Well, why not I said? Why not mix strawberries and rhubarb to make a fruit leather for the kids?
Usually that phrase “well, why not?” can get me into a lot of trouble, but this time it led to delicious fruit leather that is making me weep that I have already decimated my rhubarb with use. It’s pretty much gone. Sigh.
Lesson learned : plant at least three in the new house. Without a doubt. I didn’t get to tackle a lovely stewed compote, cake or muffins or make amazing jam. There are SO many things of my rhubarb list-to-do that I didn’t get to attempt this year.
On a side note, if you don’t have a rhubarb list-to-do, I highly suggest you start one. Now. Then go out and plant rhubarb and await next spring as impatiently as I will.
This was so fantastic, the rhubarb gave it not only a sharp edge that made your taste buds sing but a complexity rarely found in fruit leather. Yes, I just used the word complexity in the context of describing fruit leather.
And as a mom of two I can say that I might border on a fruit leather expert. Most are gross. Homemade is so much better and rhubarb made this awesome!
Three ingredients my friends, none of which are sugar.
2 cups chopped rhubarb
2 cups of chopped strawberries
2-3 tbsp honey
The only thing different is that you must cook the rhubarb, so blanch the rhubarb in the microwave quickly. Rhubarb is such a funny food, the stalks seem so strong but when you go to cook it in any capacity it almost melts.
Take your strawberries and rhubarb and using a food processor or hand blender puree them well. I love using a hand blender, my Kitchenaid one works just as well as a food processor yet only ONE small part needs to be cleaned. Win.
Add 2-3 tbsp honey of honey to the mixture, depending on how sweet you want it.
Line a cookie sheet with plastic wrap.
Spread the puree evenly to just a 1/4 inch in thickness, making sure there is plastic showing all the way around the edge of your sheet.
The puree can be dried in a 150F degree oven or in a food dehydrator. If you like, you can turn your oven on as low as it can go every hour, then turn it off and let the residual heat dry out the leather. You are not cooking it at all, there is no “safe” temperature – other than please don’t crank the oven UP- so to save electricity you don’t have to leave the oven on continuously. But DO leave it shut to keep that heat in.
This can take anywhere from 6-8 hours in the oven. When the leather peels away from the wrap, is still slightly tacky when you touch it but your finger doesn’t leave a mark, it is done. You can roll it right up in the plastic and cut it into little rolls. They will stay in the fridge for up to a month!You can use a dehydrator, but I found mine dried out the edges far before the inner part was done It must be achievable somehow, I am going to have to work on it.
If you are lucky enough to have rhubarb left, try this!
Happy, happy, happy Friday everyone! We are so closeto school being out around these parts that I can barely contain my excitement. No, really, I am one of those weird parents who simply cannot WAIT to spend the summer with the kids. Only a few more sleeps!
Love,
The Sad She’s Outta Rhubarb Magpie
Strawberry Rhubarb Fruit Leather
Ingredients
- 2 cups chopped rhubarb
- 2 cups chopped strawberries
- 2-3 tablespoons honey
Instructions
- Blanch the rhubarb in the microwave quickly. ( take a casserole dish with a lid, place 1/4 cup of water in the bottom, add the rhubarb and then steam for 4-5 minutes until it’s softer.)
- Take your strawberries and rhubarb and using a food processor or hand blender puree them well.
- Add 2-3 tbsp of honey to the mixture, depending on how sweet you want it.
- Line a cookie sheet with plastic wrap.
- Spread the puree evenly to just a 1/4 inch thickness, making sure there is plastic showing all the way around the edge of your sheet. The puree can be dried in a 150 degree Fahrenheit degree oven or in a food dehydrator. If you like, you can turn your oven on as low as it can go every hour, then turn it off and let the residual heat dry out the leather. You are not cooking it at all, there is no “safe temperature“ other than please don’t crank the oven UP- so to save electricity you don’t have to leave the oven on continuously. But DO leave it shut to keep that heat in. This can take anywhere from 6-8 hours in the oven.
- When the leather peels away from the wrap, is still slightly tacky when you touch it but your finger doesn’t leave a mark, it is done. You can roll it right up in the plastic and cut it into little rolls. They will stay in the fridge for up to a month!
Nutrition
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F Lind says
Thank you!
Mary says
Why would you want to make something healthy in a microwave?
nicole Earl says
How do you blanch rhubarb in the microwave?
bon says
You can dry fruit leathers evenly in a dehydrator by making the edges about twice as thick as the center.
judy says
Thanks for the great recipe. I have now made three batches of this. Everyone loves it! I love the fact that it has honey and not sugar in it. The only thing i changed was i used parchment paper sprayed with canola oil instead of plastic wrap. I could not find oven safe plastic wrap. Its nice to have a new recipe to use rhubarb on instead of pie. thanks again!
Marla Meridith says
Love that you used no refined sugar in this fruit leather – it looks awesome! Will be linking to this tomorrow 🙂
Sam R. says
This turned out GREAT! Thanks for the recipe and idea! Rhubarb fruit leather, who knew?
Mindy Tindall says
I am all over this.
Cookingrookie says
I love this recipe, so nice and healthy! Great blog, I am subscribing to follow, glad I found you 🙂
Alaina Frederick says
Yummy! This is awesome. I’m totally having flash backs of my childhood right now. My grandmother always grows rhubarb and one of the things she’d make for us even though she herself is allergic to strawberries was Strawberry Rhubarb Sauce. Think applesauce but without the apples.
Always deliciously sweet and tart at the same time. I think I am going to have to get some of her famous rhubarb and make this with my boys. Thank you for sharing and keeping it simple for this mom who can literally burn water 🙂
Annie says
Looks like a good recipe. Easy too. You could also put the puree on non bleached parchment paper to be dried. I am going to have to try this recipe. Could you do the recipe with just strawberries?
Carolyn says
I am a diehard rhubarb fanatic and I feel your pain about being out of it. I have a bag of chopped rhubarb in the freezer, and I have sort of promised a strawberry rhubarb crisp to a friend but now I am regretting it, as it will use about half of it. THEN what do I do with only 2 cups left of rhubarb? Make this for my kids? Maybe…but then I would be out of rhubarb!!!
Jessica's Dinner Party says
I saw an article about making fruit leathers a couple years ago, tabbed it, but never got around to making it. This reminds me of that and is inspiring me to get creative with the wonderful seasonal fruits available!