Ingredients
for DRAGON FRUIT & APPLE FRUIT LEATHER
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Yield: 1-2 Trays
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Apples
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1kg
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Dragon Fruit, Red
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500g
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Water
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1/4 cup (approximately)
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Honey (optional)
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to taste
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METHOD:
2. Wash, peel and dice fruit.
3. Simmer fruit (uncovered) with a little water to prevent sticking until fruit is soft.
4. Puree fruit until smooth.
5. Add honey to taste (if using).
6. Strain the fruit puree to remove seeds (optional).
7. Pour puree evenly onto a greased fruit roll tray (approximately 2 cups per tray, filling to 5mm (1/4 inch) high). Excess puree can be frozen if preferred.
8. Dehydrate for 4-8 hours on the fruit and vegetable setting - 55°C (130°F) - until the fruit leather is soft, pliable and no longer sticky. You may need to rotate racks on round dehydrator units (refer to your manual for directions).
9. Roll fruit leather up to form a log whilst still warm, and then cool completely at room temperature.
10. Test fruit leather is dry (important step if you poured thicker than the recommended 5mm). Cut a piece of fruit leather and check that there is no moisture visible inside. Fruit leathers are usually pliable but may crack or flake if dried longer than required.
11. Cut into strips, wrap in non-stick baking paper and store in airtight jar, container or vacuum sealer bag in the pantry (1 week), refrigerator (2-3 weeks) or freezer (months).
FLAVOUR IDEAS:
Add a little of one (or more) of these ingredients to add extra flavour!
o Use banana instead of apple;
o Add ginger (powdered or glace, finely minced);
o Sprinkle the fruit puree trays with finely chopped pistachios (before dehydrating).
NOTES:
o Reserve dragon fruit peels for natural dye!
o Red dragon fruit are more flavourful than the white fleshed variety.
o If using the white fleshed dragon fruit, you can add a few drops of pink colouring.
o Dragon fruit are fragrant but not too flavourful, so they go well with apples or pears. Their seeds are small, black and crunchy, like kiwi fruit seeds.
o You can also use applesauce – two parts apple sauce to 1 part dragon fruit, approximately 1 1/3 cups applesauce + 2/3 cup dragon fruit puree per dehydrator fruit roll tray.
Author: Megan Radaich
Image credit: Megan Radaich
Publication: www.foodpreserving.org
LINK: DRAGON FRUIT JAM RECIPE
LEARN MORE: FOOD PRESERVING GUIDES