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Our family is really enjoying all of the seasonal produce available right now, especially the berries.
I always stock up on berries when I can find them from a fresh, local, and organic source, and freeze and preserve them for the whole year.
Last week, a quart of delicious strawberries was hidden in the back of the fridge and by the time I found them, they had frozen slightly and were very ripe. They weren’t great for eating plain anymore, but were still perfectly good, so they became strawberry vinaigrette dressing and my strawberry fruit leather with (optional) hidden beets.
What is Fruit Leather?
Fruit leather is a naturally sweet snack made by pureeing and dehydrating fresh fruit. They are similar to Fruit Roll-Ups, but without the artificial everything (plus, they taste better!).
These are a kid favorite at our house, and a perfect treat for summer because they can be packed for a snack without needing refrigeration for a few hours. They can be made with only fruit, but I like sneaking in the beets for a little bit firmer of a texture and some extra nutrients.
The beets also intensify the bright red color and beets have properties that make them great for detoxification and fighting inflammation.
You can make this easy and natural snack in an oven or food dehydrator in just a few hours. The recipe is so simple that kids of any age can help make (and enjoy) this fruit leather.
Strawberry Fruit Leather Recipe (with Beets)
Ingredients
- 2 medium beets peeled and steamed until soft (optional, use ½ cup extra strawberries if you don't use)
- 4 cups fresh or frozen strawberries defrost if using frozen
- ½ cup honey or maple syrup optional or ½ cup pitted dates
- 2 TBSP fresh lemon lime, or orange juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170°F or use a dehydrator.
- Puree the cooled cooked beets, strawberries, honey/maple syrup/dates, and citrus juice in a blender until completely smooth.
- Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon baking mats (safe at low temperatures).
- Pour/spread the mixture evenly onto the baking sheets.
- Place in oven and cook until firm and no longer sticky to the touch (3-4 hours in most ovens).
- Remove from oven and let cool.
- Cut into strips and roll up with parchment paper.
- Store in an air-tight container until ready to eat.
Notes
Nutrition
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What snacks do you enjoy making with your kids?
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What is the reason for adding the lemon juice? Do you have any suggestions on other veggies I can hide from my grandkids like this? Thanks, love your site. I make and use your lotions.
This recipe is fantastic! Lately I have been on a mission to rid my kitchen of processed foods & this one really hit the mark! I used a combination of strawberry, beet, & carrot and couldn’t be more pleased with the results. The beet in particular offered a nice hint of earthy flavouring that makes this a really special treat. I did notice however that part way through the dehydration process, some dark spots appeared in the mixture, but in the end that did not seem to affect the overall flavour or texture, so all was well. I also recommend wrapping the rolls with little bits of bright yellow curling ribbon (they looked like cute little scrolls), and made for fantastic presentation. Thanks for the recipe!
I found mine needed to cook on 120 not 170 as they burned. The second batch i made cooked between 120 and 140 deg over 2 hours but at 140 started to burn/ dry on edges and i removed from oven.
I was just wondering, do you know any alternative recipes I could use for my nieces and nephew? I watch them after school (and actually homeschool my nephew throughout the day) and I’d love to be able to give them healthier snacks than what you can buy in a store, but the girls are allergic to strawberries, cinnamon, and coconut. It is kind of limiting, unfortunately, but I think they’d love these if there was something else I could make them with.
I had to dip in water to get the parchment paper off. I did this just briefly and then put back in oven. I would never use parchment again.
Hi. I made this in a dehydrater and it tasted great, but the texture was off. One side was hard and brittle, while the other half of it, or just portions of the same tray were smooth or too mushy. What would be an appropiate cooking time for a food dehydrater that only reaches a heat of 155 degrees? And is there something different I can do for even drying? I did use frozen, defrosted strawberries, but the consisteny was not all that runny after blending……
Looks yummy! Can I make this recipe with out the lemon juice or juice? If so, do the measurements stay the same? My daughter is allergic to citrus.
Yes, or you could use apple juice in its place. You may just need to add the same amount of water to get the berries and beets to blend.
I followed the direction to the letter…I could not thicken it. Any ideas?
How long was it in the oven?
These look great. A very healthy snack. So much better to make yourself than shop bought. Like you said there is no added sugar or artifical colouring. I have seen these around before but the last recipe I saw was using a dehydrator. I did comment to ask about using an oven oven and they said you have to watch out for water. Do you know about this? Did you use an oven or a dehydrator? Can other fruits be used too?
I’m looking forward to making this recipe! Question…Do you think adding some collagen would alter the flavor, texture and length of baking? I’d like to add more protein to their diets.. I have picky picky kids. sigh…
If you used collagen peptides it should not alter the flavor or texture
I use vanilla protein powder instead of honey or other sweeteners to get more protein into them. They have a more creamy look to them, not the nice clear dark colour you see in the pictures above but that doesn’t seem to bother my kids, they still love them. Just make sure you’re using a good quality protein powder.