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    You Are Here Home » Sweets Recipes

    Published: Aug 22, 2019 Updated: Nov 22, 2022 by Hilda Sterner | This post may contain affiliate links 2 Comments

    Homemade Fruit Leather (Qamardeen)

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    fruit roll up pin

    Today we're making Homemade Fruit Leather using fresh apricots. I love using fresh fruit to make delicious snacks not only in this recipe but also in other recipes including my Date Paste recipe. This was my favorite childhood treat, which is called "Qamardeen" or "Qamar Al Din" in Arabic.

    fruit roll ups on a plate

    The Story Behind This Recipe

    Qamar al-Din also happens to be the name of an apricot juice that is typically consumed by Muslims during Ramadan. As if that wasn't enough, it's also the name of an apricot pudding and an Islamic spiritual app.

    I have fond memories of my early childhood in Iraq. I still remember the excitement I felt when my parents brought home Qamardeen, or Middle Eastern apricot fruit leather.

    Unlike here in the states, where fruit leather comes in many different flavors, in the Middle East, apricot was the only flavor available. And guess what, we were totally content with that!

    How to Make This Recipe

    Step 1: Wash and chop approximately 8 to 10 apricots, to equal 3 cups.

    chopped apricots

    Step 2: Add apricots to a small saucepan. Sprinkle apricots with 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Add sugar and water.

    chopped apricots for making fruit leather

    Step 3: Bring mixture to a boil, then cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

    apricots cooking in liquid

    Step 4: Allow the mixture to cool, then puree in a food processor or blender.

    cooking apricots for fruit leather
    apricots in a blender

    Step 5: Line an 18" x 13" tray with either parchment paper, plastic wrap, or a silicone baking mat. Pour the apricot mixture into the tray and spread with a spatula.

    fruit leather paste

    Step 6: Bake in a 180-degree F oven for 5 hours or until the surface of the fruit leather is dried and slightly sticky.

    homemade apricot fruit leather

    Step 7: Flip fruit leather onto waxed paper and peel off the plastic wrap.

    homemade fruit leather

    Step 8: Cut fruit leather into strips and roll.

    apricot fruit leather sheet
    fruit leather strips

    Recipe FAQs

    Are Homemade Fruit Leathers Healthy?

    When compared to store-bought fruit leather, homemade fruit leather is way healthier! Besides being healthier, homemade fruit leather tastes so much better than store-bought fruit leather.

    If you are used to packing your children's lunch boxes with boxed brands like "Fruit by the Foot," you'll love this tasty alternative. As an example, let's take a quick look at a typical store-bought fruit leather label.

    Notice the ingredients list: Sugar, Maltodextrin, Corn Syrup, Pear Puree Concentrate, Palm Oil, Carrageenan, Citric Acid, Monoglycerides, Sodium Citrate, Acetylated Monoglycerides and on and on... are you feeling guilty yet for feeding this stuff to your kids?

    Now let's take a look at the ingredients in my Homemade Fruit Leather: fresh apricots, fresh lemon juice, and sugar.

    Between the two, I think Homemade Fruit Leather is the clear winner when it comes to healthier snack alternatives!

    fruit by the foot label

    How do you make Fruit Leather without a dehydrator?

    If you don't own a dehydrator, just use your oven. Set the oven to its lowest setting. I set mine to 180 degrees F. At this temperature, it took five hours until my apricot fruit leather was ready. Your time may vary.

    How do you make Fruit Leather with a Dehydrator?

    After the fruit mixture is pureed, pour the mixture over the fruit drying tray of your dehydrator.

    Spread with a spatula in an even layer, then set the dehydrator on the fruit drying setting. Dehydrate for 3-4 hours, or until the fruit leather is dry to the touch, and not too sticky. 

    Making Qamardeen with Dried Apricots

    You can also make this recipe using dried apricots instead of fresh ones. Just make the following substitutions:

    • Instead of fresh apricots, use two cups of dried apricots.
    • Double the amount of water (from ¼ cup to ½ cup).
    • You may need less lemon juice since dried apricots are usually more tart than fresh apricots.

    Fruit Leather Thickness

    Qamardeen comes in a thick sheet that's folded and wrapped in orange cellophane. As a child, I remember tearing into the Qamardeen packaging and ripping off strips of the tasty fruit leather to devour!

    qamardeen apricot fruit leather

    You can still purchase Qamardeen at most Middle Eastern markets, or pick up a package on Amazon. What can't you buy on Amazon, am I right?

    Middle Eastern Fruit Leather is very thick, as seen in the picture below. As a matter of fact, because of its strong flavor and thickness, I can only eat a small piece at a time.

    fruit leather apricot
    fruit leather apricot being stretched

    If you want to make thicker fruit leather, try doubling the recipe or using a smaller pan. Don't forget, because of the thickness, it will also take a lot longer to dry out.

    fruit roll ups

    Related Recipes

    • Stuffed Dates (Easy Four-Ingredient Recipe)
    • Candied Figs | Preserved Figs
    • Tahini Fudge
    • Dehydrated Oranges (dehydrator and oven directions)

    Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.

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    homemade fruit leather on a plate

    Homemade Fruit Leather (Qamardeen)

    Delicous and healhty Homemade Apricot Fruit Leather
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Snack, Snacks, sweets
    Cuisine: American, Assyrian, Middle Eastern
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 5 hours 20 minutes
    Total Time: 5 hours 35 minutes
    Servings: 14 strips
    Calories: 30kcal
    Author: Hilda Sterner

    Ingredients

    • 3 cups chopped apricots
    • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
    • ¼ cup sugar
    • ¼ cup water

    Instructions

    • Wash and chop approximately 8 to 10 apricots, to equal 3 cups.
    • Add apricots to a small saucepan. Sprinkle apricots with 1 tablespoon lemon juice.
    • Add sugar and water and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep from overflowing.
    • Allow to cool, then puree in a food processor or blender.
    • Line an 18" x 13" tray with either parchment paper, plastic wrap, or a silicone baking mat.
    • Pour the apricot mixture into the tray. Spread the apricot mixture using a spatula. Leave a few inch border uncovered.
    • Bake in a 180-degree F oven for 5 hours or until the surface of the fruit leather is dried and slightly tacky.
    • Flip fruit leather onto waxed or parchment paper. Cut into strips and roll. Store in a plastic bag.

    Notes

    You can also make this recipe using dried apricots instead of fresh ones. Just make the following substitutions:
    • Instead of fresh apricots, use two cups of dried apricots.
    • Double the amount of water (from ¼ cup to ½ cup).
    • You may need less lemon juice since dried apricots are usually more tart than fresh apricots.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1strip | Calories: 30kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 0g | Fat: 0g | Saturated Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 1mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g
    Tried this Recipe? Please leave A Star Rating!Mention @HildasKitchenBlog or tag #HildasKitchenBlog!

    More Sweets Recipes

    • Cheese Kunafa Recipe (Kunefe)
    • Date And Walnut Cake
    • Halloween Chocolate Covered Oreos
    • Canning Apple Pie Filling

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    1. Irene Nicola says

      June 28, 2022 at 6:23 pm

      Why do I have to add water?

      Reply
      • Hilda Sterner says

        June 28, 2022 at 6:34 pm

        The water is added so that the apricots and sugar don't burn. You could leave the water out and see what happens. 😉

        Reply

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