People that use their food dehydrators please read.

[MandyH]

I acquired a food dehydrator today after wanting one for MONTHS. It did not come with any screens or that thing you use to make fruit roll ups/leathers. Is there a quick substitute for that fruit leather mat that I might have laying around the house? I had thought about cheesecloth, but wasn't too sure. Also any recipes for the fruit leathers or any other things I might want/need to know before using the dehydrator?

 

[Chicabee19]

Parchment Paper works pretty well, but of course it's not round like the parts that come with the dehydrator!

I would think saran wrap or even foil would do in a pinch.

What about a lightly-buttered paper plate with a hole cut out of the middle?

 

[morelcabin]

I would say parchment/wax paper but I personally wouldn't use saran. (only beause I have an adversion to heat and plastic...will never use plastic in my microwave either)

 

[Wildsky]

Do some searching to buy the proper screens and such you need.

Not sure what else you can use for roll-ups.

 

[Chicabee19]

I never use saran around heat either... but didn't think a dehydrator would get that hot...

 

[jaybme]

I Have a dehydrator, but use the oven for fruit leather. Spread apple sauce on cookie sheet, put in oven at 200 degrees for a couple hours or over night and in the morning I have fruit leather. Yum!

 

[MandyH]

I am going to get the correct thngs I need but I have 5 gallon buckets of fresh apples sitting on the porch as I type. That's why I was wanting a quick something I might already have available. I have wax paper and freezer paper in the pantry, guess I'll start there. Thanks.

 

[NurseNettie]

Check the paperwork in your dehyrator. There shoud be an order form for the fruit leather parts/ pieces in there.

 

[MrsCountryChick]

If you put it in the oven to dry, a good thing to use is those silicone cookie sheet liners. I have a 3pack of red ones from the brand Farberwear. One is full size for a full sized cookie sheet & 2 are about 3/4 the size of a full cookie sheet, only a tad shy of covering the entire sheet. I just tried them out lately to make pumpkin chocolate chip cookies & it bakes them nicely without the dark bottoms, so no dried out cookies. Plus it's so easy to take the cookie sheet out of the oven & just slip the silicone sheet off onto a cooling rack to cool, then slide the other silicone sheet (which I'd already lined with cookie dough) onto it for a quick 2nd batch of cookies to cool. These will be Wonderful for Christmas cookies. ..........Oh back to the topic

......these silicone sheets would be great to make fruit leather, the fruit wouldn't stick, since the silicone is pliable they'd easily come off, with easy clean up

 

[kinnip]

Is homemade fruit leather as sticky in the mouth as the commercial stuff? My dental work won't tolerate sticky.