Fruit Rolls

I have always hated to throw out any left over mash from making fruit or rhubarb gel, syrup or drink so I was quite happy to find a recipe for fruit rolls.  I jumped on the chance to make some,  first I used the left over mash from making Red Currant (Ribes) jelly and then I tried to use Rhubarb mash.  I liked the former much better, it tasted really good, fresh an fruity.

They are relatively easy to make.  I used about 1 liter (4 cups) of fruit mash for one baking sheet.  For the Redcurrant mash I put the mash into a pot and pour a little less than 1 cup of water over it.  I then added sugar to taste.  Since I was using leftovers from jelly making, the mash was already slightly sweet, so I didn't need a lot of additional sugar.  Just start with 1 tablespoon and let that dissolve at a low heat and then taste it to see if it needs more sugar.  I've seen recipes without sugar, so I guess it all depends on taste.  I also like to squeeze a little lemon juice in there to give a little tang to the taste.  I let this simmer for 10-20 minutes making sure all the fruit was well mashed and the whole thing has thickened.  It's good to give it a last taste to make sure that it's neither too sweet nor too sour.   Then I strained it.  I did that with the Red Currants because I had all the little branches and stuff in there.  When I used Rhubarb mash I didn't strain, but that makes more of a cloudy fruit roll.  It can be good to use a stick blender on the fruit mash to make sure it is well pureed.

This is then poured on a baking sheet lined with baking paper or silicone.  The thickness is 1/2 to 1cm (1/4 to 1/2 inch) thick.  This is put in the oven on a low heat 60C (140F) until it has dried and can be peeled off.  This can easily be overnight in the oven on that heat.  I don't have a dehydrator, but this would be perfect for that.

When I do the Rhubarb mash fruit roll I also add an apple to give it more substance.   In fact most fruit can be used and I think Blueberries would also make a very nice fruit roll and those probably wouldn't need any additional sugar.