Rhubarb Fruit Leather
MAKES
Makes about 20 strips of fruit leather
TAKES
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: up to 7 hours
Total: 7 hours 30 minutes
✻ ABOUT THIS RECIPE
I love to make homemade fruit leather, but this year is the first time I made it with pure rhubarb. It’s tangy, tart, and so delicious. If your rhubarb isn’t really red, the leather may not boast a strong color. And if you love the classic combo of strawberry, you can use sub half the weight for berries instead - it will make a sweeter fruit leather!
INGREDIENTS
568 g / 1 ¼ pounds chopped fresh or frozen rhubarb
150 g / ¾ cup granulated sugar, or to taste
1 g / ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
5 g / 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
More Rhubarb Goodness:
METHOD
1. In a medium pot, toss the rhubarb and sugar to combine. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the rhubarb becomes soft, 8-10 minutes. Taste the mixture and if desired, add more sugar to sweeten it.
2. Heat the oven to 170°F (this the lowest temperature many home ovens go). Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat (my preference) or parchment paper.
3. In a blender, purée the sweetened rhubarb, salt, and vanilla to combine. Blend on high speed until very smooth, about 2 to 3 minutes. The better/more powerful your blender the finer the final texture of the leather will be. An immersion blender works too, but will result in a more fibrous/less fine final texture.
4. Pour onto the prepared baking sheet and spread into a thin, even layer—it should go edge to edge on the parchment paper or silicone mat.
5. Transfer to the oven and cook for 5 to 7 hours. The surface of the leather should be dry, not overly sticky or wet to the touch. Start checking it as you suspect it’s dry to see if you can easily lift it off of the edge of the paper/mat; it should bend easily and be flexible.
6. Remove from oven and cool the pan completely. Slide off of the baking sheet and onto a cutting board. With one of the longer sides facing toward you, cut the leather into 8 even strips vertically using a pastry wheel or a sharp knife. Then, rotate the pan so that one of the shorter sides is facing you, and cut the strips evenly in half to create 16 pieces of leather.
7. Store in an airtight container—you can use parchment or wax paper to separate layers of the leather to prevent them from sticking. Store at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
✻ HAVE YOU BAKED IT?
Tag @emcdowell on Instagram or use #happybaking. I’d love to see your bakes!
