At first, this title may sound like I am describing an orange pair of leather shoes. But I am definately not. Apricot Leather is a large fruit roll up. It’s made of yummy apricots, honey, and lemon juice. Then it gets dried in the sun. My mother has an apricot tree in her back yard and has been making this for years. She now has a fruit dryer that she drys the leather in but I dried mine in the sun. It’s a perfect healthy treat and my kids gobble it up.
Apricot Leather:
- 2 cups blended apricots
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 Tablespoons honey
- This makes 2 roll-ups depending on the size of tray
First cut the apricots in half and take out the pits. Then blend them smooth in a blender. Next add the honey and lemon juice and give it another spin in the blender.
Now prepare a tray with plastic wrap along the bottom covering it. I used my Mother’s drying racks that look like window screens. Next, pour the mix onto the plastic wrap and smooth out with a spatula. You want it to be about 1/8″ thick.
To ensure that bugs don’t get stuck on my leather, I put another screen rack on top and taped them together. If you don’t have something like this, find something that would keep out the bugs, but allow air to come in and the sun to hit it.
Now take the trays outside on a table to dry out. I let them stay out for 24 hours. I could have done a few hours less for a more moist leather, but I like it firmer. Then take them inside and roll up the plastic wrap. Now you have delicious fruit leather that you can munch on all summer, or for the next week, it doesn’t last long.
Have fun making Apricot Leather, but limit the intake or you could be spending some time in the bathroom – apricots can run right through your system.
Written by Marie LeBaron
Marie LeBaron is the founder and managing editor of Make and Takes. Always having a love of crafts, she enjoys getting messy with glue and glitter. There’s always some sort of project going on, her kitchen counter is often cluttered with crafts. When she’s not crafting and creating with her kids, she loves to run, read, and blog! Read other posts by Marie
{ 21 comments… read them below or add one }
I swear you are the best little homemaker ever! I totally remember my mom making this when I was little. It is so fun and so good! I wish I had time to do fun stuff like this, or at least someone that would help me eat it! Love ya!
What a fun blog you have! I was browing through it and love your ideas. In fact, I’m going to make your cake mix cookies today. :)
Yum- what a great treat for the kids!
Reading about apricot leather brought back the wierdest childhood memory from when I was about 6…crazy fun with a VERY old friend at her grandma’s house! Thanks for the nudge to relive a memory! You’re the best blogger ever!
I love my bib by the way…did i ever say thank you?
I bought all these apriums awhile back and I kept thinking, “If I only knew how to make fruit leather…..” Now I know. Awesome!
This looks delicious!!
xoxo
Hi Marie! I found your blog via the Crafty Crow… and because my daughter LOVES dried fruit I think I will have to give this a try. Do you know if this works with other fruits as well? Strawberries are almost in season and I would like to try this with them. I will also have to try your granola bars!!
Ooh, this brings back memories! When my husband and I first got married (read: back when we were BROKE) we used to get all the blemished fruits or surplus fruits and veggies from the farmers’ market on Saturdays. I would make fruit leather but I didn’t have those fantastic screens so I would line a cookie sheet with plastic wrap and spread a thin layer of fruit on top and then pop them in our little apartment-sized gas oven. I would leave them in there for a day and a half or so and the tiny bit of heat from the pilot light would help them to dry perfectly! Now we have 3 little girls who love to help out in the kitchen–I think I’m sensing a fun little project coming on… THANK YOU!
My kids love fruit leather!
I’d never thought of making it myself, and the stuff in the shops is *ridiculously* expensive, so I rarely buy it.
Thank you sooo much for the recipe, now the kidz can have it much more often. :D
I have never heard of this before. I think I’ll have to try it. Thanks for the idea.
HI!!!
OMG, thank you for such a good recipe i love fruit leathers and this is a great and simple way to at them!!!
Can you do the same with other fruits???
like: strawberries, watermelon, orange, peach???
thxsX1000000000000000000000000000000000!!!
:):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D
Hi! Thanks for the idea – I remember doing this when I was little, though we made them on cookie sheets instead of these awesome drying racks!! How do you make these drying racks – or where could I buy some? Thanks!
Hi
I was wondering if you could tell me on the strawberry leather how long in a food dehydrater you think it would take and at what temperature. Thank you for the recipe.
Is it 2 cups apricot puree or 2 cups chopped apricot? Please email me. Thanks
Hi, can you please tell me what type of honey is suitable to make fruit leathers? There are so many different types, such as creamy, non creamy, liquid etc..Thanks
Crystal – It’s 2 cups puree of apricot! Thanks for asking.
Minnie – I just use regular ol’ honey that comes in the plastic bear dispenser. But I’m sure you can use any kind. It’s just to help sweeten it up. Or I actually know that you don’t need to add any at all and it’s still just as yummy.
I really liked the leather we used Agave and it was a little to tart for my “people” but I loved it. I like to have a treat at about mile 6 on anything over 10 miles and these work fabulously. Thanks for sharing.
I’ve seen some recipes where they cook or heat the fruit for about 15 minutes. What do you think the purpose is?
I would like to know the shelf life on this once it’s finished, as well as the approximate dimensions of your screens? For instance, if I were to make the batch as it calls, and I used cookie sheets that are about 18″ square, how much would that make, and about when would it expire? Thanks for sharing!!
I’m able to keep my leather around for a couple of months in the cupboard. It usually doesn’t last that long, but it should be fine.
The screens I’m using in the blog post are 24 inches square. The recipe listed should get you at least 2 screens worth. If you made the recipe ahead of time, it would probably last a couple of days in the fridge until you were ready to dry it.
O-M-GOODNESS! Im dehydrating a strawberry batch right now.. Im guessing do it for at least a day.. but Ill check it in between to make sure.. IM SO EXCITED! NO MORE BUYING THEM FOR MY 3 kids ages 3,4, and 6! It gets expensive! AND I love knowing their ALL NATURAL ingrediants!!! WOO HOO! THAK YOU for sharing this recipe!!!! You should add it to allrecipe.com! I bet A LOTT of people look for this kind of recipe!