Another Fruit Leather: Peach, Pineapple, Mango and Orange!

Monday was a HUGE grocery shopping day for our family. I picked up some Mango/Peach Applesauce for my son, and some canned peaches and a pineapple (among other things), and I had some mandarin oranges left over in the fridge. I thought, "Hey! These might actually be really tasty as a fruit leather!" So I tried it. And.... it's a hit!

Any suggestions on a name for it? Peach, Pineapple, Mango and Orange is a bit long....

PPMO Fruit Leather

Ingredients:

3 Cups of Peach Mango Applesauce
1 Can Sliced Peaches
1/2 Fresh, diced Pineapple
1/4C canned Mandarin Oranges

1. In a blender, combine fruits and puree until smooth. Add the applesauce and continue to puree. Add a little water if too thick, or more applesauce if too thin.
2. Prepare fruit roll trays by rubbing a little oil with a paper towel all over them.
3. Carefully pour mixture onto tray (will make two trays!) and use a spoon to spread out.
4. Set dehydrator accordingly. (Mine should have been 135 for 4-8 hours, but I dried it with one last tray of jerky, so I had it at 155 for 10 hours! Needless to say, it was more like fruit chips than leather! But still tasty! )
5. Cut into pieces and roll up into plastic wrap.

Best Beef Jerky

My recipe is for use with a dehydrator. Don't have one? Don't worry. Go HERE for a few different recipes for drying in an oven.

If you do have a dehydrator (don't you love it?! ) here is my recipe... I've had many people ask where I bought the jerky when they taste it. They just can't believe I made it myself!!

Drying your own jerky really is simple and costs so little! I used one roast (really any meaty roast, a rump roast is preferred, and if you get it on sale, you'll save a bundle!), 1/4 bottle of Worcestershire sauce and 1/4 bottle of soy sauce. That's about it. I missed the meat sale so my roast cost a bit more than planned... but still. 1oz of jerky from the store could run you close to $7! For the same amount of money you can get a whole GALLON freezer bag full of meat, made your way!

Beef Jerky

Ingredients:

Rump Roast - about 3lbs., sliced thinly (about 1/4" or 1/8" -- your butcher will gladly slice it for you!)
1/4C light brown sugar
1/4C Worcestershire sauce
1/4C low-sodium soy sauce
about 2TBS oyster sauce *optional (be careful if you have fish allergies)
2TBS. Season Salt
2-4TBS (depending on how hot you want it) freshly ground pepper (large ground)
red pepper flakes *optional again depending on heat factor
1TBS. garlic powder
1 TBS. onion powder

Instructions:

Whisk together marinade ingredients in large bowl. Separate meat slices into large baking dish or bowl big enough to hold. Cover with marinade. Let sit for at least 4 hours, to overnight (or a few days if you run out of room on your trays!).
Place meat slices onto jerky trays (if your dehydrator has "clean trays" be sure to use them. They make clean-up a whole lot easier!), in one layer. Set dehydrator according to manufacturer's instructions and allow to dry.
Allow to cool and store in ziplock bag, tightly closed. Or if storing for longer period, use a vacuum-sealed system.
* My dehydrator was set for 155 and it took about 12 hours, so I started it before bed and woke up to delicious jerky!

Mmm.... a favorite snack at our house!

Snack time! Fruit Leather/Fruit Roll-Up

My wonderful husband gave me a SWEET dehydrator for my birthday. We received one as a wedding gift and I used it quite a bit when we first moved to Utah, but it didn't last long. I went from 5 trays to 1. So I sold it at a yard sale. Most girls hate when their men get them kitchen appliances for gifts. I say, SWEET! He has seriously been given crap at checkouts for the gifts he gets me. But he listens to what I really WANT/NEED. And doesn't just get what he thinks I'd LIKE. Our first Christmas, he did give me a foot bath and such. Guess what. I used it, maybe 3 times? It's just too much work, and I don't have time for that. Last year, he gave me an electric skillet. LOVE IT! Hopefully one year I'll get that NuWave oven, or a Wok. Heaven! lol.

Anyway, back to the Fruit Leather at hand....

Have you ever tasted this flavor applesauce? My two year-old LOVES it! And that makes me happy, because it's so dang healthy! So I thought with my new handy-dandy dehydrator (that came with a fruit roll tray!), I'd make a fruit leather using said applesauce!

Doesn't it look pretty?!

Here's the recipe:

Pomegranate-Berry Fruit Leather

Ingredients:

3 cups applesauce (I actually used 2 Pomegranate cups, and 1 1/2pint homemade no-sugar applesauce)
2 cups berries (I used 1 berry pack from Schwans- strawberry/blueberry, and 1 C frozen strawberries)
about 1 C coconut water
1 packet Truvia

Instructions:

1. Lightly oil fruit roll tray.
2. Combine berries and applesauce into blender and puree, adding coconut water as needed. Add truvia, especially if berries are a little tart. Puree until smooth.
3. Carefully pour onto tray and spread out with spatula. Set dehydrator according to it's instructions (mine was 130-140 degrees for 4-10hrs).
4. Once completely dried (no bubbles or "wet" spots, easily removable), carefully cut into strips/triangles/whatever and wrap in plastic wrap.

Let me know of any of your favorite combinations! I'd love to try them!

And the best part? BOTH my boys (picky eaters) loved it!!!

**If you don't have a dehydrator at home, I HIGHLY recommend picking one up. With mine, I can dry soups/sauces, herbs, any veggies and fruit and especially jerky! One of my favorite items in the kitchen!