feijoa fruit leather roll-ups

Mmm, chewy fruit leather. Who can resist? Especially when it’s feijoa flavoured. When I first saw this recipe on the glorious Frugal Kiwi blog, I initially thought how perfect for lunch boxes – but I soon figured it would be me sneaking to the fridge all hours for a treat that has the potential to last beyond the feijoa season.

If you’re not already a fan of Frugal Kiwi, then I recommend this blog as an inspiration for living simply (and saving your pennies) as well as providing a lovely lens on living in New Zealand. The blog’s creator Melanie is simply fearless in the kitchen when it comes to making things from scratch.

Before you start, these leather roll-ups need a lot of feijoas – about 8-10kg, if you follow the recipe exactly. That’s perfect when your tree drops a few hundred kilos on the back lawn and you are scratching around for ideas on what to do with them. Can’t wait to make them, when my trees oblige.

And while you’re there, check out Frugal Kiwi’s amusing guide on how to eat a feijoa. I wish I’d written it myself.

FEIJOA FRUIT LEATHER ROLL-UPS

You will need

• feijoas
• saucepan
• blender or stick blender
• slow cooker
• cookie sheet/s with lip
• baking/parchment paper
• oven

How to

1. First, gather your feijoas. You’ll need a lot. [A small slow cooker holds roughly 8-10 kg of fruit as weighed before processing.] Slice your feijoas in half crosswise and scoop out the flesh with a spoon and empty them into a heavy saucepan. When you’ve sliced and scooped them all, place your saucepan on medium heat and bring the feijoas to a simmer. You are wanting to cook them enough so when you blend them up in the next step you don’t stress your blender.
2. Blend the feijoas in the blender in appropriate sized batches or in the pot with a stick blender until the fruit is puréed.
3. Pour the purée into the slow cooker and cook, with the lid off on High until the purée has reduced by 75%, expect this to take 6 or more hours. Stir every 15-20 minutes or when you can remember. If you forget, a skin will form on top and a thickening may form on the bottom of the cooker. Next time you remember, stir extra thoroughly. Fruit leather making is a good task for a rainy autumn day when you’ll be home, puttering around the house.
4. When purée has reduced by 75%, pour into lipped cookie sheets lined with baking/parchment paper in a thin, but fully covered layer for each sheet. Bake at 70°C (140°F), on fan bake (convection) if you have it, until the leather has a firm surface. Expect the cooking time to be multiple hours, but it will depend on the thickness of your layers. Make as many cookie sheets of leather as you can in the oven at the same time, as you will use the same amount of energy whether you make one or three.
5. Store in an air tight container in the fridge or freezer, if they last that long.