Blueberry Fruit Leather
Cook berries down, spread them thin, dry them. A pocket snack with nothing in it but fruit.
- calories
- 125
- weight
- 1.2 oz
- cal / oz
- 104
- protein
- 1 g
- serves
- 4, scales
- prep
- 10 min
- cook
- 0 min
- total time
- 10 min
- water
- none
- cost
- $$
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Snack
- No cook
- Backpacking
- Thru-hike
- Day hike
- Bikepacking
- Canoe / raft
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Gluten free
- Dairy free
- Nut free
- Eat in the bag
- Dehydrate ahead
- Shelf stable
- Basic
Ingredients
| Wild blueberries | 1.5 lbs | fresh or frozen; small berries mean no seed grit |
|---|---|---|
| Maple syrup | 2 tbsp | double it if you want candy |
| Salt | a pinch | |
| Lemon juice | a dash | optional, keeps the color from going brown |
Method
- At home: put the berries, maple syrup, and salt in a saucepan and bring to a simmer.
- Drop to medium-low and cook 30 to 45 minutes, until the pan is nearly dry and what is left is thick.
- Blend smooth with the lemon juice. Lumps become hard spots that never dry evenly.
- Spread the puree about 1/8 inch thick on a silicone mat or lightly oiled parchment. Thin edges burn, so keep it even.
- Dry at 170 F in the oven for 3 to 4 hours, or 135 F in a dehydrator for 6 to 8 hours, flipping once the sheet lifts in one piece.
- It is done when it is dry and still bends without cracking. Cut into strips and roll each one in parchment.
- On the trail: unroll and eat. No stove, no water.
Fruit leather is dehydration you do yourself, and blueberries are a good candidate because they have no pit and no seeds worth chewing around. The simmer removes most of the water before the dryer ever sees it, which is what keeps the drying time down to hours instead of a full day. The maple syrup is there in small amounts for flavor and a little pliability, not to make candy.
Thickness is the whole game. Spread it too thin and the edges go brittle and crack; too thick and the center stays tacky and will mold in your food bag a week later. Aim for even, check early, and pull it while it still bends. Carried this way, roughly a pound and a half of berries becomes a few ounces you can eat walking.
Packing
Roll each strip in a strip of parchment so it does not weld to itself, then vacuum seal or use a zip bag. It keeps for months cold and several weeks at room temperature in a pack, but check for mold if it lived through a hot week.
Variations
- Swap in any low-seed fruit: applesauce, plums, apricots, or a mix of blueberry and apple to stretch the batch.
- The pulp left over from making blueberry juice or syrup purees into leather the same way, which gets you two things from one pot of berries.
- A pinch of cinnamon or a spoonful of chia in the puree changes the texture without adding weight.
https://foragerchef.com/wild-blueberry-maple-leather