Taste-bud Journey: Berry and Applesauce Roll-ups Round 3

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:

• 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

Taste-bud Journey: Mixed Fruit Roll-ups Round 2

During the pandemic, I am taking taste-bud journeys as I self-isolate rather than physical journeys. Here is my adapted recipe for making a second round of Mixed Fruit Roll-ups. It was inspired by the many video tutorials to be found on YouTube. This round, I hoped to do a better job of spreading out the fruit mixture in such a way that it was thicker on the edges than in the middle. I also experimented by using a much higher temperature than the last time I made a similar recipe. That way, I can compare results.

Conclusion: I have learned that 165 degrees Fahrenheit is probably too high of a temperature and 125 degrees is probably too low. Next time I make this, I will try 145 degrees instead. Using the highest temperature in a Cosori Dehydrator possible, 165, made them too dry to roll. Instead, just like you would peanut brittle, I had to break the finished product into large pieces. They were somewhat pliant but not enough to roll. They did not have a scorched or burnt taste. They were delicious like candy. They just were too brittle to roll. At 165 degrees, I dehydrated them for 6 1/2 hours. Then, I peeled them free and flipped them the best I could. I gave the pieces an additional 45 minutes to dry the still wet spots on the flipped side.

I have also learned that when using a raised-lip silicone mold, I should not try to get the batter to reach the edges. Instead, I should try to treat the mixture like I would if the silicone mold was flat and I had to make certain the edges of the mixture were scooted together like I did for the one tray where I actually used a flat silicone mold. That was the only one that peeled off without breaking. The other five trays, where I used the lipped molds, they were all impossible to peel off as one unbroken piece.

My other learned lesson is that although the mixture needs to be a bit thicker on the edges than in the middle, I should not allow the middle to be too thin. Since I made this mistake, the middle pieces had to be peeled off in smaller chunks. I placed those broken chunks into a cereal bowl and munched on them while I gave the other pieces an additional 45 minutes in the dehydrator after I had flipped them.

Recipe

• Thawed frozen fruit such as raspberries, peaches, blackberries, and strawberries
• 2 containers of single-serving unsweetened applesauce
• 2 cans of sliced peaches
• Coconut Oil to grease the silicone molds
• 3 tablespoons of Chia Seeds (for binding and extra nourishment)
• 1 teaspoon of Xanthan Gum (for binding)
• Eight long squirts (to taste) of Grape Water Enhancer (flavored sweetener)

Procedure - I made some tactical errors that I have learned from. I used red to reflect what I should have done instead of what I actually did on this second round of attempting to make fruit roll-ups.

• 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, peaches, 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 eight 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. Also stir in 1 teaspoon of Xanthan Gum. 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. That was a mistake on my part that I have now learned from.

• Step 6: Plug in your dehydrator and set the temperature gauge to 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Set the time for four hours so you can check on how the drying process is going. I now know that 165 degrees is too high of a temperature to use. I have already learned that 125 degrees was too low. I will try 145 degrees the next time I make these. I ended up dehydrating the current batch for 6 1/2 hours, peeled off what I could, and then flipped what remained over and dehydrated the flipped pieces for an additional 45 minutes. I left them to sit in the dehydrator for the rest of the night while I slept. In the morning, I ended up having to break up the large pieces into small enough pieces to fit into my storage container - kind of like what you would do to peanut brittle. They were not burnt or scorched at all. They were even a tiny bit pliant feeling. Just not pliant enough to roll. They were brittle enough to easily break into medium-size pieces.

• Step 7: So when i get around to making round 3, I will try dehydrating them at 145 degrees Fahrenheit. I will also not follow through on the other lessons I learned from this second round. Progress forward but not out of the woods yet, so to speak. In any case, these are quite delicious like yummy candy. I will have no problem at all in consuming them over the course of the next few days. Then and only then will I attempt round three. 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:

• 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

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

Taste-bud Journey: Dehydrated Green Beans in Dehydrator vs Oven

During the pandemic, I am taking taste-bud journeys as I self-isolate rather than physical journeys. Here is my adapted recipe for dehydrating green beans in the dehydrator versus in the oven. It was inspired by watching several tutorial YouTube videos. After making the recipe for the first time, I since found the two videos I included near the end of this blog that had inspired me to not only try using my oven instead of the dehydrator, but I made a couple of further changes, as well, that thankfully, turned out much more successfully.

Conclusion: When dehydrating French Green Beans, I probably will always do this in the oven instead of the dehydrator as those thin stalks dehydrated a lot more successfully in the oven. The only other change to the recipe is that I think I will not only drain a can of green beans in the future, I will also rinse them well to try to rid them of the salt used by the manufacturer. That way, the only salt in this recipe will be the sea salt that I add.

 

VERSUS

Recipe

• 1 can of green beans. 
• 1 tablespoon of onion flakes. (FYI - I used a lot more than that and regretted it afterward.)
• 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt. (FYI - I used a lot more than that and regretted it afterward.)
• 2 tablespoons of whole wheat flour.
• About 1 tablespoon of Sunflower oil
• Cooking oil to season the dehydrator tray or oven cooking tray.

Please note: I got way carried away with the seasonings. Therefore, I have listed the amounts I should have used rather than what I mistakenly did.

   

Procedure that I should have done rather than the mistakes I made the first time around. I am only going to list the correct procedure rather than my mishaps.

• Step 1: Open a can of green beans and drain them completely. Rinse the green beans to rid them of the salt used by the manufacturer. Then, allow them to air dry.

• Step 2: In a flat container, mix together the whole wheat flour, sea salt, and onion flakes.

• Step 3: In a separate bowl, stir in one tablespoon of cooking oil such as sunflower oil or oil of your choice. Stir until each green bean is coated with that liquid.


• Step 4: Add the green beans to that container. Stir and mix together until you feel that each green bean is coated with the dry mixture, as well.


• Step 5: Lightly coat the tray you will be using to dehydrate the green beans. If you are dehydrating them using a dehydrator, then season the mesh tray. If you are dehydrating them in the oven, then lightly season the silicone sheet you have used to line the cookie tray with.

• Step 6: Spread out the green beans as much as possible on one or more trays. As much as possible, make them as flat as possible. In other words, try to make certain that there are no green beans piled on top of other green beans.


• Step 7A: If you are dehydrating them in the dehydrator, set the temperature to 125 degrees Fahrenheit and dry for about 9 hours. You'll know they are done when they are crispy and dry to the touch.

• Step 7B: If you are dehydrating them in the oven, set the temperature to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. You'll know they are done when they are crispy and dry to the touch.

• Step 8: Allow the green beans to cool completely before adding them to a storage container. Place an oxygen absorber in that container to help keep the green beans fresh and dry.

• Step 9: Eat and enjoy! [FYI - Be sure to drink lots of water during and/or after eating these to prevent dehydration of your body. After all, all the liquid has been cooked out of the vegetables.]

Please note: In my opinion, the oven-dried French green bean chips came out way better than when dried in the dehydrator. I think this was partly because French Green Beans have such a thin stalk to begin with.

 

Check out the video for three different flavors of crispy green beans chips made by 'The Funky Spork.' I wish I had seen this particular video before making my recipe the first time; however, I think my recipe has promise, as well, as long as I don't over-salt the second time around.

Here is another video I found, after the fact, about baking crispy green bean chips. I am feeling extra inspired. I found it on a site called 'Tastemade by Jen Phanomrat.' It will open in a new window.

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

Taste-bud Journey: Dehydrated Yellow Squash Chips in Dehydrator

During the pandemic, I am taking taste-bud journeys as I self-isolate rather than physical journeys. Here is my adapted recipe for dehydrating yellow squash chips. It was inspired by watching several YouTube instructional videos. After the fact, I found the video that I have posted near the end of this blog. I wish I had seen this first, as I learned some important tips by watching this.

 

 

Recipe

• Yellow squash: fresh or frozen
• 1 tablespoon of onion flakes. (FYI - I used a lot more than that and regretted it afterward.)
• 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt. (FYI - I used a lot more than that and regretted it afterward.)
• 2 tablespoons of whole wheat flour.
• About 1 tablespoon of Sunflower oil
• Cooking oil to season the dehydrator tray.

Please note: I got way carried away with the seasonings. Therefore, I have listed the amounts I should have used rather than what I mistakenly did.

 

   

Procedure

• Step 1: If you are using frozen yellow squash, thaw it out and allow it to air dry.

• Step 2: Coat the yellow squash with a light layer of cooking oil such as sunflower oil.

• Step 3: In a gallon-size Ziploc bag, fill it with the dry ingredients of flour, sea salt, and onion flakes. Add the oiled yellow squash into the bag and shake. This will coat the yellow squash with that dry mixture.

• Step 4: Lay out the yellow squash on the dehydrator tray, leaving some space between each piece.

• Step 5: Dry the yellow squash at 125 degrees Fahrenheit for twelve or more hours.

• Step 6: Once the yellow squash looks and feels dry to the touch, allow them to cool completely before putting them in a storage container with an oxygen absorber.

• Eat and enjoy. [FYI - Be sure to drink lots of water during and/or after eating these to prevent dehydration of your body. After all, all the liquid has been cooked out of the vegetables.]

Check out the video for making dehydrated zuchini chips in the dehydrator. I found it on a site called 'Positively Mommy.' This is another video I wish I had watched prior to making mine. I think I will make a few changes next time I try to make zuchini or yellow squash chips. It will open in a new window.

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

Taste-bud Journey: Pineapple, Peach, Applesauce, & Lemon Fruit & Chia Seeds Leather

During the pandemic, I am taking taste-bud journeys as I self-isolate rather than physical journeys. Here is my adapted recipe for making Pineapple, Peach, Applesauce, & Lemon Fruit & Chia Seeds Leather. It was inspired by the many tutorial YouTube and Amazon videos. As for this particular combination of flavors, I was doing a bit of experimenting to see what might appeal to my particular taste buds. I can definitely see myself repeating this exact recipe again, sometime in the future.

Recipe

• About 1 cup of chopped-up sliced peaches
• 1 small can of crushed pineapples
• 1 serving size of unsweetened applesauce
• 4 to 8 squirts of Mio Lemonade (for your sweetener)
• 2 tablespoons of chia seeds (a binding and gelling agent)
• Cooking oil to spray your silicone molds

   

Procedure

• Step 1: Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease your silicone molds with a light layer of cooking spray or cooking oil.

• Step 2: Any fruit pieces that are larger than a pea should be crushed up with a food processor of some type. I used my mini food chopper that is wireless and quite portable. It holds its USB charge long enough to chop up anything I need for my current recipe. In my case, I only had to chop up the peaches as the pineapple was already crushed and the applesauce, of course, is already puréed. 

• Step 3: Mix that fruit together in a large measuring cup.

• Step 4: Add in 4 to 8 squirts of Mio Lemonade. The lemon helps fruit maintain their color better. This water enhancer will also act as a sweetener.


• Step 5: Add 2 tablespoons of chia seeds. This adds some extra nourishment and texture but also helps the mixture gel and bind together.

• Step 6: Mix well. Then, add this mixture evenly distributed in your silicone molds. Spread the mixture out until it is about 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch. It should be evenly spread all the way around so they will all dry at the same time.


• Step 7: Bake for two hours. Check the mixture. If it is firm enough, carefully peel up the leather and flip them over to the other side. Then, place it back into the oven to continue drying.


• Step 8: Mine ended up taking about 5 hours. You'll know its ready when the edges slightly curl up and none of the mixture is at all tacky or sticky. It should also come loose quite easily from the silicone mold and maintain its shape.


• Step 9: Allow fruit leather to cool completely. Then, place them into either a Ziploc Bag or a storage container. Add an oxygen absorber packet to help them maintain their freshness. They should be good about a week or two, if you have not already eaten them far sooner than that.

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.

The Mini Food Chopper is what I used to chop up the frozen (thawed) peaches. I love this 'kitchen toy' because it is compact, cordless, and doesn't take long to charge, between uses, via USB port.

• Electric Mini Garlic Chopper, Synmixx Portable Mini Food Chopper Vegetable Slicer Meat Grinder with Type-C Charge Port, 2 Blades, Garlic Blender with for Chopping Garlic/Onions/Chili/Ginger(250 ml) from Amazon


• Pantry Elements Rectangular Silicone Baking Cups / Cupcake and Muffin Molds, Six Vibrant Colors - 12-Pack from Amazon


• Walfos Premium Silicone Muffin Top Pan, Non-Stick Muffin Top Baking Pan, Prefect for Baking Cake, Corn Bread, Muffin Top and More, Food Grade and BPA Free (2-PK Silicone Muffin Top Pan)

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.

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