Nope, I wasn't done with pears like I thought I was. So with about 7 more pounds of foraged pears I made fruit leathers. These came out so much better than I imagined. Here is the process:
Wash, peel, core, and simmer pears in a little water until soft. Then run the pears through a food mill. Simmer one more time until the pear purée is the consistency of applesauce. Cut parchment paper into circles that fit on top of food dehydrator trays. (I wasn't going to go buy special fruit leather trays, and the parchment works perfectly.) Spread the purée into big rectangle shapes about 1/4" thick with a large spoon onto the parchment covered trays. Expect the dehydrator to run for quite a while. I can't remember how many hours it took my leathers to get done, but once the leathers are no longer soft in the middle, they will peel right off the parchment.
No sugar needed, and the pectin in the pears make these easy to roll or bend without breaking. I had 16 large leathers from the 7 pounds. One had to be a test leather. The rest are in the freezer between pieces of plastic wrap in a quart baggie.
Image credit: Cale Ruiz
Wash, peel, core, and simmer pears in a little water until soft. Then run the pears through a food mill. Simmer one more time until the pear purée is the consistency of applesauce. Cut parchment paper into circles that fit on top of food dehydrator trays. (I wasn't going to go buy special fruit leather trays, and the parchment works perfectly.) Spread the purée into big rectangle shapes about 1/4" thick with a large spoon onto the parchment covered trays. Expect the dehydrator to run for quite a while. I can't remember how many hours it took my leathers to get done, but once the leathers are no longer soft in the middle, they will peel right off the parchment.
No sugar needed, and the pectin in the pears make these easy to roll or bend without breaking. I had 16 large leathers from the 7 pounds. One had to be a test leather. The rest are in the freezer between pieces of plastic wrap in a quart baggie.
Image credit: Cale Ruiz