A little last minute but I wanted to share with you that I have a walk planned with the National Trust next week in Belfast. I will be navigating along beautiful Minnowburn next Sunday the 6th of September at 11am. Harvest time is absolutely here now and we will be talking nuts, fruits, fungi, seeds and gathering as many things as we can. As usual there will be some treats at the end. Tickets can be purchased here.
I will likely be serving up some fruit leather as it is the season for flavoursome fruits and I really enjoy making it. For this season I have already made some apple and rose hip and plum leather for my groups. It’s a fun and easy process if you want to try it yourself. A quick guide below!
Rosa rugosa (or Japanese Rose) is my preferred rose hip of choice as it’s an easy pick, has fantastic flavour and there are always plenty of fruits on the bushes from early in the season before the apples, plums and sometimes even blackberries have begun to show themselves. You will find rosa rugosa in many parks but it is also very tolerant of the shoreline – hence its other common name the beach rose. Pick the hips when they are mostly red all over and feel a little soft for best flavour but I have picked them a little green and still got good results. This is not so much a recipe as a guide as this will depend on your own taste for sweetness and the amount of fruit you have. You can also use this recipe for apple, pear, plum, hawthorn, sloe, elderberry, blackberry and probably a whole lot more. Apple – any type – will help with texture of any fruit without pectin which gives the leather its brilliant chewy texture.
1. Gather your chosen fruit and give them a good wash. For the rose hips, top and tail the fruit and place into a pan. For about a couple of handfuls of hips, add two chopped eating apples. Don’t worry about coring or peeling as everything will be pushed through a sieve at the end. Fill the pan with just enough water for the fruits to not catch on the bottom and cover with a lid. Place over a medium heat and cook for 10 – 15 minutes until everything is fully softened.
2. Mash the hips and apple together. Use a fine sieve and scrape the mix through leaving behind the skins and seeds. It is easier to do this if the mash is not too dry so feel free to add a little water to help things along. You may also want to do this twice to ensure no seeds or other debris gets through.
3. Pour the puree into a clean pan and taste for flavour. Sweeten if desired and then place back over the heat and bring to simmer until it is a thick but pouring consistency. I like to taste again and add a little lemon juice or even a good quality vinegar at this stage to give the leather a final tangy note.
4. Pour thinly on to a silicone mat or oiled parchment (I like to use plastic tub lids brushed with a bit of oil) and transfer to a dehydrator on a high heat (I use 70 degrees) or into an oven as low as you can get it (don’t place plastic in your oven!). Check after 6-7 hours. This part can vary massively on the pectin in your fruit, the sugar and the consistent heat of how it is dried – every leather is unique! I like to check after 4 hours and move it around if it needs it. Press with clean fingers to check how it is getting on. It should be firm and squidgy when it is ready! Slice, roll in paper and keep in an airtight jar for munching. Experiment with different fruits! Even frozen supermarket fruits are fun to play with and mix in with your wild gathers.
See you next time x
feasting on weeds 
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