"fruit leather"

[Victor Steinbok]

  OK, answering my own question: trademarked in 1977 and since abandoned
(as of 2005). The mark was initially registered along with FRUIT LEATHER
STRETCH ISLAND FRUIT TANNERY and STRETCH ISLAND FRUIT LEATHER. Did you
mean 1982, Joel? That certainly would be quite late.

The 1892 reference you found actually has imitation fruit made from
leather, not vice versa.

There is a 1893 listing: http://bit.ly/c9CY9C

Otherwise, it seems, original fruit leather was not intended as a snack.
The manufacturing process consisted of spreading single fruit pulp
(peaches, apricots or plums) to dry out. For use, pieces were supposed
to have been dehydrated. The "fruit jerky" use came much later, so,
indeed, it's a 20th century snack.

     VS-)

On 9/26/2010 9:08 PM, Joel S. Berson wrote:
> Horrors!  This 20th-century treat is not in the OED?  I can buy it on
> Amazon.com.  (See, e.g., Twizzlers, or Google the Web.)  It seems to
> arise in 1892, in California (Google Books).
>
> Joel

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