Blackberry And Apple Leather Recipes

BLACKBERRY APPLE FRUIT LEATHER

Steps:

• Over a large bowl or pan, add both ingredients to a food mill. Run the applesauce and berries through the food mill, until only the blackberry seeds remain.
• If you don't mind seeds in your fruit leather, simply add both ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer, and beat on medium for about 3 minutes until blackberries are well blended into the sauce.
• Spread the mixed puree on the fruit leather trays for your dehydrator. (This recipe nicely fills three trays on my Nesco FD-61). For a good result, it's important to spread the puree evenly, with no thin or thick spots. Spreading it perfectly flat and even is the trick to perfect fruit leather!
• Dehydrate at 135 degrees for about 6-7 hours. Fruit leather will be done when it's fairly dry to the touch and feels like soft leather. It will be a bit glossy, and shouldn't leave any indent when you touch it.
• Allow to cool, then peel off dehydrator trays. You can easily tear it by hand, or for tidier strips, use scissors or kitchen shears to cut to the desired size.
• For OVEN drying, spread puree evenly onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Dry at 140 or the lowest temperature your oven allows. Timing will be less consistent than in a dehydrator, so start checking on it after a few hours, then keep checking every half hour til it's done. You'll be looking for the same signs of "done-ness" as with the dehydrator method.
• Store in air-tight container at room temperature for up to 1 month, or store tightly-sealed in the freezer for longer storage.

FRUIT LEATHER

Steps:

• Tip the strawberries and apple into a saucepan. Put the pan over a low heat, you don't need to add any water. If you've used frozen fruit, juice will run out as they thaw. Heat gently, keeping an eye on the pan until the strawberries start to break down, you can put a lid on the pan if you like, this keeps the steam in and helps the fruit break down. Cook until the strawberries have softened and given up their juice and the apple is soft.
• Take the pan off the heat. Purée the contents with a stick blender or in a food processor. Squeeze the purée through a sieve into a clean pan, pushing as much pulp through as possible.
• Put the pan back on a low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the purée thickens enough to leave a clear patch on the base of the pan when you pull a spoon through it. The more moisture you drive off now, the shorter your drying time will be.
• Heat the oven to as low as it will go. Pour the purée onto a lined baking sheet (we use a reusable silicone tray liner) and spread it out to a thin layer, the purée should be thick enough to look opaque.
• Put the tray in the oven and dry until the surface is no longer tacky when you touch it, but the leather is still flexible - don't overcook it or it will turn brittle. This will take several hours depending on the oven temperature. If it is very hot and sunny you can air-dry the leather, or use a dehydrator.
• Leave the leather to cool to warm and then peel it carefully off the tray. Trim off the raggedy edges. Roll the leather up, then cut the roll into sections, using scissors is easiest. Each of these will unroll to make a strip. Keep the strips individually wrapped and airtight. The offcuts can be chopped up and used in baking, or snacked on.

BLACKBERRY AND APPLE LEATHER

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to a very low setting - I use 140°F (approximately). Line two baking sheets, measuring about 10 by 12 inches, with parchment paper.
• Put the blackberries, apples, and lemon juice into a pan. Cook gently until soft and pulpy, about 20 minutes. Press the mixture through a sieve or food mill into a bowl; you should have about 1 1/2 pounds of fruit purée. Add the honey and mix well.
• Divide the purée between the two baking sheets. Spread it out lightly with the back of a spoon until the purée covers each sheet in a thin, even layer.
• Put the baking sheets in the oven for 12 to 18 hours, until the fruit purée is completely dry and easily peels off the parchment. Roll up the leather in parchment or waxed paper and store in an airtight container. Use within 5 months.
• VARIATION
• There is no end to the possible variations here-you can turn any fruit into a leather. All you need to do is create a smooth, thick purée with your chosen fruit before drying it out. Try plums, spicing the purée with a little cinnamon; or peaches, infusing them with a few honeysuckle blossoms as they cook. For a savory leather, use half apples and half tomatoes seasoned with 2 teaspoons of souper mix (p. 199) or celery salt.