Strawberry Vodka Leather
Posted in: Food - Wednesday, August 22 2012
I unfortunately had to miss the nutty themed Sweet Adventures Blog Hop last month as I was away in Perisher. I did have a fully functional kitchen where we stayed but my body wasn’t nearly as functional after days of snowboarding so I had to be content with checking out everyone else’s goodies. This month I’m back in my own kitchen but severely lacking free time due to staff taking leave and children catching colds so I decided to keep my offering sweet and simple.
August’s Sweet Adventures Blog Hop is themed “Berry Nice To Meet You” with the hero being a berry of some sort. With strawberries clearly doing very well this season, it was a no-brainer for me. I’ve been buying punnets of plump juicy strawberries for around $2 each so the whole family has been gorging on them. There’s nothing like fresh strawberries; my earliest memory of the fruit is eating them crushed with sugar in a glass and topped up with cold milk.
Unfortunately, strawberries do eventually need to be refrigerated to stave off mould but ultimately you end up with some sad looking berries. In such cases I more than happily use them up for desserts (Strawberry, Rhubarb & Apple Crumble for one) but another use for less than premium fruit is dehydrating.
Next to my Thermomix and slow cooker, I prize my dehydrator greatly. We didn’t have an awesome summer of mangoes last year (unlike when we visited the Mango Farm) so I didn’t make full use of the dehydrator then but with so much strawberries around now, my kids will be enjoying strawberry leather for a while.
Just for something different and fun for the blog hop, I decided to add some vodka (1/4 cup, alcohol cooked off) to the mix by adding 2 tbsp of sugar to make a simple syrup. Strawberry puree on its own is generally too runny to produce a firm leather (it’s more like paper by itself) so I used some apple sauce to bulk the mixture up. Apple sauce in a jar is wonderful for making apple leather or to mix with other fruit, by the way :)
The vodka is only subtle in this leather so the kids loved it as much as I did. I’ve since thought up a plethora of cocktail themed fruit leather so watch this space as they say!
Sweet Adventures Blog Hop is hosted by The Hungry Australian, Dining With a Stud, The Capers of the Kitchen Crusader, Delicieux and 84th & 3rd. Hop on over and check out theirs and everyone else’s delicious creations!
9 Comments for this entry
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Love the leather – I haven’t got a dehydrator but I want one bad now
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Thanks :) You won’t regret the purchase. Dries leftover fresh herbs to get your money’s worth :)
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Christina @ The Hungry Australian
August 23rd, 2012 on 12:09 pmWow this looks incredible. I want a dehydrator!
thanks for joining this hop :)
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Thanks :) It doesn’t last long in our household I must say. I can’t speak more highly about dehydrators!
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K-bobo @ Gormandize with A-dizzle & K-bobo
August 24th, 2012 on 9:43 amThis looks fantastic! If only I had a dehydrator I would definitely try this.
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Miss Kimbers @ Fruit Salad and Mixed Veg
August 26th, 2012 on 5:01 amFunny as I was talking to a lady at work about how she dehydrates fruit and I mentioned how I wanted to buy one! So, you just mash the strawberries up and place them on the shelves in the machine? I need to buy one now:) Do you make dried vegetables as well?
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There you go then! You must have one lol Yes, essentially you puree up fruit with good sugar content (if a more acidic fruit, you can mix it with apple sauce) and place it on the fruit leather tray then dry it on a shelf. You most certainly can dry veges for a healthy snack. Beef jerkey also :)
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Nic
August 26th, 2012 on 7:25 amOh dear, I don’t need to be tempted into buying another kitchen gadget, can you make your photos less enticing please?! They look great!
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Oh thanks :) I have to say that a dehydrator is most worthy :) Do. It. :D
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Peta
August 22nd, 2012 on 7:48 pm