Fruit Leather First Attempt (pic heavy)

[copper_head]

Hi all,
Just been having ago at making fruit leathers from Hawthorn Berrys. First I went and collected a shopping carrier full of berrys then de-stalked.

Then I pounded the berrys with the end of the rolling pin for about 15mins till the stones were seperated from the pulp, I also added about a pint of cold water as the berrys seemed quite dry.

Then I spooned the mush into a piece of plastic netting (apparently this is used in the construction industry, but my ma uses it for making silk paper) which worked really well as the 'holes' are quite large compared to a sieve or jam bag.

I then poured the mixture into molds to set, it tastes alot like sorrel with a 'smoothie' like texture. One carrier bag of berries yeilded about a litre and a half of processed mix. When its cut and dried I'll post some more pics, mmm fruity treats for free

 

[xylaria]

:You_Rock_

Thanks it is great to see someone who knows what they are doing, as i botched mine up and tasted it lousy. Every year i try and find some better method of getting the meat off the seed, leaving a pile of broken jam bags, and hawthorn coated kitchens behind me.

 

[copper_head]

heh thanks xylaria, dont think I qualify as knowing what im doing tho!
Think i added too much water and It didnt set properly but have just taken it out from the oven, had it on gas mark 2 for an hour. Its set properly now so hopefully when its cool I'll be able to slice and dry it, ala oven jerky.

 

[copper_head]

alas my fruit leathers failed miserably , tried to dry them over night in the oven but when I got up this morning I had a rack of inedible stips the consitency of grinding stones . Ahh well live and learn huh? Not sure what went wrong... Should I have just air dried them or do you think it was the hour in the oven to help them set? Hmm might have ago with apples or something,
cheers,
Kit

 

[xylaria]

Try less water then dry in oven at gas mark 1/2 or 'S' overnight. Anything above 100C tends to burn it.

 

[copper_head]

hmmm, I did dry them on gas 1/2, so i think it must trying to set the jelly in the oven that knackered it up. So yes less water at the production stage is the key I reckon.

 

[xylaria]

Does it taste like burnt sugars? because i did that with my bilberries. I caught it just in time and it is just edible not tasting like burnt raisins, but its not very good at all. Once I got my head around the been patient and it is about dehydrating rather than cooking they came out alot better.

The important thing is that you can learn far more doing something for yourself. I prefer to find out by botching up that something contains, tannins, pectins, and sugars, than following a perfect recepe which tell you nothing about food science. I find it helps find knowlegde for dealing with the next wierd wild food that is seldom eaten.

I have to get out and do my own some time this week.

 

[copper_head]

yep agree with you there, its better to have a go and learn from your mistakes than to have everything laid out for you. Still I enjoyed the process and I am just waiting for some cheap fruit to be on sale at my local Grocers then I'll have another bash at it, or maybe ill go get some more Haw's. Researching and trying new things out is one of the most enjoyable parts of BC for me so as i said 'live and learn' .
Good luck withs yours BTW,

 

[Cobweb]

I'd love to try some leathers, I was talking to John Fenna (I think - I'm rubbish with names) at the S. Wales meet about dehydrators. I'm looking at next august for the cash now as the Wedding season has passed so there fore I am skint.

Am I right in thinking that the airing cupboard would work to dry food. It works overnight for socks and undies...

 

[copper_head]

yeah i guess an airing cupboard would work, anywhere thats dry and warm is ideal. Unfortunatley I dont have one but there ya go, its fun to do so give it a try !

 

[xylaria]

I have dried fungi in an airing cupboard. I just put the speciums on a clean tray under the copper tank. Depends on how dusty the airing cupboard is. I have also used to top of my present boiler to dry flowers for teas, it is one of those combi boilers. I will go out today and pick some hawthorn us the pestle method that copperhead uses to deseed and see if the top of the boiler would do the trick.

Leaving on oven on all night is not very energy effecient, and I dont want to buy a dihydrator if waste heat from a boiler or radiator can used instead. Also knowing what kind of heat you need to dry various substances helps loads when you wish to do it on proper fire.

 

[John Fenna]

I used to dry Dandelion roots (for "coffee") in the airing cupboard - not overly successful with some just going mouldy......

 

[Toddy]

Before I bought the dehydrator I used to dry fruits and the like above the radiator in the kitchen; well it was on anyway It was a bit of a skiddle but actually very effective and it didn't cost me anything extra in heat.
Apple rings and mushrooms threaded on bamboo skewers resting on two upturned tumblers that fitted safely into the centre space of the radiator panels, little pie tins worked well for leathers and the like.

Roots like dandelions dry okay there too, but they are much better oven roasted for flavour.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[dave k]

can anyone recommend a dehydrator? I've used my oven in the past, as it has a dehydrator function (basically just the fan) and I've found if I use it on the lower temperature settings everything just sticks to the grease-proof paper that I use

 

[John Fenna]

I have just finished reviewing an Excallibur 9 draw timer for my column in Sporting Shooter and found it great - if you need the capacity and can afford the £210.00.
Have a look at www.ukjuicers.co.uk.
The excalibur range all seem pretty well built though I can only vouch for the top of the range model from personal experience.

 

[Toddy]

I bought the one, recommended by someone here, from QVC and have been very pleased with it.
Might I suggest that you try baking parchment rather than greaseproof paper for drying things in the oven. The parchment is a better kind of non stick and saves a lot of hassle.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Spikey DaPikey]

Westfalia (sp) do them for less than £30 IIRC

Yup ! Link below

http://www2.westfalia.net/shops/hou...htm?vbSESSID=67f984d6f958cc551ea8494914f02592

 

[xylaria]

I have competed some hawthorn fruit leather.

Picked them yesterday, did the pestle thing with an empty rum bottle and large mixing bowl. I then pushed the thick gunk through a sieve doing a little at a time. Spread gunk on baking parchment and placed on radiator overnight. It is now done.

Something interesting I did notice is that when pestling (is there a verb for it?)a marzipan smell was coming off the seeds. Ray Mears and Gordan are still alive so I am sure its safe. It is very bland for my tastes but it might mature in the way rowan fruit do after cooking. Where it can take weeks for an edible flavour to develop. It does taste like it would mix well with other fruits such as blackberry which are too strong tasting on their own. It makes a very thick carbohydrate rich pat which is very different to other fruit leathers that I have made.

 

[dave k]

I managed to make some as well, using my oven. I cooked up a pan full of crab-apples with a bit of honey, and strained this into a large pan and put this into the oven.

I think it's a bit wonkey however, as the bottom half of the pan has more than the top half. Anyway, after about 20 hours in the oven it's finished. Looks like leather, tastes quite nice. Bit tart, and a little bitter.

I also made some hawthorne leather as well. Pain in the butt getting the stones out of hawthorne, so I ended up using a cooking sieve. Left it overnight in a bowl and it solidified enough so I could turn it out and cut it into slices. It's currently drying in the oven as well.

I have to say, hawthorne is a bit of an aquired taste. I find it quite bitter and astringent, but the conversion into fruit-leather is making it more palatible as it dries out.

 

[border riever]

Xylaria,
I think the marzipan (or almond) smell my be an idication of cyanide conained in the seeds. best to squeeze the berries by hand so the pulp doesn't get contaminated.