Ingredients:
- Tomato sauce or a jar of Marinara Sauce (for more flavor). (A little olive oil in the ingredients won’t cause early spoilage, but avoid drying cheesy sauces like Vodka Sauce or Three-Cheese Sauce. The cheese adds fat which may shorten the shelf life of the leather. Cheesy sauces can be dried for short term use. The end product will feel greasier and more crumbly than cheese-less dried marinara sauce.)
Directions:
- Run the tomato sauce through a blender to a smoothie-like consistency.
Dehydrate:
- Pour 8 fluid ounces onto each Excalibur Dehydrator tray and spread uniformly to the edges.
- Dehydrate at 135° for 6 to 8 hours or you may dry at 125° for 8 to 10 hours with equally good results. Dehydrating times may vary depending on dehydrator model and humidity.
- After about 5 hours, the sauce should be solidified enough for you to peel it off the trays and flip it over for the duration on the drying time. Remove the non-stick sheets during the latter drying stage so both sides of the leather are exposed to the hot air. If you start the drying process before going to bed or work, the leather will turn out fine if you don’t flip it. It just may take a little longer to dry and you can always flip and dry it for an hour or so to finish the job when you get to it. The finished product will be leathery and dry to the touch, not sticky.
- Allow the leather to cool and then tear it into pieces. Store leather in a jar with a tight fitting lid until you are ready to pack it in plastic bags for a backpacking trip. (I store mine in a vacuum sealed jar.) The color will turn a little darker over time.
Rehydrate:
When combined with an equal part of hot water, leather will turn back into tomato sauce.
Serving Suggestion: