It has taken me a while to get into this awesome all-natural version of a Fruit Roll-up. I must’ve had a poor estimation of what these could be from my childhood sugary fruit-snack craze, or maybe because these are usually referred to as fruit ‘leather’ it never struck me as something good.

At this point, anything labelled ‘leather’ isn’t something I would associate with fruit or food, which is why, somewhere along the way, it never occurred to me to make this delicious snack!

I love fruit. I love all kinds of fruit, any time of the year. Despite the fact that it can be less enticing to eat fruit in the cooler months, it’s even more beneficial to our health to get the sun-ripened vitamins we often lack in the darker times of the year. Enjoying the seasonal fruits of your local area keeps you connected to the nourishment your body needs and has available - what a gift!

Along with my love of fruit comes the need not to waste it! It’s such a shame to ‘miss out’ on the ripe beauty of Earth’s ‘candy,’and let good fruit go bad. With fruit, it’s all about timing. These sensitive plants are here and gone in no time - ripe then rotten. It happens all the time, so tending the fruit bowl not only keeps you in-tune with your market bounty, the colour of your kitchen, but also keeps your daily diet fresh, varied and enjoyable.

This recipe is absolutely perfect for using up a bulk of the winter fruits like apples and pears which offer a sweet base for these fruit snacks. Be sure to use well ripened fruit for a sweeter taste. You can add any combination of starchy fruit (bananas, apples, pears, quince, peach, plum) along with berries to make your fruit rolls. 

Fruit Rolls are a great way to preserve fruit and make a super snack at the same time. These are easy to pack for road trips, travel, sports, school or work. Keeping clear of the added corn syrup, fructose syrup, and artificial food colouring means they are actually a healthy snack for kids too!

Since I’m all about super simple preparations, all you need to do is wash and cut the fruit, keep the peel on for extra fibre (optional), put everything in the food processor (or blender), and spread it on dehydrator sheets to dry out. 

To see how simple it can be to know what we put into our bodies every day really keeps it interesting!

Go forth and make your own fruit-snacks! Try some different combinations and share your favourite.

Blend and spread on dehydrator sheets.

Spread evenly about 1cm thick.

Dehydrate for 6-8 hours, or overnight until dry.

Peel off like a sticky but dry sheet.

The Recipe: Real Fruit Rolls

Use ripe or over ripe fruit for sweetness.

4-5 Apples

4-5 Pears

1/2c Raspberries

1Tbsp psyllium husks

Juice of 1 Lemon

Process or blend until smooth, spread evenly over dehydrator sheets at about 1cm thick, and dehydrate at 118* for 6-8 hours.

When dry, this will peel off easily and flipping for further dehydration shouldn’t be necessary, but check in case you need longer or to flip the sheets if not completely dry.

Roll up, cut in halves, and store in an airtight container for up to 3 months - if they last!