Hedgerow Fruit Leather

This is a great Autumn recipe when the fruits of the Hedgerow are abundant!

Hedgerow Fruit Leather

• Fresh Blackberries, Elderberries, Hawthorn, Raspberries, Damsons, Apples, etc

• Water

• Lemon juice

• Sugar, optional

1. Rinse your berries and place them in a large saucepan.

2. Add 1/2 cup of water for every 4 cups of berries and bring to a simmer on a low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the fruit is cooked through.

3. Stir and then mash the fruit into a puree. I don’t mind seeds in mine, but if you prefer not to have them then push the puree through a sieve. This is also the time to add some sugar if the Berries are too tart (how much is up to you).

4. Continue to simmer until the puree thickens.

5. Allow the fruit to cool slightly and then use a blender to mix to a smoother consistency.

6. Line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper (not foil as I discovered) and pour the mixture onto the tray to no more than a half centimetre thickness.

7. Put the oven on a low temp, not more than 75 degrees and place the baking sheet in the oven for as long as it takes to dry out and is no longer sticky. Alternatively, you can cover the sheet in a tented cloth and leave it outside on a hot day to dry out.

8. When dry, remove it from the greaseproof paper and roll up. It will keep for a month in the fridge and up to 6 months in the freezer.