http://www.durgan.org/URL/?KAVHT 11 February 2012 Fruit Jerky.
Six 14 by 14 inch sheets of fruit jerky, (leather) was made to cost out the product. Each sheet was cut into edible pieces of 4.5 by 1.75 and the cost per small piece is 26 cents for the produce alone.
Produce used was; Frozen cranberries, apple, pears, carrot, orange, peach, pineapple, plum, squash, strawberry. Cost was $37.53.
The squash was cooked for five minutes in the microwave, and the other produce was used raw. All was beat in its own juice in the blender. This output was made homogeneous in a pot using a hand blender.
The slurry was placed on a flat sheet, sprayed with ascorbic acid one tablespoon in a litre of water to retain colour, and placed in the dehydrator, and operated for about 8 hours. The partially dried jeerky was then removed from the flat sheet, flipped over, and placed on the open screen to improve drying, and placed in the dehydrator for about another four hours. Sufficient drying was determined by testing periodically. The final product should be flexible, but dry, not brittle.
The large 14 by 14 inch sheet was cut into edible pieces about 4.5 by 1.75 inches and will be vacuum packed for long term storage.