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Foraged Japanese Knotweed Fruit Roll Ups

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When boiling the Knotweed down, earthy, tart juices bubble up before thickening to a heavy fruit paste. Apples add a subtle sweetness and ginger gives a lovely kick to these tasty fruit leathers. I use a dehydrator for this recipe and the result is well worth the several hours wait. Make yourself a batch and roll up as quick, healthy snack on the go.

fresh japanese knotweed

Here are a few tips for safely foraging Japanese Knotweed:

  • For food safety purposes, make sure to forage Japanese Knotweed far away from roads, and driveways when they could be polluted by exhaust smoke.
  • Choose short, thick knotweed stalks, with leaves still tightly furled to the stalk.
  • It is best to forage this plant in early spring.
  • Cut the stalks towards the base, but make sure there is a good amount of coloring below where you cut.
  • Unlike Rhubarb, Japanese Knotweed leaves are not poisonous, however they can take on a bitter flavor during cooking, so it is best to remove them before starting this recipe.
sliced knotweed fruit
Photo Credit: The Sifted Field.

Handle knotweed the same way you would rhubarb in the kitchen, both stalks are fibrous and release fruity juices into pies, tarts, and sauces as they cook!

Japanese Knotweed: a familiar texture, an invasive weed, and an easily found food source.

This pesky, hard to get rid of weed in high in antioxidants (resveratrol to be exact) the same antioxidants found in red wine and grapes. Knotweed is readily available, the root system of this plant contributes to it’s invasive tendencies. And the flavor and texture is very similar to rhubarb. These make knotweed a great, foraged addition to baked goods, and recipes that would normally have Rhubarb in them. This plant pairs well with strawberries, apples or any other classic rhubarb recipe. In fact in some parts of the world, it’s known as Sally Rhubarb!

How do I know when the Knotweed Fruit roll ups are ready?

The fruit roll ups will pull away from the dehydrator insert in one sheet, and still be pliable.

Can I add flavor variations?

Absolutely! Add cinnamon, or a little lime to switch this recipe up a bit!

What equipment do I need?

Depending on the method you are using you will need a blender, dehydrator with silicon sheets or baking sheets lined with parchment paper.

Storing Your Homemade Fruit Leathers:

These knotweed fruit roll ups will last 2 weeks when stored in an airtight container.

I like to use parchment paper to roll these into sweet circles and finish with a tie of twine. 

japanese knotweed fruit roll ups wrapped in parchment paper and twine.
Photo Credit: The Sifted Field.

Use parchment paper to roll these up into individual portions. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

japanese knotweed fruit roll ups

Japanese Knotweed Fruit Leather

The Sifted Field
Japanese knotweed can be found growing along creeks and rivers in the early spring and through out the summer. Knotweed is a highly invasive plant and can grow to be very tall. The stalks you want to source should be shorter and closer to the ground. I looked for shoots close in height to asparagus stalks, knotweed stalks any longer are fibrous and can have a stringy texture.
Green apples cut through the earthy flavor of the knotweed nicely and add a subtle sweetness. The ginger gives a nice kick at the end
I used a dehydrator to dry out my knotweed leathers, however if you do not have a dehydrator you can use the low heat oven method.
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Prep Time 12 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 8 hours 50 minutes
Cuisine Snack
Servings 8 servings
Calories 47 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 dehydrator

Ingredients
  

  • 3 green apples peeled, cored and coarsely chopped
  • 2 tbls sugar
  • 1 pound japanese knotweed
  • 1/2 tsp ginger either juice or press through garlic press

Instructions
 

  • Remove leaves from knotweed stems and chop down to 1 inch pieces.
  • Add knotweed and chopped apple to a saucepan and cook over medium-high heat for 20 minutes or until cooked down and mushy, stirring occassionally.
  • Add sugar and ginger and mix until sugar is fully dissolved. Remove pan from heat and allow to cool for 15 minutes.
  • Use immersion blender or food processor and blend mixture until smooth.
  • Spread on puree on the fruit tray of your dehydrator, this recipe produced 2 full trays with my dehydrator size. Set the dehydrator temperature to 130° and leave to dry for 8 hours or until all moisture is evaporated.
  • Wrap in parchment paper. Store in a cool, dry place.
    japanese knotweed fruit roll up

Nutrition

Serving: 1rollCalories: 47kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 0.2gFat: 0.1gSaturated Fat: 0.02gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.04gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.01gSodium: 1mgPotassium: 74mgFiber: 2gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 37IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 4mgIron: 0.1mg
Keyword dehydrator, forage, fruit leather, healthy, Japanese knotweed, snack
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
cropped-upside-down-cake.jpg
Check Out my Knotweed Upside Down Cake

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3 Comments

  1. Hi there, I notice this webpage mistakenly has the strawberry knotweed upside down cake recipe instead of the fruit leather recipe. Is the knotweed fruit leather recipe still available?

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