http://www.durgan.org/URL/?GYICS 5 February 2012 Dehydrating fruit and making fruit leather.
Peaches, plums, banana, Kiwi, and squash were purchased to make fruit leather.The squash was chosen to add more fibre, and was cooked in the microwave.All the fruit was washed and cut into pieces, then made into a slurry with the hand blender. The slurry was spread on the dehydrator sheets.
The upper surface was sprayed with ascorbic acid, about a tablespoon in a litre of water to enhance fruit colour. The sheets were placed in the dehydrator at 57C for about ten hours. Time is determined by monitoring the product periodically.The end product should be dry and slightly flexible, subjective to some degree.
The finished product is vacuum packed to store at room temperature, and may be placed in the refrigerator for longer term storage. This process is another method of preserving produce.The overall objective is to reduce dependence on commercial processed food, and to make nourishing snacks. The effort is experimental to get prepared for home production, during the Summer garden season. With practice the finished product will eventually be standard size, and a pleasing appearance.
Dehydrating fruit and making fruit leather.
Re: Dehydrating fruit and making fruit leather.
http://www.durgan.org/URL/?VBPOO 6 February 2012. Finalizing Method of Producing Fruit Leather
Fruit leather was made, finalizing the method. It turned out perfectly. Thirty dollars of produce was purchased. It was washed, made into a slurry using the hand blender and counter blender. An acorn squash, cooked, was added to increase the fibre content. The slurry was placed on the solid sheet, sprayed with ascorbic acid about one tablespoon in a litre of water, and placed in the dehydrator, set to 57C for 12 hours.The leather was removed from the solid sheets, which was effortless, at about 8 hours, and place on the open mesh sheets to improve drying and further dehydrated. Completion was determined subjectively upon checking periodically. The leather was vacuum packed for storage, some in plastic, and some in a jar. This is the final testing effort and the method will be used in the Summer, when abundant produce is in season.
Fruit leather was made, finalizing the method. It turned out perfectly. Thirty dollars of produce was purchased. It was washed, made into a slurry using the hand blender and counter blender. An acorn squash, cooked, was added to increase the fibre content. The slurry was placed on the solid sheet, sprayed with ascorbic acid about one tablespoon in a litre of water, and placed in the dehydrator, set to 57C for 12 hours.The leather was removed from the solid sheets, which was effortless, at about 8 hours, and place on the open mesh sheets to improve drying and further dehydrated. Completion was determined subjectively upon checking periodically. The leather was vacuum packed for storage, some in plastic, and some in a jar. This is the final testing effort and the method will be used in the Summer, when abundant produce is in season.
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phil55494
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Re: Dehydrating fruit and making fruit leather.
Sounds like a tasty snack you're making there Durgan. Does it really need the vac-pac to keep it fresh? It may do if you hit hot summer temps, more so than the temperate UK climate. Fruit Leathers are something my other half does like (me I have to watch it like any other dried fruit to make sure I take enough insulin to cover the sugars in there).
Re: Dehydrating fruit and making fruit leather.
The vacuum packing is just a precaution. The vacuum unit sits on the counter top, so it take little effort to seal.phil55494 wrote:Sounds like a tasty snack you're making there Durgan. Does it really need the vac-pac to keep it fresh? It may do if you hit hot summer temps, more so than the temperate UK climate. Fruit Leathers are something my other half does like (me I have to watch it like any other dried fruit to make sure I take enough insulin to cover the sugars in there).
Re: Dehydrating fruit and making fruit leather.
http://www.durgan.org/URL/?KAVHT 11 February 2012 Fruit Jerky.
Six 14 by 14 inch sheets of fruit jerky, (leather) was made to cost out the product. Each sheet was cut into edible pieces of 4.5 by 1.75 and the cost per small piece is 26 cents for the produce alone.
Produce used was; Frozen cranberries, apple, pears, carrot, orange, peach, pineapple, plum, squash, strawberry. Cost was $37.53.
The squash was cooked for five minutes in the microwave, and the other produce was used raw. All was beat in its own juice in the blender. This output was made homogeneous in a pot using a hand blender.
The slurry was placed on a flat sheet, sprayed with ascorbic acid one tablespoon in a litre of water to retain colour, and placed in the dehydrator, and operated for about 8 hours. The partially dried jeerky was then removed from the flat sheet, flipped over, and placed on the open screen to improve drying, and placed in the dehydrator for about another four hours. Sufficient drying was determined by testing periodically. The final product should be flexible, but dry, not brittle.
The large 14 by 14 inch sheet was cut into edible pieces about 4.5 by 1.75 inches and will be vacuum packed for long term storage.
Six 14 by 14 inch sheets of fruit jerky, (leather) was made to cost out the product. Each sheet was cut into edible pieces of 4.5 by 1.75 and the cost per small piece is 26 cents for the produce alone.
Produce used was; Frozen cranberries, apple, pears, carrot, orange, peach, pineapple, plum, squash, strawberry. Cost was $37.53.
The squash was cooked for five minutes in the microwave, and the other produce was used raw. All was beat in its own juice in the blender. This output was made homogeneous in a pot using a hand blender.
The slurry was placed on a flat sheet, sprayed with ascorbic acid one tablespoon in a litre of water to retain colour, and placed in the dehydrator, and operated for about 8 hours. The partially dried jeerky was then removed from the flat sheet, flipped over, and placed on the open screen to improve drying, and placed in the dehydrator for about another four hours. Sufficient drying was determined by testing periodically. The final product should be flexible, but dry, not brittle.
The large 14 by 14 inch sheet was cut into edible pieces about 4.5 by 1.75 inches and will be vacuum packed for long term storage.
Re: Dehydrating fruit and making fruit leather.
Fruit Leather (Jerky)
http://www.durgan.org/URL/?CKOAZ 17 February 2012 Fruit Leather (Jerky)
Fruit leather (jerky) was made using the following:Frozen Cranberries $5.86 1 lb,,Bananas $1.98 2.5 lbs,Pear $2.77 2.33 lb,Buttercup squash $3.39 3.4 lb,California orange $2.15 3.16 lbs,Carrot $1.19 1.5 lbs, Yam $1.03 1.75 lb, Strawberry $1.39 1 lb,Apple $1.86 1.8 lb, Kiwi $2.09 7 medium size,Pineapple $1.99 ,Red plum $3.68 1.42 lb, Mango $2.04 1.38 lb. Total cost for seven 14 by 14 inch trays $31.42. About 175 pieces of 2 by 4 inch finished product. Cost per piece about 18 cents.
Each piece of produce was cut into small pieces and beat into a slurry in their own juices in a typical blender.The yam, squash, and carrot was cooked in microwave for five minutes prior to blending. The output was then made homogeneous in a large pot using a hand blender. The slurry was placed on sheets, and spread evenly, then sprayed with ascorbic acid solution to assist in the fruit retaining colour. Dehydrating takes about ten hours. After eight hours the slurry sheets will be turned over and placed on the open screens to facilitate complete drying. The end product should be flexible and dry, determined by testing periodically.The large sheets will be cut into pieces about 2 inches by 4 inches and vacuum sealed for long term storage at room temperature. Life time may be increased by refrigerating or freezing.
Processing produce in this manner makes a good method for consuming more and a larger variety of fruit and vegetables, since the small pieces make a fine nourishing snack.
http://www.durgan.org/URL/?CKOAZ 17 February 2012 Fruit Leather (Jerky)
Fruit leather (jerky) was made using the following:Frozen Cranberries $5.86 1 lb,,Bananas $1.98 2.5 lbs,Pear $2.77 2.33 lb,Buttercup squash $3.39 3.4 lb,California orange $2.15 3.16 lbs,Carrot $1.19 1.5 lbs, Yam $1.03 1.75 lb, Strawberry $1.39 1 lb,Apple $1.86 1.8 lb, Kiwi $2.09 7 medium size,Pineapple $1.99 ,Red plum $3.68 1.42 lb, Mango $2.04 1.38 lb. Total cost for seven 14 by 14 inch trays $31.42. About 175 pieces of 2 by 4 inch finished product. Cost per piece about 18 cents.
Each piece of produce was cut into small pieces and beat into a slurry in their own juices in a typical blender.The yam, squash, and carrot was cooked in microwave for five minutes prior to blending. The output was then made homogeneous in a large pot using a hand blender. The slurry was placed on sheets, and spread evenly, then sprayed with ascorbic acid solution to assist in the fruit retaining colour. Dehydrating takes about ten hours. After eight hours the slurry sheets will be turned over and placed on the open screens to facilitate complete drying. The end product should be flexible and dry, determined by testing periodically.The large sheets will be cut into pieces about 2 inches by 4 inches and vacuum sealed for long term storage at room temperature. Life time may be increased by refrigerating or freezing.
Processing produce in this manner makes a good method for consuming more and a larger variety of fruit and vegetables, since the small pieces make a fine nourishing snack.
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snapdragon
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Re: Dehydrating fruit and making fruit leather.
intend doing more of these when the wild plums come in again, but a dehydrator would probably be useful. Last year they were just put in the top oven when the main oven was in use. I think adding apples and wild strawbs to the mix might add something too
I just wrapped mine in cling film and they stayed in the fridge
I just wrapped mine in cling film and they stayed in the fridge
Say what you mean and be who you are, Those who mind don't matter, and those that matter don't mind
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Zech
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Re: Dehydrating fruit and making fruit leather.
I made some last year. I stewed the fruit to reduce the water content (though I guess that reduces the nutrients, too) and spread it on baking trays in a cool oven to dry, as I don't have a dehydrator. Stored in tins in the cupboard it's kept very well for five months so far. I guess the stewing also has the advantage of killing of mould spores etc. at the start of the process. I just ate a piece of the blackberry and crab apple one 
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Rachel
Take nobody's word for it, especially not mine! If I offer you an ID of something based on a photo, please treat it as a guess, and a starting point for further investigations.
My blog: http://growingthingsandmakingthings.blogspot.com/
Rachel
Take nobody's word for it, especially not mine! If I offer you an ID of something based on a photo, please treat it as a guess, and a starting point for further investigations.
My blog: http://growingthingsandmakingthings.blogspot.com/
Re: Dehydrating fruit and making fruit leather.
http://www.durgan.org/URL/?ZACTY 23 February 2012 Fruit and Vegetable Leather
Annotated pictures depict the method of making six 14 by 14 inch trays of fruit leather. It appears a great method of increasing the consumption of fruit and vegetables, which is a desired aim.The end product is nutritional and palatable, and stores for long periods.
Annotated pictures depict the method of making six 14 by 14 inch trays of fruit leather. It appears a great method of increasing the consumption of fruit and vegetables, which is a desired aim.The end product is nutritional and palatable, and stores for long periods.
Re: Dehydrating fruit and making fruit leather.
http://www.durgan.org/URL/?MMHXO 24 February 2012 Orange Leather.
Twenty naval oranges were made into fruit leather. Pictures depict the method. The oranges were peeled and blended into a slurry. Since oranges have much juice the slurry was simply placed in the middle of the sheets to prevent overflowing the edges. Each sheet was about 3 to 4 oranges. There was a total of six sheets for 20 oranges. Nothing was added, simply dehydrated which took about 14 hours at 63 C.
Twenty naval oranges were made into fruit leather. Pictures depict the method. The oranges were peeled and blended into a slurry. Since oranges have much juice the slurry was simply placed in the middle of the sheets to prevent overflowing the edges. Each sheet was about 3 to 4 oranges. There was a total of six sheets for 20 oranges. Nothing was added, simply dehydrated which took about 14 hours at 63 C.