During the pandemic, I am taking taste-bud journeys as I self-isolate rather than physical journeys. Here is my adapted recipe for the third round for attempting to make successful Fruit Roll-ups. This time, I only used berries and applesauce. As always, I added a flavored water enhancer for a sweetener. I also added chia seeds for its gelling properties and for extra nourishment. It was inspired by watching the various YouTube tutorials including the one included at the end of this blog.
Conclusion: Third time is definitely not the charm! Lol! This is what I learned:
I dried them 6 hours on one side at 145 degrees Fahrenheit. I used the offset spatula to easily flip them over. They felt totally dry on the one side and a little dampish on the reverse side. So, I dried them one last hour. After cooling, I used a clean pair of scissors to cut each one into three long strips. I could tell right away that they were too brittle to roll correctly. Several of the strips broke into pieces, similar to peanut brittle, as I attempted to roll them.
So, the experiment is going to have to continue. I think if I had dried them only five hours on one side and one hour on the reverse side, they might have been pliant enough to roll.
OR
Perhaps the mistake was still using too high of a temperature. The next time I make these yummy treats, I will dry them at 135 degrees Fahrenheit. If you recall, I have already tried drying them at 125 degrees and 165 degrees. 125 degrees was too low. 165 degrees was too high. I will also check them at four hours to see if I can flip them at that point.
Otherwise, I at least got the thickness level right. Also, using coconut oil to grease the silicone sheets was a smart move. Squaring them off on each side and not trying to spread them too thin was also a smart move. I simply need to take corrective actions on the drying temperature combined with the drying time.
In any case, these are still quite yummy. I will have zero problem eating them. It is just that the tenacious part of me wants to get this challenge resolved as I continue to polish my learning curve using my Cosori Dehydrator.
Recipe
- Thawed frozen fruit such as raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries
- 3 containers of single-serving unsweetened applesauce
- Coconut Oil to grease the silicone molds
- 3 tablespoons of Chia Seeds (for binding and extra nourishment)
- 12 long squirts (to taste) of Grape Water Enhancer (flavored sweetener)
Procedure
- Step 1: Using a food processor, blend all solid fruit into a purée.
- Step 2: Mix whatever fruit together that you personally find to be a tasty mixture. In my case, I used strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and unsweetened applesauce.
- Step 3: Add as much or as little sweetener as you find to be pleasing. Since I had a large mixing bowl full of blended fruit, I gave it about 12 long squirts of Grape Water Enhancer.
- Step 4: Once you feel the taste is exactly what you desire, add in 3 tablespoons of Chia Seeds to help bind this mixture together plus add extra nourishment. After stirring it all in, set your timer for at least fifteen minutes to give it time to gel.
- Step 5: Load your trays with this fruit mixture on silicone molds with lips on the side to prevent the mixture from spilling over to the trays below. Using an offset spatula, spread out the mixture to be about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Do not try to push the mixture to the edges of the raised-lipped mold. Instead, using the offset spatula, push the edges together about 1/2 inch or a bit more from the edges of the mold. That will make this much easier to peel and flip. Make certain the mixture is thicker on the edges than the middle. However, do not make the middle parts too thin.
- Step 6: Plug in your dehydrator and set the temperature gauge to 145 degrees Fahrenheit. Set the time for six hours so you can check on how the drying process is going.
- Step 7: As indicated in the explanation at the top of this page, I think I should have dried them at 135 degrees Fahrenheit instead of 145 degrees. I also think I should have checked them at four hours instead of six hours. It was the middle of the night. That was part of why I decided to check them at six hours to get a bit more sleep. With this batch, I dried them six hours on one side, easily flipped them using my offset spatula, and then dried the reversed side one additional hour. I noticed as I flipped them that they felt relatively pliant at that point. But given that the reverse side was a bit on the damp side, I gave it one final hour of drying time. Live and learn! LOL!
Here is a video tutorial for how to make applesauce fruit rollups in the oven. It is short and sweet. The chef dried hers for 6 to 8 hours in the oven at 170 degrees Fahrenheit.
In case you are interested in where I got these 'kitchen toys,' here are the links. They will all open in a new window. FYI - I don't get any special perks for posting these. This is simply listed for the convenience for people, like me, who adore kitchen gadgets and baking aids.
- 3 Edge Fruit Leather Silicone Dehydrator Sheets Compatible With Cosori Premium CP267-FD Non Stick Dryer Mats for Jerky, Fruit, Herbs, Chips, Flax Crackers Crusts Tray Lip Liners from Amazon
- 3 Flat Silicone Dehydrator Sheets Compatible With Cosori Premium CP267-FD Non Stick Dryer Mats for Jerky, Fruit, Herbs, Chips, Crackers Tray Liners (3 Flat Sheets)
- BAKER DEPOT 2 pcs Swiss Roll Cake Mat Pad Baking Mold Pastry Tools Silicone Nonstick Baking Rug Mat Silicone Mould from Amazon
- COSORI Premium Food Dehydrator Machine(50 Free Recipes), 6 Stainless Steel Trays with Digital Timer and Temperature Control for Beef,Jerky,Fruit,Dog Treats,Herbs,ETL Listed/FDA Compliant from Amazon
Cooking Sites that have inspired me:
Books written by Debbie Dunn:
Here is the Amazon Link to all anti-bullying curriculum books plus all children’s books written by Debbie Dunn (both paperback and Kindle). It will open up in a new window.
