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Apple Blueberry Fruit Leather

Apple Blueberry Fruit Leather

This easy recipe for Apple Blueberry Fruit Leather is 100% fruit! Swap out blueberries for almost any fruit including peaches, plums, pears, strawberries, and more.

Apple Blueberry Fruit Leather | Teaspoonofspice.com

I was lucky enough to get to take the kids apple picking at a beautiful tree in a friend’s front yard. Our friends don’t spray the tree, so while most of the apples were delicious on the outside, the cores of nearly every apple contained a worm or two…or three.

This is why the ‘organic’ apple is such a magical fruit: it’s really hard to keep pests away from fruit. But many farmers work tirelessly to figure it out. (My dad has tried EVERYTHING to keep worms away; NOTHING but spraying pesticides works. So we just wash the fruit before eating.)

Anyway, we gathered almost a bushel of fruit! So what to do with 42 pounds of fruit? Make the BEST ‘Back to School’ snack: Apple Blueberry Fruit Leather. It may be a ‘different’ back-to-school season, but the kids still LOVE this snack and it’s fun and easy to make.

Apple Blueberry Fruit Leather

Tips for the Best Fruit Leather

  • Use applesauce for your base. You can swap in any fruit for the 2 cups of blueberries in this recipe, including chopped pears, peaches, plums, strawberries, and more. But always use applesauce (homemade or store-bought) as a base. Apples have pectin – a naturally thick starch that give fruit leather the best texture; it’s thick and pliable.
  • Simmer longer. The longer you simmer the fruit, the shorter you’ll have to dehydrate it.
  • Use a dehydrator OR an oven. In the oven, the leather will take between 2-4 hours. In the dehydrator, it will take 6-8 hours.
  • Store it right. Wrap the finished fruit leather in plastic wrap or parchment paper. Store at room temp for 1 week; or store in the freezer for many months.
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Apple Blueberry Fruit Leather

Apple Blueberry Fruit Leather


  • Author: Serena Ball, MS, Rd
  • Yield: About 16 servings 1x

Description

Apple Blueberry Fruit Leather is a treat for kids’ lunches or snacks. It’s a very simple recipe of just fruit. Use almost any fruit to make this fruit leather.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 medium apples, cored, chopped (don’t peel) OR 1 cup ‘natural’ applesauce (see NOTES)
  • 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons of sugar OR 2 tablespoons honey

Instructions

  1. Combine apples, blueberries, lemon juice, sugar (or honey) and 1/4 cup water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, turn down heat to low and cook about 10-15 minutes until apples are very tender, stirring often. Cool slightly then use an immersion blender to puree; or puree in a food processor or blender.
  2. Cover food dehydrator trays with parchment paper that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Spread apple blueberry puree over trays with a spatula or off-set spatula to about 1/8-inch thickness. OR if you are using the OVEN, cover baking trays with sprayed parchment paper; spread puree over the paper.
  3. Dry in dehydrator for about 6-8 hours until the fruit leather is not sticky to the touch.
  4. IN THE OVEN: Dry in a 200-degree oven for about 2-4 hours.

Notes

To use applesauce instead of apples, follow step #1 above using: 2 cups unsweetened applesauce instead of apples and the same amount of blueberries, lemon juice, sugar/honey, but NO water. You won’t need to bring the pot to a boil, instead, just cook over medium heat for a total of about 10 minutes; the mixture will still bubble a lot, so stir constantly. Follow the other steps as above.

Farrah

Friday 3rd of August 2018

I have a dehydrator I've been meaning to put to more use--this would be a great way to do that! :] They're like healthier versions of fruit by the foot!

Serena Ball

Monday 6th of August 2018

Yes! Pull that dehydrator out! I also love using mine for for 'sun-dried' tomatoes!

Healthy Snack Ideas for Kids

Tuesday 15th of July 2014

[…] Apple Blueberry Fruit Leather […]

Healthy Snack Ideas for Kids | Healthy Ideas Place

Sunday 3rd of November 2013

[…] Apple Blueberry Fruit Leather […]

BJ

Saturday 15th of September 2012

I have made this fruit leather in a regular oven many times, and when it is done i cut it up with sissors and wrap in seran wrap and tie the ends with colored ribbins and make boquets and stick in glasses from thrift store and give as christmas gifts, it is great to have a recipe, I just always made it up thanks Serena, Aunt BJ

Serena

Wednesday 19th of September 2012

THanks BJ! That's a fabulous idea...love the thrift store finds!

Holly

Thursday 13th of September 2012

This looks delicious and not too hard! I will have to try it.

Serena

Thursday 13th of September 2012

You must try, Holly, even if you use the oven version. Report back on how it goes!

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