Description
Homemade Dehydrator Peach Leather is a healthy, naturally sweetened fruit snack reminiscent of classic fruit roll-ups. Made primarily from fresh peaches, water, and a touch of lemon juice to brighten flavors, this recipe involves cooking down the peaches to concentrate their taste, pureeing them, and then slowly dehydrating the mixture for 6-8 hours at a low temperature. This process results in a chewy, flavorful peach leather that’s perfect for a nutritious snack without any artificial additives or preservatives.
Ingredients
Scale
Peach Leather Ingredients
- 2 ½ lbs whole peaches (or 7 cups pitted and chopped peaches, about 5–10 peaches depending on size)
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup sugar or honey (optional)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Cook Peaches: Combine chopped peaches and water in a large pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes, or until the peaches start to break down and soften.
- Add Sweetener and Lemon: Stir in the sugar or honey if using, and add the lemon juice. Bring the mixture back to a simmer and cook until the sweetener has dissolved and the mixture thickens slightly to concentrate the flavors.
- Puree the Mixture: Transfer the cooked peach mixture in batches to a blender and puree until smooth. You should end up with about 3 ½ cups of peach puree.
- Prepare Dehydrator Trays: Line dehydrator trays with parchment paper. Spread the peach puree evenly over the trays in a thin layer, but not so thin that the parchment paper shows through. Three 12-inch square trays are recommended for this batch size.
- Dehydrate: Place the trays in the dehydrator set at 135°F (57°C). Dehydrate for 6 to 8 hours, or until the peach leather is no longer sticky to the touch.
- Adjust Texture if Needed: If the edges become crunchy before the center is fully dry, continue dehydrating until the center is set. Then turn off the dehydrator and let the leather rest overnight to absorb moisture from the air, softening the edges.
- Cut and Store: Once fully dried and pliable, cut the peach leather into 2-inch wide strips. You can leave the parchment paper on when cutting to help prevent sticking. Store the strips in an airtight container for freshness.
Notes
- The sugar or honey is optional and can be omitted if peaches are naturally sweet enough.
- Lemon juice brightens the flavor and helps preserve color.
- Cooking the peaches before pureeing helps break down skins and concentrate flavor, especially if your blender isn’t very powerful.
- If edges get crunchy but the center is not done, allowing the leather to rest overnight with the dehydrator off will restore moisture and soften edges.
- This recipe is designed for use with a dehydrator; oven dehydration may not be effective as most ovens do not maintain the low temperatures required and may be inefficient to run for 6-8 hours.
- A small amount of water prevents scorching during stovetop cooking.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 7 hours
- Category: Snack
- Method: Dehydrating
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: peach leather, dehydrated fruit snack, healthy fruit roll-ups, homemade peach snacks, dehydrator peach leather, natural fruit leather
