Photo by Fotolia/Luftbildfotograf
Snack on yummy and healthy strips of fruit leather.
Makes 2 to 3 sheets SERVINGS
Ingredients
- 4 apples, peaches or pears (or a combination), peeled, pitted and chopped
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
Directions
- Purée fruit and juice in a food processor or blender until it’s the consistency of applesauce. You may need to add a little water.
- If using a food dehydrator, line 2 to 3 trays with oiled leather-making insert sheets or silicone mats. If using the oven, line 2 to 3 baking sheets with silicone mats.
- Heat dehydrator or oven to between 120 and 140 degrees (see Note below).
- Pour purée onto prepared sheets, spreading to between 1/8- and 1/4-inch-thick. Dry purée for 4 to 8 hours (longer at lower temperatures), or until leather pulls away easily from mat, but is still somewhat tacky and flexible.
- To store, roll leather sheets between waxed paper and store in an airtight container.Note: If your oven cannot be set low enough, set it to “warm” for half an hour, then turn off the heat but leave the light on. Use an oven thermometer to guide you. Monitor trays over 8 to 20 hours. Remove trays and reset oven to warm as needed.For more recipes for preserving food check out our End-of-Summer Food Preservation Guide.
Fruit leather can be eaten by itself as a snack, or crumbled into oatmeal, yogurt and desserts. A food dehydrator makes this easy, but your oven can do the job, too.
