Taste-bud Journey: Pears, Strawberry, Applesauce, and Chia Seeds Fruit Roll-ups

During the pandemic, I am taking taste-bud journeys as I self-isolate rather than physical journeys. Here is my adapted recipe for making Pears, Strawberry, Applesauce, and Chia Seeds Fruit Roll-ups. It was inspired by continuing to watch YouTube tutorials on how to make both fruit leather and fruit roll-ups. Feeling a bit more empowered, I thought I would like to try to fill my dehydrator with trays of a fruit mixture that will actually be capable of being rolled rather than lying flat in individual silicone molds. Watch the video tutorial linked below for further information about how to accomplish this task.

Conclusion: I should have watched the video prior to making this batch rather than relying on my memory of how it was done. As a result, I made the tactical error of having my fruit thicker in the middle and thinner on the edges when the reverse of that should have happened. Therefore, my roll-ups got done after nine to thirteen hours. I think I probably should have used a higher cooking temperature, as well. In any case, the fruit roll-ups were pliable enough to roll and are quite tasty.

Recipe

• A large amount of frozen Strawberries (thawed)
• 4 large cans of Pears 
• 2 servings of Applesauce 
• A small amount of leftover pineapple
• A small amount of leftover raspberries
• 3 tablespoons of Chia Seeds (for binding and extra nourishment)
• A few squirts (to taste) of Mio Strawberry Pineapple Blast (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.


• 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 six long squirts of Mio Strawberry Pineapple Blast.

• Step 4: Once you feel the taste is exactly what you desire, add in 1 to 3 tablespoons of Chia Seeds to help bind this mixture together plus add extra nourishment. After stirring it in, set your timer for ten 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. Make certain the mixture is thicker on the edges than the middle.

• Step 6: Plug in your dehydrator and set the temperature gauge to 125 degrees Fahrenheit. Set the time for three hours so you can check on how the drying process is going.

• Step 7: Given that I selected such a low temperature, the fruit roll-ups took a lot longer to dry. Next time, I will try 135 degrees Fahrenheit instead of 125 degrees Fahrenheit. Another tactical error was that I neglected to make certain that the fruit was thicker on the edges and thinner in the middle. Since I did the reverse of that, I had middle sections that had to be cut away and dried a lot longer. So, the first batch was ready at nine hours. The final batch was done at thirteen hours. This is a picture of the first batch. I used a clean pair of scissors to cut the roll-ups apart.

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


• 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:

• Gemma's Bigger Bolding Baking website that includes over 100 great cooking videos.

• All Recipes Website that includes all kinds of sweet and savory recipes.

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.

• Author’s Page on Amazon.com