How to Make Rhubarb Fruit Leather (Oven or Dehydrator)
Learn to make rhubarb fruit leather. Whether using rhubarb fresh from the garden or using up last year’s frozen rhubarb, you’ll love this tasty treat.
Also Read: Cranberry Fruit Leather, Pumpkin Pie Fruit Leather, How to Tell if Fruit Leather is Ready
CAN YOU MAKE THIS FRUIT LEATHER IN THE OVEN?
Yes! I’m fortunate to have a dehydrator at home, so I like using it when making fruit leather, but you CAN make this fruit leather in the oven. Just be aware, it does take some time.
Here are the steps for making this fruit leather in the oven.
- Preheat the oven to 170°F (80°C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Prepare the puree as outlined in the recipe below.
- Spread the puree on the parchment paper about 1/8 inch (1-2 mm) thin.
- Bake for 6 to 8 hours, or until no longer sticky to the touch, does not leave any indentations when pressed with fingers and separates easily from parchment paper.
- Remove from oven and let cool completely.
- Either remove from parchment paper or roll with the parchment paper (prevents the roll from sticking to itself)
- Use kitchen scissors or a sharp knife to cut into rolls. Enjoy.
How to Make Rhubarb Fruit Leather
Rhubarb Fruit Leather
Ingredients
- 2 cups rhubarb fresh or frozen
- 2 cups strawberries fresh or frozen
- 1/4-1/2 cup honey to taste
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 cup applesauce
Instructions
- Combine rhubarb and strawberries in pot with 1/4 cup water and cook until soft, 8-12 minutes.
- Remove from heat, puree until smooth with blender and let cool.
- Combine with remainder of ingredients.
- Spread onto lined dehydrator tray about 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick.
- Place in dehydrator and dry at 135°F (57°C) for 8-10 hours.
- Press leather with flat fingers, if there’s an indentation or any dark, wet spots, it’s not ready. If it comes off easily, it is done. Watch how to tell if Fruit Leather is Dry on YouTube.
- Roll and cut into strips. Let cool completely then store in sealed container for up to 1 month or in the freezer for longer.
- Makes 2-3 cups puree for an 8×6 inch to 8×8 inch sheet of leather
Oven Drying
- For oven dehydrating, line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Turn to 170° F (70°C). Dry for 6-8 hours. (see post for details)
Notes
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
Here’s a photo collage of the process.
Rhubarb Fruit Leather Combinations
Yes, you can make fruit leather with just rhubarb, but it’s more fun when you add different flavors and textures.
We often mix in pureed frozen fruit like strawberries, mangoes, blueberries or raspberries. Added fruit really punches up the color!
Often, I will also add applesauce. I do this for two reasons. One, I often have buckets of homemade canned or frozen applesauce thanks to our apple trees so it’s a cheap way to double a recipe. Two, the pectin in applesauce helps thicken the puree so it stays nicely on the tray. This is a good trick for any fruit leather.
Sometimes, we also add nuts and seeds. It’s one of the ways I try to add more healthy fats and proteins to my snacking. This is especially important to me when I’m taking homemade fruit leather for extended backcountry trips. I like adding chia, hemp, slivered almonds, sunflower seeds.
Also try different flavor makers and sweeteners like lemon zest, vanilla, cinnamon, pie spice, ginger, orange zest, orange juice concentrate, maple syrup, honey or your favorite jam.
When you make your puree taste it! Adjust the flavor and sweetness to suit your taste preferences. Drying will intensify the flavor, if you love it wet – you’ll love it even more dry!
Excellent Trail Food
Fruit leather is a great trail snack, it’s the closest thing you might get to fresh fruit for a while! I use it two ways:
1. Eat as Is
Fruit rolls are perfect to chew on while covering some big miles. They’re light, easy to pack and a flavorful way to get a quick boost.
2. Re-hydrate in Dishes
Pieces of dried fruit leather can also be added to other dishes like oatmeal or chia seed pudding. When you add the water to those dishes, the leather will re-hydrate and you’ll get fruity bits and flavor in your recipe.
Is Your Leather Dry or Too Dry
If you need a little more guidance on checking your fruit leather or if your fruit leather is too dry – it’s breaking into pieces, check out these articles.
How to Check for Dryness of Fruit Leather
What if My Fruit Leather is Too Dry
Other Fruit Leather Recipes
Pumpkin and Apple Pie Flavored Fruit Leather
I’d love to see your fruit leather creation. Leave a comment or take a photo and tag #getgettys so I can see it and like it!
Sign up to get articles by Getty delivered to your inbox. You’ll get recipes, practical tips and great food information like this. Getty is a Professional Home Economist, speaker and writer putting good food on tables and agendas. She is the author of Manitoba’s best-selling Prairie Fruit Cookbook, Founder of Fruit Share, a mom and veggie gardener.
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When you add nuts or seeds, do you just sprinkle them on the puree and press them into it before dehydrating? Grind them to make them finer? I’m getting ready to make some fruit leather to sustain my husband on a super-long multi-day bike race and want to include nuts, which work well as fuel for him on long rides.
I usually sprinkle them on and press them into the puree after I’ve put the puree on the dehydrator trays. I leave them in small pieces for the added texture. But you could grind them and add to the puree. I like variety in texture, on my leisure backcountry hikes – your husband may not care about texture and just want more protein – so fine grind mixed with the puree may be better for him. Good luck!
A friend has made leather recently and so I’m looking at what other recipes are out there. Always have a lot of the stuff and haven’t tried to dehydrate yet – so that is this year’s new thing. Have had successes with other fruit leathers and different combinations, as well as savoury creations. Don’t use the machine an awful lot, but it’s an amazing thing and I really should!
Hi Oratia,
The possibilities are endless – sweet or savory. I make savory leathers to use when camping or in soups or stews or sometimes as the soup or stew itself. If you have leftover tomato sauce or salsa, you can dehydrate that too.
Keep experimenting and putting that machine to good use!
Getty
What a great idea. I never thought of making fruit leather from rhubarb. I’ve only just dehydrated it and used it from there. I just picked my rhubarb, so it’s a perfect time to do it. Thanks for the tips
Hi Heather,
I’m glad you like this idea and are willing to give it a try. I sure hope you like it!
Getty
Thanks for including this article in your round-up!