Blackcurrant Fruit Leather Recipe

My kids love fruit leather and this blackcurrant fruit leather recipe is right up there with one of our faves! The fruit leathers make awesome picnic snacks and travel really well. They last forever (if the kids don’t eat them that is) and still hold some nutrition too.

You can use this very simple fruit leather recipe to make other varieties of fruit leather. Strawberry fruit leathers are also really delicious and make a lovely snack when out and about.

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Blackcurrant Fruit Leather Recipe Image
Blackcurrant Fruit Leathers

Your going to love these delicious Scottish Blackcurrant Fruit Leathers because…

Fruit leathers are so easy to make and a great way to use up and store seasonal fruit from your garden, farmers market or store.

They make delicious picnic snacks and travel well in a wee lunch bag. You can also pack them into a kids lunch box for school without any need for additional wrapping.

If your kids don’t eat them all in a few days they keep really well and will store in a sterilised air tight container for a long time. I don’t know how long they last because they never last in our house and the kids eat them up really quickly. My guess is if they are properly dried out then they should last about month or two and you can also pop them in the freezer too.

Blackcurrant Fruit Leather with other dried fruits.
Blackcurrant Fruit Leather Recipe

If you like the sound of this delicious Summer recipe you may also enjoy some of my other Summer recipes below from The Wee Larder Youtube channel! During the Summer months I love making these delicious traditional Scottish Mealie Bannocks they are so easy to make and lovely with freshly made strawberry jam. The Scottish Strawberry Tart is also a delicious recipe to make for the Summer months. Both recipes are popular with the family and are enjoyed by all.

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Aberdeenshire Mealie Bannock
Scottish Strawberry Tart

Tips for making Blackcurrant Fruit Leathers…

Your fruit needs to be as fresh as possible for making this recipe. My fruit was picked in the morning and used by evening. If your using store bought fruit make the recipe as soon after purchasing as possible to retain nutrients and taste.

You also want your fruit to be as ripe as possible for making this recipe. Flavours tend to intensify a little when dehydrating so if your fruit is not perfectly ripe and slightly sour you can imagine the intense sour taste your leather may have. It can be tricky with berries picking all the perfectly ripe ones at once so just try your best and it will work out ok.

You can use a little greaseproof paper to roll up your fruit leather strips once made. This stops them from sticking together as they do hold a slight tacky texture on one side. Try rolling up the less sticky side on the inside too so they roll better.

These blackcurrant fruit leathers will store for around a month in an airtight container. I like to use a kilner jam jar or air tight preserving jar. If they come into contact with air they will soften and and can mould if they absorb moisture again.

There are no specific weights in this recipe but as a minimium try and use around 500g to make your leathers. You could also try blending in a small apple to vary the flavours up too.

Scottish Cookbook Shop
Scottish Cookbook Shop

If you enjoy Scottish recipes your going to love my Scottish cookbooks available now on my website. All inspired by the traditional dishes of Scotland, the Scottish seasons and the Scottish food culture. Click the image link above to bring a taste of Scotland into your kitchen!

Blackcurrant Fruit Leathers
Blackcurrant Fruit Leathers top view

Scottish Blackcurrant Season

The Scottish blackcurrant season runs from around mid July to early August with a little variation in different varieties. The blackcurrants in our garden ripen around mid July with picking continuing into the start of August and then we leave the rest for the birds.

The Scottish blackcurrant is most often used to make delicious blackcurrant jam and stores well in the larder right through the Winter months making lovely warm desserts in the colder weather. A particular favourite of mine would be to make a traditional Scottish style steamed pudding with blackcurrant jam at the bottom. Delicious!

You could also try them in pies, cakes, muffins, or try using blackcurrants in any recipe that asks for blueberries or blackberries. My favourite recipe is on my Youtube channel and is for blackcurrant drizzle cake. It is so delicious and a real treat at this time of year. You will find the recipe below:

Blackcurrant Fruit Leather Recipe

Blackcurrant Fruit Leather Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours

Ingredients
  

  • Blackcurrants 500g minimium
  • Agave Syrup or Honey 2tsp + depending on quantity

Instructions
 

  • Blend the blackcurrants with a little syrup or honey to create a thick runny smooth consistency. Like the thickness of yoghurt.
  • OPTIONAL – push the mixture through a seive to remove the seeds etc. from the puree.
  • Pour over a dehydrator sheet and spread evenly. It should be about 2/3mm thick. Use an additional tray depending on the quantity of blackcurrants.
  • Set the dehydrator to around 55C (fruit leather setting) and close the door. Leave to dehydrate until completely dry. It should take around 6-8 hours depending on the exact thickness of the leather.
  • ALTERNATIVELY – Spread the mixture onto a baking sheet and place in the oven for 8 hours with the door open a little at 90C or as low as your oven will go.
  • Leave to cool and cut into long strips of your desired length and roll up. Store in a glass airtight jar. They should keep for up to a month but longer if stored in the freezer.

Notes

There are no specific weights in this recipe to keep it flexible but as a minimium I would use 500g of berries.  You can try this recipe with strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and any other soft fruit that you enjoy.