Kiwi Fruit Leather
Nine kiwi, a little honey, and a dehydrator running overnight. A tart snack you cannot buy.
- calories
- 90
- weight
- 1 oz
- cal / oz
- 90
- protein
- 1 g
- serves
- 6, scales
- prep
- 20 min
- cook
- 0 min
- total time
- 20 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
- Vegetarian
- Gluten free
- Dairy free
- Nut free
- Eat in the bag
- Dehydrate ahead
- Shelf stable
- Basic
Ingredients
| Ripe kiwi | 9 fruit | golden kiwi are sweeter; a mix of golden and green works well |
|---|---|---|
| Honey | 3 tbsp | to taste, or leave it out and accept the tartness |
Method
- Set the dehydrator to 135F and cut parchment paper to fit the trays. Use parchment even over plastic liners, or the leather welds itself to the tray.
- Peel the kiwi, quarter them, and blend or process to a smooth puree with the honey.
- Pour onto the lined tray and spread thin and even, stopping short of the edges so nothing runs over. Nine kiwi fills one large tray.
- Check at three hours. Depending on the machine it can take up to a full day.
- When the surface is tacky but no longer wet, flip the sheet over and peel the parchment off the back so the underside gets airflow too.
- Pull it while still pliable. Cool completely, roll in fresh parchment, and seal.
Fruit leather is mostly a patience problem. Kiwi puree is thin and wet, so it has to go on the tray thin and even or the thick spots stay tacky long after the edges have gone brittle. Flipping it partway through is what gets the underside dry without overcooking the top.
The honey is not just for sweetness. Kiwi is sharply acidic and gets sharper as the water leaves. Honey never fully dries, so it also keeps the finished sheet flexible instead of shattering in your pack. Store it sealed and it will outlast the trip.
Packing
Cut the finished sheet into strips, roll each one in parchment, and keep the rolls in a sealed bag. Without the paper they fuse into one lump in a warm pack.
Variations
- Skip the honey for a sharper, tarter leather. It will dry harder and crack more easily.
- Blend in a banana or a few strawberries to soften the acid and stretch the yield.
https://trailcooking.com/2020/01/03/dehydrating-kiwi-fruit-leather