6
Fruit Rolls (Leather)*
Fruit rolls (or fruit leather) are made by drying a thin layer of puréed fruit on a at surface. Once dried, the fruit layer is pulled from
the surface and rolled. The term leather derives from the leather-like texture of the puréed fruit once it is dried.
Almost any fruit or combination of fruit can be puréed and dried for fruit rolls. The quality of the fruit roll depends on whether the
fruit has a low or high amount of the naturally occurring starch called pectin. Fruits that have a high amount of pectin will bond to-
gether in a solid sheet and easily peel, while fruits that have little pectin will ake and crack rather than peel. When using fruits low in
pectin, add another fruit that is high in pectin to improve the texture of the roll.
Fruits naturally high in pectin are apples, apricots, blueberries, cranberries, gs, grapes, peaches, pears, pineapples, and plums. Fruits
low in pectin include cherries, citrus fruits, raspberries, and strawberries. When using a low pectin fruit with a high pectin fruit, use
equal parts of each to produce the best results.
Preparation
You will need a Presto
®
Fruit Roll Sheet* to prepare fruit rolls. Apply a thin layer of vegetable oil or no-stick cooking spray to the fruit
roll sheet. CAUTION! If using cooking spray, be sure to spray away from the power cover, as spray is ammable.
Use about 1½ cups of puréed fruit for each fruit roll sheet.*
Select ripe or slightly overripe fruit and remove any bruised areas. Wash fruit and remove peel, seeds, and stems. Cut fruit into chunks
and, using a food processor or blender, purée until smooth (applesauce consistency). To get the puréeing process started, you may need
to add approximately 1 tablespoon of fruit juice or water.
If desired, fruit can be pretreated to preserve its natural color. Add 1½ teaspoons of lemon juice to each 1½ cups puréed fruit. See the
Fruit Drying Guide on page 7 to determine which fruits will benet from pretreatment.
The natural sweetness of fruit is intensied with drying. However, if your preference is for a sweeter fruit roll, you can add honey,
maple syrup, corn syrup, or sugar to the puréed fruit. Try different amounts of sweeteners, starting with 1 tablespoon for each 1½ cups
of fruit purée, to nd your preference. Fruit with sweeteners added will take longer to dry than fruit that is not sweetened.
Canned fruit can also be used to easily make fruit rolls. Drain juice from fruit, saving juice for later use. Place fruit in food processor
or blender and purée until smooth. Applesauce can be used directly from the container.
For frozen fruit, thaw and purée until smooth.
Pour puréed fruit onto a lightly oiled fruit roll sheet and spread with a spatula to form a uniform layer about ¼ inch thick. Position
lled fruit roll sheet on dehydrator tray and begin drying. Average drying time for all fruit rolls is 4 to 7 hours.
Determining Dryness
Acceptably dried fruit rolls will be slightly tacky to the touch, but will not indent when touched in the center. Begin checking the fruit
roll after 4 hours of drying. If additional drying time is needed, recheck every 30 minutes.
While slightly warm, starting from the outer edge, carefully peel the fruit roll from the sheet. Loosely roll in plastic wrap or waxed
paper and follow “Packaging and Storing Dried Food” information on page 9. For immediate enjoyment, cut in strips or roll and cut
into serving pieces.
NOTE: Remove fruit rolls from sheets prior to cutting them.
*Fruit roll sheets are sold separately (see page 14).
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