a home with young children.

Since the door is left open, the temperature will vary. Place an accurate and easy-to-read oven thermometer on the top tray toward the back. Adjust the temperature controller to achieve the required 140°F.

Keep the temperature at 140°F. It takes less heat to keep the temperature at 140°F as the drying progresses, so pay careful attention to the temperature towards the end of the drying process.

PRESERVATION OF THE LEATHER

Place packaged pieces in airtight, moisture-proof containers such as freezer bags, jars, or freezer containers. Fruit leather will keep for about two to four weeks at room temperature if stored in a cool, dark place. Store in the freezer for up to a year storage.

Find the best dehydrators at Pleasant Hill Grain. We select only the highest quality dehydrators to offer to our customers and we have found that American Harvest dehydrators, L’Equip dehydrators and Excalibur dehydrators are the best dehydrators in the world. American Harvest dehydrators are popular in part for their expandability: up to 30 dehydrator trays can be added for 30 square feet of dehydrating space. L’Equip dehydrators are preferred by many for their compact size and eye-catching design. Excalibur dehydrators have a solid reputation; Your users appreciate the freedom to remove any tray to dry food without having to move other trays.

How do I? …Dry

dry

fruit leather

Fruchtleder are homemade fruit rolls. They are a palatable, chewable, dried fruit product. Fruit leathers are made by pouring pureed fruit onto a flat surface to dry. After drying, the fruit is pulled from the surface and rolled. It got its name “leather” because the pureed fruit is shiny when it dries and has the texture of leather.

The benefits of making your own fruit leathers include saving money, using less sugar, and blending fruit flavors. Leftover pulp from jelly making can be mixed and made into fruit buns.

For adults or children with diabetes, fruit leathers without sugar are a healthy choice for snacks or desserts. Individual fruit leathers should contain the amount of fruit allowed for the fruit swap.

Instructions for making fruit leathers follow. Fresh, frozen or drained canned fruit can be used. Fresh fruit leather

Can You Overdry Food in Your Dehydrator? Generally no, but the answer is nuanced. Learn the secrets of drying for storage vs. drying for snacks!

Essentially, the answer is no, you cannot over-dry your dehydrated foods.

The nuanced answer is:

You cannot overdry foods that you intend to store. The drier it is, the better it can be stored.

You can dry fruit leather or beef jerky a little more than suits your taste, but you cannot overdry foods intended for food storage.

Can You Overdry Fruits and Vegetables in a Dehydrator?

You can dry things longer than your palette likes to eat, such as B. Fruit leather or beef jerky or some fruit if you prefer a softer texture.

You can dry some foods at too high a temperature, which uses up many of their nutrients. In most cases, herbs should not be dried at more than 35 °C. You don’t want to dry fruit at 70°C/165°F, which can cause case hardening. It’s a condition where the outside of the fruit (and some vegetables like peas) dries into a hard shell, making moisture release from the inside problematic and potentially causing mold during storage. And in some cases, hot temperatures can cause color changes in fruits like citrus and strawberries, where the sugar quickly turns brown.

This is how you can tell when the food is dry enough

Fruits should be dried below 15%, vegetables should be dried with less than 10% moisture. But if you don’t have a meter to read that, or don’t use moisture indicator strips (these aren’t food safe, see info below*), how do you know if your food is dry enough?

Expert Tip: Remember to always let your food cool for about ten minutes before testing. While food is warm, it tends to still be soft and pliable, leading you to think it’s not ready, leading to over-drying.

Fruit:

Leathery and flexible. No stickiness on the surface and pliable but not soft for plums, cherries, peaches, cranberries, grapes, etc.

Crispy and dry – breaks when bent for apples, citrus, bananas, etc.

vegetables

Crunchy and dry and breaks

Sounds like a hollow ping when dropped on a hard surface (not a wet thud)

leather

Dry and supple

Herbs

Dry and crushable

jerky

Slightly pliable – but if it tears or bends easily, it takes more time. If it tears, it’s too dry (see the tips below)

Dry surface – while fats will rise to the surface and need to be blotted off while the jerky dries, it takes more time when it’s obviously wet.

Marshmallows

Easily broken without a tough interior.

Tip: Let this cool down for 10-15 minutes. The longer they have to cool, the more brittle they become, giving you a better sense of their dryness.

Tips to prevent fruit leather from over drying

Spread it out to ¼ inch on your trays, the outside edges being slightly thicker than the inside edges. Leather tends to dry from the outside in, so a thicker edge allows for a more even drying.

For best results, use a Teflon or silicone fruit leather sheet. Parchment or baking paper is fine, but if your fruit leather tends to get a little wet, the paper can soak up and stick. These Amazon dehydrator sheets are inexpensive and can be cut to fit almost any size dehydrator.

Flip your fruit leather once it’s stable enough to move. In general, the surface has lost its luster and is dull, and the leather does not crack when you pick it up. This allows for more effective drying of the entire sheet.

In any case, take samples from your dehydrator, let them come to room temperature, and then test to see if they’re done. When it’s still warm, a lot of things are still pliable and unbreakable because the sugar is still warm and expanded.

How to repair over dried fruit leather or jerky

Fruit leather or jerky that is too brittle for your liking can be a nuisance, but still works well for long-term storage. However, there are a few tips you can do to restore moisture before serving.

If you want to dry things but are afraid of a high temperature/overdrying situation at night, turn your machine down to the lowest temperature and keep drying (unless it’s jerky, which needs to stay at the safe temperature).

To get more smoothness when serving, let your fruit sit at room temperature for an hour or two and absorb the ambient moisture into you.

If you find you’ve dried longer than you’d like, place your jerky or fruit leather in a plastic bag with a slightly damp paper towel to allow it to reabsorb the moisture

Make a Powder – If your fruit leather or jerky or berries just can’t be saved, make a powder out of it. The fruit leather or other fruit powders can be used in so many ways, from flavoring oatmeal and yogurt to bread and beverages. The jerky powder can be used to flavor dog treats (depending on the marinade), flavor rice dishes and stews, etc.

frequently asked Questions

Can I keep dehydrated fruit soft like store bought? In most cases, store-bought dried fruits are either freeze-dried or contain additives to keep them soft. In most households, we cannot reproduce it when dehydrated.

But what if you prefer a softer piece of fruit when snacking? You can dry it for less than the optimal time to keep it softer. Just remember to store it in the freezer or fridge for the long term and eat within a few days.

Remember: Mold is soft when stored. Can I use moisture indicator strips to test dehydrated foods? Although these strips are not food safe and should not come into contact with your food, you can place a muffin paper or paper towel square over your food in the jar, place the strip on top, close your jar and test for moisture.

I don’t do this as a regular storage medium. I’ll occasionally use it for something like dense fruit when I want to put it back for storage, like apricots or chunks of pineapple. But it’s definitely NOT something you need to incorporate into your dehydration routine.

If you’d like to hear more from me on this topic, if the video doesn’t load automatically, click the RED YOUTUBE ARROWS below.

More information on dehydration

For more information on the dehydration FAQ, please visit this page. If you love a printable PDF version of the entire Dehydrating Basics series, it’s available here.