I always thought that making my own fruit leather sounded hard, especially since I don't own a dehydrator
. But in my recent quest to try to cut down on some of the junk in our diet, I learned that it is actually a lot easier than you might think!
. But in my recent quest to try to cut down on some of the junk in our diet, I learned that it is actually a lot easier than you might think! You start off with about 5 cups of fruit, a little squeeze of lemon, and a little swirl of honey...
You throw them together in a saucepan and cook until the fruit is softened...
Throw it in the blender....
Then you'll either grease a parchment paper lined cookie sheet (or you can use a Silpat Non-Stick Baking Mat
)...
Pour on about 2 cups of the puree and spread until it is about 1/4-inch thick...
Bake in an oven on its lowest setting...
and three or so hours later....you peel off the beautiful supple sheet of fruit leather...
Lay it on some wax paper or plastic wrap...
Roll it all up...
Then cut it into perfectly sized roll-ups for your kids' lunches...
Posted by Lara.
The ingredients:
5 cups red seedless grapes (or other fruit)
2 Tbs. lemon juice
1 Tbs. honey (helps it to stay soft)
Directions:
Makes about 16 two-inch wide fruit leather roll-ups.
Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan and cook over medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes, or until mixture is juicy and most of the grape skins have fallen off. Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool for about 10 minutes. In a blender, blend until mixture is smooth. Pour 2 cups of the pureed mixture over a greased parchment paper lined cookie sheet (you'll grease the actual parchment paper) or you can use a Silpat if you have that (no need to grease the Silpat). You should have enough puree to make 2 batches. Refrigerate or freeze the unused puree until ready to bake.
Heat oven to its lowest setting (about 150 degrees) and place the baking pan into the oven. Depending on how hot your oven is and how big your cookie sheet is, it will take 3-5 hours. I set the timer for 3 hours, then check it every 20-30 minutes after that. It will be done when there are no more sticky spots on the surface. Take care not to overbake it or it will be crispy and lose its flavor.
When the fruit leather is ready, remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Gently peel away parchment paper/ Silpat and invert the leather in its entirety onto a sheet of wax paper. Using cooking shears or a pizza cutter, cut the leather into 2-inch wide strips (about 8). Roll and store at room temperature in an airtight container for about 2 weeks.
Other flavors to try: (the formula 5 cups of fruit, lemon juice and honey works well! Use your creativity)
Mango-Apricot (pictured above): 4 cups chopped mango (fresh or frozen), 1 cup dried apricots, 2 Tbs. lemon juice, 1 Tbs. honey. Follow directions as listed above.
Raspberry-Peach: 2-1/2 cups sliced peaches (drained), 2 cups raspberries (fresh or frozen), 2 Tbs. lemon juice, 1 Tbs. honey. Follow directions as listed above.
Blueberry: 5 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen), 2 Tbs. lemon juice, 1 Tbs. honey. Follow directions as listed above.
Next I want to try pumpkin and apple for the fall!
Enjoy!
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