FRUIT LEATHER TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE 🍑 🫐 🍏 🍓 Today we are talking about the 7 most common problems with fruit leather - and how to solve them! 1. Special equipment. Do you need silicone mats and trays to make fruit leather? 2. Uneven drying 3. Brittle fruit leather that cracks 4. Disappointing flavor 5. Too much work to make 6. Mold and insect spoilage 7. How to store your fruit leather ➡ FRUIT LEATHER TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE: FIXES FOR 7 COMMON PROBLEMS chocolateboxcottage.tv/videos... ➡ BEST FRUIT LEATHER RECIPE chocolateboxcottage.tv/videos... ➡🕰 VIDEO OUTLINE: 0:00 Intro 2:13 1. Special equipment 3:22 2. Uneven drying 5:17 3. Crispy, brittle texture 8:54 4. Flavor: too tart or bland 10:44 5. Too much work? 14:25 6. Mold and insect spoilage 17:19 7. Ways to store 19:45 Pretty pictures Secret Ingredient Fruit Leather (cooked fruit puree) with Carolyn www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jmack... Fruit Scrap Vinegar Using Strawberry Tops with Mary www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLwYZ... Cute pantry labels, tags, notecards, and household items at JES’ Etsy shop www.etsy.com/shop/Mistressoft... 🌸🏡🌸 Welcome to Chocolate Box Cottage, 🧁 the sweet spot between 🕰 old fashioned values, like gardening and cooking from scratch, and ✨ modern conveniences that make life easier. 🌼 If you’re looking to create your slice of country living with practicality and finesse, you’re in the right place! Find special recipes and simple gardening projects to make your home life more bountiful. 🌼 I’m a functional nutritional therapy practitioner, and have taught basic cooking, gardening, and homemaking skills to families for the last 20 years. Blessings, Michele
Just to share we mostly have apples in Iowa so with applesauce I add jello powder for flavors my husband likes a variety pack as gift on special occasions my favorite is strawberry applesauce. The other thing is just do plain applesauce and when you have a sheet done melt caramels spread on the sheet then roll up and slice like cinnamon rolls it is caramel apple and so good.
I've just started making fruit leathers. So far, I've made four batches. Two turned out quite well and two pulled apart, like cracks after an earthquake. Each batch included about 1/3 apple sauce. I used honey as a sweetener, as necessary. Run 1: Strawberry/kiwi/apple/honey 👍 Run 1: Strawberry/banana/apple/honey 👎 Run 2: Black cherry/apple 👍👍 Run 2: Mango/apple 👎 The best was the black cherry, by far. Any ideas? Thanks!
Thank you for this video, and all the great tips! I'm just beginning my dehydrator journey, and trying all the things! This will be most helpful information! All bright blessings.
Thank you for the thorough explanation! I have never made fruit leather but purchased silicon and teflon mats to do so. I guess I've never gotten around to it due to not having any place to grow fruits (or anything) and because I don't think I've ever actually bought any fruit leathers! I love the idea of having it ready for healthy snacking though, so will get around to it at some point. Part of my problem is not having enough space to leave my dehydrator set up. To that end, I bought the Brod & Taylor Sahara collapsible dehydrator, which I love (but still don't have any space to set it up unless I don't plan on doing laundry during that time). At any rate, I do feel better about trying to make fruit leathers now. 😀
If you feel more confident and prepared to make homemade fruit leather, then I feel like a success, thank you for telling me! Now you need a good spot to keep the dehydrator. It doesn't have to be in the house, in fact a garage, carport, covered porch, or shed with an extension cord all work well. If you buy fruit in season either at the grocery store or a farmers market when prices are at their lowest, you can make fruit leather inexpensively. I tend to puree fruit and freeze flat in gallon Ziploc bags until after the main push of harvest season is over. Have fun, homemade fruit leather is so delicious. ❤️🤗❤️ Michele
Yes it will work. You want to make sure they have been conditioned first to prevent mold, so watch the section of the video called Mold and Insects at 14:25. ~Michele
Hi, Wondering where to source the glass storage jars. Are those 1 gallon size? Also, how many hours was your run time on the dehydrator? Looking forward to trying this with my Excalibur dehydrator. I have a somewhat prolific fig tree and I've been looking for a way to keep up with it. Dehydrating the figs themselves hasn't been great, but I made my first batch of fruit leather and I think this is the answer. Well done video.
Wow, I bet fig fruit leather is really good! That is one I haven't tried - and we have a fig tree. I'll have to try it, thanks for the idea. The gallon jars are from Azure Standard. I don't know if you're able to order from them or not in your area. They used to be easy to find at yard sales and Goodwill, but no more. ~Michele
@@ChocolateBoxCottage Have you had any success drying your figs? I have a Chicago fig tree. Last year I used my convection over dehydrator and split the figs in half to dry them. Probably ran them at about 12 hours 135 degrees. I put them in plastic storage bags. All seemed well, until disaster they all went bad. This year I have the Excaliber 9 tray dehydrator and I have run them between 14-16 hours. I put them in the large glass jars. I'm just not sure how dry is dry enough on these. The first batch I did last week have been in the dark cubbard and I did find a few that started having a white haze on the skin, not mold yet, but I pulled them out. The 2nd batch probably went for about 20 hours. I really love these and hate to have them all go bad again. Have you got any silver bullet tips on drying these figs?
They're not, but that would work, provided you are able to get the smell out of the lids. Leaving the jar and lid open in the sun for about 2 weeks often does the job. I have gotten most of my gallon jars from yard sales and thrift shops. They're so nice for storage! The ones I used in the video are from Azure Standard. I order bulk items like grains, rice, jars, etc. once a month and my order is delivered to a local drop point for pickup. I'll share my Azure affiliate link with you, but just know they don't deliver everywhere, so you will have to check if they come to your area. ~Michele www.azurestandard.com/?a_aid=r9AO3OhbYm
Hi, I making peach leather. I have a huge pot and everything was going fine. Last night I added more sugar because it wasn't sweet enough. My leather today is grainy and won't peel up. Feels and tastes like it went to sugar. I still have so much left in the pot to dry.. is there any way to save it? Was it too much sugar? Tia
Hi Lynnie, can you give me more details? What kind of fruit are you using? Did you use a blender to puree the fruit? What was the consistency of the puree?
@@ChocolateBoxCottage I pureed peaches and it's the consistency of what Apple sauce normally is. I dried 2 batches of 8 and they were fine I just thought it was too tart so I added sugar until I liked the flavor. It comes off the tray in little bits and feels and tastes grainy (like when you cook fudge too long). I've never had this happen before. I probably have 4 gallons of puree left and I don't want to waste it. I hope that makes sense.
@@lynniemorgan3157 Is it all peaches then? Peach tend to produce a watery puree. They do not have much natural pectin in them compared to applesauce and will often dry to a brittle texture rather than a flexible one. If you combine it with applesauce 50/50 you'll get better results. But I understand if you're trying to work with what you have. I am going to add a link to the blog post that accompanies the video. Read section 2 and 3. If you don't have applesauce, consider using instant pectin, the kind made for freezer jam. 1/2 tsp per 2 cups of fruit puree would help. Or, you could do like my friend Margaret and keep drying until it turns crispy and you've got yummy fruit shards.
I just made some dehydrated fruit weather for the first time and I made it on parchment paper I cut it into strips and when I took it out of the refrigerator and tried to peel the paper off it stuck to it terribly. The paper peeled off on before I put it in the refrigerator. What did I do wrong? 😭 I'm wondering if I used to much honey.
Hi Beverly, I'm so sorry this happened. Tell me what ingredients went into your fruit leather. And did you test for doneness? Fruit leather should feel leathery, not sticky to the touch. It should actually feel dry yet still be flexible.
Hi. I have just been making some apple fruit leathers. Nothing else but sweet apples, a little cinammon and lemon juice. I added the recommended amount of water of 1 cup per 4 cups of apples. Have repeated it with less water. But every time the leather is really thin and tough. If I run it for less time so it dries less but is thicker, it's still moist and not dry enough. Is it the lack of added pectin or sugar? I don't see other people having the same problem and I don't want to have to spray it down every time encase I cause too much moisture and mould when stored. Thanks
That's a delicious flavor, apple and cinnamon! If you're using fresh raw apples I would use only enough water to make a fruit smoothie textured puree. If you have a high-powered blender like a Vitamix or Blendtec, you can leave the peels on; otherwise you will want to peel the fruit. The only variety of apples I would hesitate to use would be Red Delicious but if that's what you have, you might want to use half applesauce and half pureed fresh apples. Hopefully your dehydrator has a fan and a thermostat. 135F/ 57C works nicely. And spreading the puree as evenly as possible, slightly thinner in the center and slightly thicker at the edges for even drying. ~ Michele
@@ChocolateBoxCottage Hi Michele. For a lot of fruits you just blend them, skins and all, but for apples you have to cook them down and remove the peel. What is the reason for cooking and peeling them? Thanks
FRUIT LEATHER TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE 🍑 🫐 🍏 🍓
Today we are talking about the 7 most common problems with fruit leather - and how to solve them! 1. Special equipment. Do you need silicone mats and trays to make fruit leather? 2. Uneven drying 3. Brittle fruit leather that cracks 4. Disappointing flavor 5. Too much work to make 6. Mold and insect spoilage 7. How to store your fruit leather
➡ FRUIT LEATHER TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE: FIXES FOR 7 COMMON PROBLEMS
chocolateboxcottage.tv/videos...
➡ BEST FRUIT LEATHER RECIPE
chocolateboxcottage.tv/videos...
➡🕰 VIDEO OUTLINE:
0:00 Intro
2:13 1. Special equipment
3:22 2. Uneven drying
5:17 3. Crispy, brittle texture
8:54 4. Flavor: too tart or bland
10:44 5. Too much work?
14:25 6. Mold and insect spoilage
17:19 7. Ways to store
19:45 Pretty pictures
Secret Ingredient Fruit Leather (cooked fruit puree) with Carolyn www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jmack...
Fruit Scrap Vinegar Using Strawberry Tops with Mary
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLwYZ...
Cute pantry labels, tags, notecards, and household items at JES’ Etsy shop
www.etsy.com/shop/Mistressoft...
🌸🏡🌸 Welcome to Chocolate Box Cottage, 🧁 the sweet spot between 🕰 old fashioned values, like gardening and cooking from scratch, and ✨ modern conveniences that make life easier.
🌼 If you’re looking to create your slice of country living with practicality and finesse, you’re in the right place! Find special recipes and simple gardening projects to make your home life more bountiful.
🌼 I’m a functional nutritional therapy practitioner, and have taught basic cooking, gardening, and homemaking skills to families for the last 20 years.
Blessings,
Michele
Just to share we mostly have apples in Iowa so with applesauce I add jello powder for flavors my husband likes a variety pack as gift on special occasions my favorite is strawberry applesauce. The other thing is just do plain applesauce and when you have a sheet done melt caramels spread on the sheet then roll up and slice like cinnamon rolls it is caramel apple and so good.
how fun, thank you Becky! Those would make fancy desserts. 🦋Michele
How much jello powder do you use?
I've just started making fruit leathers. So far, I've made four batches. Two turned out quite well and two pulled apart, like cracks after an earthquake. Each batch included about 1/3 apple sauce. I used honey as a sweetener, as necessary.
Run 1: Strawberry/kiwi/apple/honey 👍
Run 1: Strawberry/banana/apple/honey 👎
Run 2: Black cherry/apple 👍👍
Run 2: Mango/apple 👎
The best was the black cherry, by far.
Any ideas?
Thanks!
You're awesome! Priceless, plus you know exactly what your gettinng
Wow, what a great video. No more excuses ya'll 🤣 I have to add that even the advertising were informational 😂 Thank you for sharing. Many blessings 💐🙏
That's right - no excuses now! Oh my goodness, you are so nice! 😊 Michele
Just came across this video. So much information that I really can use! Thank you.
Thank you for this video, and all the great tips! I'm just beginning my dehydrator journey, and trying all the things! This will be most helpful information! All bright blessings.
Blessings to you in return! 🌸 Michele
Thank you for the thorough explanation! I have never made fruit leather but purchased silicon and teflon mats to do so. I guess I've never gotten around to it due to not having any place to grow fruits (or anything) and because I don't think I've ever actually bought any fruit leathers! I love the idea of having it ready for healthy snacking though, so will get around to it at some point. Part of my problem is not having enough space to leave my dehydrator set up. To that end, I bought the Brod & Taylor Sahara collapsible dehydrator, which I love (but still don't have any space to set it up unless I don't plan on doing laundry during that time). At any rate, I do feel better about trying to make fruit leathers now. 😀
If you feel more confident and prepared to make homemade fruit leather, then I feel like a success, thank you for telling me! Now you need a good spot to keep the dehydrator. It doesn't have to be in the house, in fact a garage, carport, covered porch, or shed with an extension cord all work well. If you buy fruit in season either at the grocery store or a farmers market when prices are at their lowest, you can make fruit leather inexpensively. I tend to puree fruit and freeze flat in gallon Ziploc bags until after the main push of harvest season is over. Have fun, homemade fruit leather is so delicious. ❤️🤗❤️ Michele
God bless you ma'am! Thank you so much for sharing.
You're welcome!
thank you for this video, I'm just learning and this was helpful
I am so glad it was helpful, thank you for letting me know. It means a lot. 🙂 Michele
That was such a great video, thank you so much. Blessings to you also.
Thank you for sharing! Sharing is caring!
Awww thank you for saying that. 🌸Michele
Such a useful video and great comments! I want more, please.
Hello! Thanks for the video. Could you please tell me if storing the fruit leather in the vacuum seal food bags would work?
Yes it will work. You want to make sure they have been conditioned first to prevent mold, so watch the section of the video called Mold and Insects at 14:25. ~Michele
@@ChocolateBoxCottage got it, thank you 🙏🏼
@@katstratford160 you're welcome :)
Hi, Wondering where to source the glass storage jars. Are those 1 gallon size? Also, how many hours was your run time on the dehydrator? Looking forward to trying this with my Excalibur dehydrator. I have a somewhat prolific fig tree and I've been looking for a way to keep up with it. Dehydrating the figs themselves hasn't been great, but I made my first batch of fruit leather and I think this is the answer. Well done video.
Wow, I bet fig fruit leather is really good! That is one I haven't tried - and we have a fig tree. I'll have to try it, thanks for the idea. The gallon jars are from Azure Standard. I don't know if you're able to order from them or not in your area. They used to be easy to find at yard sales and Goodwill, but no more. ~Michele
@@ChocolateBoxCottage Have you had any success drying your figs? I have a Chicago fig tree. Last year I used my convection over dehydrator and split the figs in half to dry them. Probably ran them at about 12 hours 135 degrees. I put them in plastic storage bags. All seemed well, until disaster they all went bad. This year I have the Excaliber 9 tray dehydrator and I have run them between 14-16 hours. I put them in the large glass jars. I'm just not sure how dry is dry enough on these. The first batch I did last week have been in the dark cubbard and I did find a few that started having a white haze on the skin, not mold yet, but I pulled them out. The 2nd batch probably went for about 20 hours. I really love these and hate to have them all go bad again. Have you got any silver bullet tips on drying these figs?
Really excellent video. Covered so much. Cheers
Thank you! 🌸 Michele
Thanks very much! 👍
You're welcome, Chris! Thank you for the thank you. Blessings, Michele
Are those pickle jars? Or do you have a source of these jars?
They're not, but that would work, provided you are able to get the smell out of the lids. Leaving the jar and lid open in the sun for about 2 weeks often does the job. I have gotten most of my gallon jars from yard sales and thrift shops. They're so nice for storage! The ones I used in the video are from Azure Standard. I order bulk items like grains, rice, jars, etc. once a month and my order is delivered to a local drop point for pickup. I'll share my Azure affiliate link with you, but just know they don't deliver everywhere, so you will have to check if they come to your area. ~Michele
www.azurestandard.com/?a_aid=r9AO3OhbYm
Thank you
Hi, I making peach leather. I have a huge pot and everything was going fine. Last night I added more sugar because it wasn't sweet enough. My leather today is grainy and won't peel up. Feels and tastes like it went to sugar. I still have so much left in the pot to dry.. is there any way to save it? Was it too much sugar? Tia
Hi Lynnie, can you give me more details? What kind of fruit are you using? Did you use a blender to puree the fruit? What was the consistency of the puree?
@@ChocolateBoxCottage I pureed peaches and it's the consistency of what Apple sauce normally is. I dried 2 batches of 8 and they were fine I just thought it was too tart so I added sugar until I liked the flavor. It comes off the tray in little bits and feels and tastes grainy (like when you cook fudge too long). I've never had this happen before. I probably have 4 gallons of puree left and I don't want to waste it. I hope that makes sense.
It's also still a little moist
@@lynniemorgan3157 Is it all peaches then? Peach tend to produce a watery puree. They do not have much natural pectin in them compared to applesauce and will often dry to a brittle texture rather than a flexible one. If you combine it with applesauce 50/50 you'll get better results. But I understand if you're trying to work with what you have.
I am going to add a link to the blog post that accompanies the video. Read section 2 and 3. If you don't have applesauce, consider using instant pectin, the kind made for freezer jam. 1/2 tsp per 2 cups of fruit puree would help.
Or, you could do like my friend Margaret and keep drying until it turns crispy and you've got yummy fruit shards.
Great video!
Thank you!
Priceless ❤️ 🙏
Wow! I just found you and I ❤❤❤it!
Thank you and welcome! 🌸
I just made some dehydrated fruit weather for the first time and I made it on parchment paper I cut it into strips and when I took it out of the refrigerator and tried to peel the paper off it stuck to it terribly. The paper peeled off on before I put it in the refrigerator. What did I do wrong? 😭 I'm wondering if I used to much honey.
Hi Beverly, I'm so sorry this happened. Tell me what ingredients went into your fruit leather. And did you test for doneness? Fruit leather should feel leathery, not sticky to the touch. It should actually feel dry yet still be flexible.
I Love ur hair!!!!!!!
Why thank you, with wavy hair you never know what it's going to do. 😉 Michele
Hi. I have just been making some apple fruit leathers. Nothing else but sweet apples, a little cinammon and lemon juice. I added the recommended amount of water of 1 cup per 4 cups of apples. Have repeated it with less water. But every time the leather is really thin and tough. If I run it for less time so it dries less but is thicker, it's still moist and not dry enough. Is it the lack of added pectin or sugar? I don't see other people having the same problem and I don't want to have to spray it down every time encase I cause too much moisture and mould when stored. Thanks
That's a delicious flavor, apple and cinnamon! If you're using fresh raw apples I would use only enough water to make a fruit smoothie textured puree. If you have a high-powered blender like a Vitamix or Blendtec, you can leave the peels on; otherwise you will want to peel the fruit. The only variety of apples I would hesitate to use would be Red Delicious but if that's what you have, you might want to use half applesauce and half pureed fresh apples. Hopefully your dehydrator has a fan and a thermostat. 135F/ 57C works nicely. And spreading the puree as evenly as possible, slightly thinner in the center and slightly thicker at the edges for even drying. ~ Michele
Thanks for the response. I will definitely try that next time@@ChocolateBoxCottage
@@ChocolateBoxCottage Hi Michele. For a lot of fruits you just blend them, skins and all, but for apples you have to cook them down and remove the peel. What is the reason for cooking and peeling them? Thanks
Excellent info! I guess I best get my banana chips out of the dehydrator...whoops.
Oops! Hope nothing found them in the meantime!
Looking Yummy
❤️❤️👍😎
Barf-berry😂😂
As a mom, you do what you gotta do! :)
Thank you! ❤