How To Turn Canned Cranberry Sauce Into A Fruit Leather Snack

Cranberry sauce is one of those culinary staples that can cause some controversy, but whether you like it in its store-bought canned and jellied form or whole berry form, or prefer the homemade version, this holiday classic can do more than accompany turkey. If you have leftovers, you could always opt to freeze your cranberry sauce, but by dehydrating it into a chewy fruit leather, you may discover your new favorite cranberry creation for all seasons.

This fruit leather is super adaptable for all kinds of cranberry sauce. If made from the jellied stuff, it will be a bit naturally smoother than the whole berry kind, but in either case, you can use a food processor or immersion blender to puree it into a more homogenous spread. On the other hand, if you like a little extra texture, you can leave some chunkier pieces or even stir in your own added fruit after you've pureed the cranberry sauce (for example, slices of strawberry).

From there, prepare accordingly for either a dehydrator or conventional oven, depending on what you have available. For the former, lay parchment paper over your trays and spread the cranberry in an even layer using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. You're looking for about ⅛ of an inch thick, but a good indication that the layer is thin enough is that you can see through it. For a conventional oven, go through the same process, but use a sheet pan instead. 

To finish the job, pop those trays into your dehydrator at around 130 degrees Fahrenheit and leave them overnight (or for about 12 hours). Alternatively, you can use a traditional oven, for which recommendations range between about 170 degrees Fahrenheit for six to eight hours and 185 degrees Fahrenheit for closer to five hours. Once fully dried, simply cut these sheets into strips. There's plenty of room for experimentation in this process, too, starting with using different styles of cranberry sauce. 

Most commercial products — both jellied and whole berry — are made with similar ingredients, including corn syrup alongside the cranberries, which contributes big time sweetness. That said, if your starting point is still a little too tangy for your taste, you can cut the tartness by adding apple sauce (in about equal parts to your cranberry sauce), and even a little honey for depth and complexity (try 1 tablespoon per cup of cranberry sauce). Spices like ginger, cinnamon, and allspice, or a bit of grated orange zest, will level up your cranberry sauce leathers, too. 

Or, you can even hit your cranberry sauce with some heat for balance by adding a spicy element such as cloves or chilis. To store your cranberry sauce fruit leather, zip top bags will do the trick and you can keep them for about a month at room temperature (you can also vacuum seal or freeze them for a longer shelf life). These sweet-tart chewy strips make a fun and unique gift — but no one will blame you should you keep them all for yourself. Add this thrifty trick to the list of facts you probably didn't know about cranberry sauce!