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Old 09-30-2009, 12:32 PM   #1
Soliloquy
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Default Homemade fruit leather--cost effective?

We use our dehydrator to make apple slices and crispy nuts. I want to expand beyond that after we move to other things. My dehydrator came w/ one fruit leather sheet but I am wondering how cost effective it is to make homemade fruit leather . . . homemade applesauce costs more than buying it in the store . . . I LOVE my homemade applesauce--the taste simply does not compare to store-bought. I make it every fall w/ freshly picked apples. I wouldn't give it up.

But, I'm wondering if it's really worth it to make my own fruit leather. We don't buy it very often, it's a treat when it's on sale. The recipes I've seen call for pureeing fruit (or using applesauce) and pouring it on the sheets, then cutting when dry. I'm guessing that, just like making fresh juice, you'd have to use quite a bit of fruit to make one tray of fruit leather.

Anyone make it? Is it cost effective as a children's snack? My kids love eating fresh fruit, but dehydrated fruit is better for traveling.
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Old 09-30-2009, 12:47 PM   #2
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Default Re: Homemade fruit leather--cost effective?

I've made it for years. Where I live free apples are easy to come by in the early Fall so making fruit leather is almost free. I borrow my IL's dehydrater. It is a big box with about 12 square trays. I line the trays with plastic wrap, then pour the sauce/pureed fruit on top. I cut it into rectangles with the pastic intact. Then I either stack the rectangles or roll them up and put them into a Ziploc bag before freezing. I have experimented with mixing fruits, but apple is always the main ingredient.

I also dehydrate apple slices. I have canned applesauce before, but we don't like it enough for me to do that every year. Instead of sauce I freeze sliced apples, then cook into a chunky sauce when needed.

If you can buy apples for cheap (baking apples from a fruit stand, maybe...the kind that some people buy for their horses) or get them for free I think fruit leather is absolutely cost effective.
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Old 09-30-2009, 12:50 PM   #3
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Default Re: Homemade fruit leather--cost effective?

I've been desperate for a dehydrator for fruit leather. I can see your point, that it would be pricey. But it's like 90c a bar from the store. My kids love it but its so pricey. I guess you'd have to get your fruit real cheap to make it cost effective...
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Old 09-30-2009, 12:58 PM   #4
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Default Re: Homemade fruit leather--cost effective?

I make it every now and then as a treat...I don't know about how cost effective it is though... but, one can only have so much applesauce before one has to consider other alternatives.

it isn't expensive for me to make though because I have apple trees.

you can also dehydrate spaghetti sauce, although, I have never tried it.
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Old 10-12-2009, 09:12 AM   #5
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Default Re: Homemade fruit leather--cost effective?

So, I just found out that the orchard where we pick apples sells windfall apples for $6 a bushel!!!! . I want to go get some and try fruit leather. Any tips? How bad do the apples have to be where I should leave them on the ground? Can I puree them raw then run them through the food mill? I'd prefer a raw leather but if cooked works better, no biggie.
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Old 10-12-2009, 11:24 AM   #6
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Default Re: Homemade fruit leather--cost effective?

The plastic wrap works well, but after a couple uses, I somehow melted a brand new walmart variety dehydrator, so be careful.

If I lived in a warm/dry climate, I'd figure out how to build a solar dehydrator.
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Old 10-12-2009, 11:28 AM   #7
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Default Re: Homemade fruit leather--cost effective?

Our Costco used to sell fruit leather - a huge box of 48 for $10. I can't imagine making it is cheaper than that. Unfortunately I haven't seen it there in a while.
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Old 10-12-2009, 11:31 AM   #8
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Default Re: Homemade fruit leather--cost effective?

Quote:
Originally Posted by TuneMyHeart View Post
Our Costco used to sell fruit leather - a huge box of 48 for $10. I can't imagine making it is cheaper than that. Unfortunately I haven't seen it there in a while.
Was it organic? Because, if so...then yeah, can't be cheaper than that. But, organic fruit leather around here (no added sugar or other ingredients, just organic fruit) is WAY more expensive than that - like $5 for a pack of 8.
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Old 10-12-2009, 11:33 AM   #9
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Default Re: Homemade fruit leather--cost effective?

I think it would work just fine to use a food mill, but I've always used cook sauce. We used to anually press apple juice from windfalls. Usually they are just bruised and if the buise is fresh I would still use that part, or cut off the section before peeling the apple. Any heavily decayed apples I would compost because the flavour permeates the entire apple if the rot is in the core. If you aren't peeling your apples I might just slice off the bruises to be sure decay doesn't affect the taste of your leather.
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Old 10-12-2009, 11:38 AM   #10
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Default Re: Homemade fruit leather--cost effective?

Quote:
Originally Posted by firefighterwife View Post
Was it organic? Because, if so...then yeah, can't be cheaper than that. But, organic fruit leather around here (no added sugar or other ingredients, just organic fruit) is WAY more expensive than that - like $5 for a pack of 8.
I don't think it was organic. It was really good though. I know it's almost $1 a piece in the store.
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Old 10-12-2009, 11:50 AM   #11
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Default Re: Homemade fruit leather--cost effective?

It was Stretch Island Fruit leather. I keep looking for it everytime we go. we used to go throug it like mad, but I'm really limiting it now that we spend 60cents a leather.
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