Apricot Fruit Leather – 3 Ways! (Пастила)

This apricot fruit leather is easy to make, delicious, and a great way to preserve the taste of summer. These little fruit roll-ups are a healthy and perfect snack for when you need one.

You can make the fruit leather plain, sweeten it with honey, or add a spicy twist with ginger. Read on for details on how to make each version.

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My history with fruit leather began like 3 decades ago in Kazakhstan where my mom would make it for us, since nothing like that was sold at the stores. I don’t remember what flavors she made them, but I do remember just loving the stuff.

Fast forward to today, I have to say, we love this stuff. The batch I made with the ginger is already gone so I might have to get another batch going if I find a good deal on apricots.

Anyway, I hope you try making these. They keep very well, too!

Ingredients for Apricot Fruit Leather

Apricots – ripe fruits are best, but you can make fruit leather even with unripe ones. It will just be more sour at the end (perfect for those who love sour candies).

Honey – Great way to sweeten the fruit leather if your fruit is not as ripe (see above).

Ginger – gives a nice kick the the apricot flavor.

Instructions for Making Apricot Fruit Leather

Start with ripe apricots. Wash them thoroughly, remove the pits, and cut them into halves or quarters. Blend the apricots in a food processor or blender until you get a smooth puree. I only have a small smoothie blender so I do this in batches.

Plain Apricot Fruit Leather

For plain apricot fruit leather, pour the apricot puree directly onto the dehydrator trays lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Spread the puree evenly, aiming for about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thickness.

Apricot Fruit Leather with Honey

To make apricot fruit leather with honey, follow the same initial steps. After blending the apricots into a smooth puree, add honey to taste. Add 1-3 tablespoons honey for a kg of apricots. You can always do more for a sweeter taste.

Blend again to ensure the honey is thoroughly mixed. Pour the honey-sweetened puree onto the prepared dehydrator trays, spreading it out evenly.

Apricot Fruit Leather with Ginger

For a ginger apricot fruit leather snack, start with your smooth apricot puree. Grate the ginger, using a small grater then add it to the puree. Blend again to mix the ginger evenly throughout the puree. Spread the ginger-apricot mixture onto the dehydrator trays (lined with parchment paper), making sure it’s even and smooth.

Dehydrating Fruit Leather

Once your puree is spread out, place the trays in the dehydrator (Here is the best-seller from Amazon). Dehydrate the fruit leather at 158° F (70° C) for 6-8 hours or until desired dryness is reached. The drying time might vary depending on the thickness of the puree, the humidity in your environment, and even your dehydrator.

I have a simple, round dehydrator that is not too expensive (something like this). The downside of my dehydrator (which I noticed with time) is that one side dries faster than the other, so I periodically have to turn the trays. I guess the heat is not evenly distributed. This might be a normal dehydrator thing or just the fact that I have a cheaper machine.

Another thing with my dehydrator is that I have to cut out my parchment paper to fit the trays. This takes extra time. There are round silicon tray liners that can be used with round dehydrators, but you will need to make sure the size will fit into your machine.

Anyway, check reviews if you’re buying a new device and consider all the little nuances of making the fruit leather before buying the machine as it can influence the drying time and prep time.

I recommend checking the fruit leather periodically; it’s ready when it’s still pliable, but not sticky to the touch.

When the fruit leather is done, let it cool completely. Peel it off the trays and cut it into strips or any desired shapes. Roll the strips in parchment paper or plastic wrap to prevent them from sticking together. Store your fruit leather in an airtight container at room temperature.

How long can Fruit Leather be stored?

A long time. I made fruit leather last year and made sure to keep some to see how long it lasts. I still have one piece left, which is now a year and a couple of months old. No, it didn’t go bad. Yes, it still tastes great.

Tips for Making Apricot Fruit Leather

• My biggest tip for making fruit leather is to check on the done-ness periodically to make sure you don’t over dry it. It will still taste great when dry, but might become breakable so you wouldn’t be able to roll it into rolls.
• Use ripe, sweet fruits to make the fruit leather. Though the sour ones still taste great if you like sour stuff.

Other Snacks to Make at Home

Here are my two other snack items that are just great to make at home:

• Homemade Fruit Roll Ups with Nectarines
• Chocolate Covered Coffee Beans

Lastly, if you make this Apricot Fruit Leather snack, please take a moment to comment below and leave a rating. It’s such a help for others who might want to try the recipe. And of course, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram if you make this recipe. I’d love to see the photos of the recipes you have made!