Fruit Leather Strips: Natural Candy for kids & the young at heart

Fruit Leather also known as fruit rollups, fruit jerky, fruit slab or fruit bar is made from fresh fruit, dehydrated into a very thin layer of fruit puree. Fruit leather is a fruit-based confectionery dietary product that is often eaten as a quick snack because it is lightweight, easily stored and packed. It is a convenient value-added substitute for natural fruits as a source of various nutritional elements (Diamante et al. 2014).


(Ruiza et al. 2011)

Fruit leathers are an alternative way to increase fruit consumption among children and young people due to their easy storage, delicious taste, attractive appearance (Safaei et al. 2018) and being a product that does not require refrigeration (Basha 2018). The production of fruit leather is also a useful way to preserve fruit or an ideal way to utilize slightly over-ripe fresh fruit or left-over canned fruit. Hence, it is can be made to extend the shelf life of fruits while preserving the rich nutrients that would otherwise go to waste.

Where is the origin of fruit leather?

It is kind of difficult to know by who and when fruit leathers were first invented but it was believed that the Middle Eastern people were the first to discover that fresh fruit can be used and preserved for a longer period of time if it is pureed, cooked and dried (Herbst 2001). It is also suspected that the origin of fruit leathers may go all the way back to the Persian Empire. In Turkey, fruit leathers were known as “Pestil” and “Qamar al deen” in Lebanon, Syria, “Pastegh” or “Bastegh” in Armenia, and “Fruit roll-ups or Fruit Leathers” in United States (Ruiza et al. 2011).

How are fruits leathers made?

Well, the general method of producing a sheet of fruit leather involves a few steps which include preparation of fruit puree, mixing or blending, pouring fruit mixture into trays and finally, dehydrating. Fruit leathers are made by drying a very thin layer of fruit puree or a mixture of fruit juice concentrated into a leather-like sheet. Humidity is removed during the process so that it has low moisture content (10% to 20%) at the end of the process. A good leather needs to have less than 0.7 of intermediate water activity, can be consumed directly from the package and has a chewy texture. Drying is a crucial stage during fruit leather production as an improper method can lead to the growth of microbes which in turn ruins the product (Safaei et al. 2018).


(Diamante et al. 2014)

One might question, can fruit leather retain its nutrition levels after all the processing? The answer is a definite YES! Fruits leathers are often labelled as health food due to their naturally low in fat and high in fiber and carbohydrates characteristic. It also has far fewer calories on average. Less than 100 kcals per serving as compared to the other snacks. The substantial quantities of dietary fibers, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants (which can help in fighting the free radicals in your body) are the main constituents in the finished product (Diamante et al. 2014).

Nonetheless, most manufacturers will mix the fruit pulps with an appropriate amount of sugar to increase the sweetness and solid content; pectin to thicken the pulp, holding the originally flexible texture in place and ensure the retention of the fruit leathers’ shapes; acidity and colour. However, do not worry because Signature Market FRUIT LEATHERS are made from 100% fruit, with NO ADDED salt or sugar! Imagine how convenient it is to increase your daily fruit intake with these tiny little treats easily stored in your bag, accessible anytime.

Hurry! Browse our website https://www.signaturemarket.co/my/marketplace/ to grab your good-to-go, nutritious and delicious fruit snacks.

References

Basha, S.J., 2018. Effect of Storage Period on Physio - Chemical Properties of Guava Fruit Leather. International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences, 7 (4), 1738-1751

Diamante, L.M., Bai, X., Busch., 2014. Fruit Leathers: Method of Preparation and Effect of Different Conditions on Qualities. International Journal of Food Science, 2014 (139890).

Herbst, S.T., 2001. The Food Lover's Companion. Barron's Educational Services, Inc.

Ruiza, N.A., Demarchia, S.M., & Ginera, S.A., 2011. Research on Dehydrated Fruit Leathers: A Review.

Safaei, P., Sadeghi, Z. and Khaniki, G.J., 2018. The Assessment of Physical and Microbial Properties of Traditional Fruit Leathers in Tehran. Jundishapur Journal of Health Sciences, In Press (In Press).