Fruit Leather Recipe

Blueberry and Flower Fruit Leather Recipe (gluten free, sugar free, dairy free with hidden vegetables!)

Blueberry & Flower Fruit Leather Recipe

(Gluten-free, sugar-free, dairy-free, grain-free, egg-free)

As a mom to a little one I am constantly looking for ways to naturally boost Mila’s immune system – especially now that she is at playschool and being introduced to new bugs everyday it seems.

I also had to find a creative way to introduce foods which would alleviate constipation – Mila is prone to constipation – due to food intolerances and gut dysbiosis inherited from me. So besides removing the foods that cause constipation (such as grains, corn, gluten and dairy) I had to find a way introduce pectin, beetroot and various herbal teas known for their laxative effect – not to mention vegetables (which Mila refuses to eat simply because they are vegetables)… hello Fruit Leather! Oh, this has come to my rescue everyday for 2 years now!

The recipe for fruit leather in my book, Mila’s Meals: The Beginning & The Basics, is more of a formula for making fruit leather since it is so versatile and can be made with a variety of fruits and vegetables.

Key: gluten-free, sugar-free, dairy-free, superfood; vegetarian; vegan; egg-free; grain-free; for adults too; great for lunchboxes

Unattended Cooking Time:

60 minutes

Prep Time:

30 minutes

Dehydrating Time:

8 – 10 hours (overnight)

Makes:
2 trays / 20 fruit leather rolls

Total Time:
12 hours

Chef’s Notes:

Most fruit leathers (rolls) available in the supermarkets have added sugars or high fructose corn syrup, GM vegetable oils, transfats, and artificial colouring as ingredients, as well as being covered in preservatives – please read the labels.

This recipe uses a dehydrator. If you do not have one you can make it in an oven:

Turn the oven on at its lowest setting and use the shelf furthest away from the heating element. Line a baking sheet with greased parchment paper and spread the mixture as above. When drying the leather, leave the oven door open slightly to allow for airflow. Drying times will vary according to your oven and the ambient humidity, but with an oven set at 50°C (120°F) it will take approximately 6 hours.

Cooked apples are added to make the leather smoother and more pliable. They are also a great extender (thus reducing the overall cost) and can balance the tartness of other fruits.

INGREDIENTS

700g Blueberries (fresh or defrosted from frozen)
400g Sweet Potato (cooked and cooled)
125g Beetroot (cooked and cooled)
400g Apple (peeled, cored, cooked and cooled)
1C caffeine-free Herbal Tea (like this one)
1t The Real Thing Green Power* (optional)
1t Moringa Powder (optional)

*Green Power – a mix of wheat, barley and alfalfa grasses, sea vegetables (seaweed) and chlorella.

METHOD

Wash the sweet potato, beetroot and apples thoroughly.
Core and peel the apples, top and tail the beetroot and cut into chunks.
Place the apples and beetroot in a steamer and cook for 15 minutes.
To cook the sweet potato, cut it into quarters and either roast it at 180°C for 1 hour or cut it into chunks and add it to the steamer. Once cooked remove the skin.
Brew a cup of herbal tea.
Allow the apples, vegetables and tea to cool.
Place the blueberries, apples, beetroot, sweet potato, tea, Green Power and Moringa Powder in a blender and blend until smooth.
Check the consistency. If it is too thick to pour, add a little water or more tea until a pouring consistency is reached. If it is too runny, add fruit that has a lower water content such as banana, or add ground chia seeds (one tablespoon at a time).
Spread the mixture evenly onto greased, solid dehydrator trays to a thickness of approximately ó cm (⅛”). (Greased with coconut oil)
If you do not have solid sheets you can line mesh sheets with parchment paper. Do not use wax paper or tin foil.
Dehydrate at 45°C (110°F) for 10 hours then flip the mixture onto a mesh sheet and continue drying for another hour. Check on the leather to make sure it is not getting too dry (crunchy). If it peels away from the sheet easily it is dry. Remember that under-dried fruit will not keep.
Allow the leather to cool; remove from the sheets, cut into long strips and roll up.
Sore in a glass jar in a cool, dark place for up to one month, or in the freezer for up to a year.