If your house is like mine, there is a little person who is ALWAYS hungry. And if you are like me, you are ALWAYS trying to find more ways to get herbs into that little body.
Enter fruit leather: Whole fruit. Powdered herbs. Perfect snack.
The idea came to me when I thought of using actual fresh hibiscus calyces to make the fruit leather, but didn't have an easy source for such a thing living in a Northern climate. In this recipe you gently warm the herbs when you cook the berries which helps extract properties, but also leaving the powders in the mixture means the whole plants will be consumed.
Hibiscus can be a bit tart or sour for some little taste buds, but the taste is mellowed out by the fruit and honey. Its high vitamin C content is not only great for immunity building, but it also helps to absorb the iron in the nettles. Oatstraw adds additional minerals and tulsi is a tasty adaptogen nervine. Goji berries are also snuck in here for their antioxidants and omega 3s. Herbal fruit leather is a way to eat your plant based vitamins and minerals!
Once you get the hang of making fruit leather, it's a pretty simple process and worth the effort. Next time I am going to experiment with adding collagen powder and perhaps some coconut manna to get some protein and fat in there. Then maybe it will actually be the perfect snack.
M A K E
3 cups mixed berries 1/4 c goji berries, reconstituted
2 tsp lemon juice
2-3 tbsp honey or maple syrup
1 tsp hibiscus, powdered
1 tsp nettle, powdered 1 tsp oatstraw, powdered 1 tsp tulsi, powdered
Blender
Saucepan
Add berries, gogi, honey and lemon juice to a blender and puree.
Pour mixture into a saucepan. Add powdered herbs.
Cook on low for 10 minutes.
Pour onto a silicone mat.
Dehydrate by following the directions of your dehydrator or at 170 degrees F for 4-5 hours.
Transfer the fruit leather onto parchment paper. Roll up and cut into strips!
Store in an airtight container for about one month.
N O T E S
You can powder herbs right at home by blending them in a spice or coffee grinder and sifting them through a fine mesh sieve.
If you prefer to remove the raspberry seeds, cook the fruit separately and press through a fine mesh sieve.
If you are concerned about heating the honey, add it after you have cooked the berry mixture.
Taste the mixture after cooking to see if you want to additional sweetener.
For educational purposes only.
Not intended for medical advice.
Always consult your physician.
Purchase herbs by visiting Mountain Rose Herbs!
*This post has affiliate links, meaning if you choose to buy something, I will make a small percentage of the sale so I can continue to write and support my family *at no extra cost to you.*