Homemade Fruit Leather...

Elijah LOVES fruit leather! If you don't know what it is, then let me introduce you... it is a sweet little snack that is made from fruit and not a ton of sugar. Fruit Leather is mostly found in whole food stores or organic sections of regular markets. I have not been able to find them where we currently live, so he only gets to enjoy them when we make a trip back to the burbs... or when Aunt Jenna so graciously brings them out!

So this am I was checking out Pioneer Women and she has a recipe for them on her website. Oh and if you haven't check out PW, well you are just missing out! Here is the recipe and I can't wait to try them when strawberry season is in full force here in Pa.

• 2 cups Strawberries Or Other Fresh Fruit, Chopped Into Small Pieces
• ¼ cups Water
• 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
• ¼ cups Sugar (optional, Depending On The Sweetness Of Your Fruit)
• 1 Tablespoon Vegetable OilPreheat the oven to 150 -170 degrees F.

  2. Place the fruit in a medium saucepan with the water and lemon juice. Simmer on medium heat, mostly covered, until they are very soft and mushy. Stewing the fruit helps it retain its color.

  3.Transfer the fruit pulp mixture to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. If it is a fruit with seeds, a food mill will remove the seeds more easily than a food processor and strainer. Taste the fruit at this point, and add the sugar if it is not sweet enough. Keep in mind that as the fruit leather dries, it will concentrate the natural sugars in the fruit and become sweeter on its own. Add a small amount of water to the mixture if necessary so that it has a pourable consistency.

  4. Cover a baking sheet with plastic or a silicon baking pad. The temperature of the oven is low enough not to affect the plastic.

  5. Spray or brush your baking sheet with the vegetable oil, then spread the fruit puree onto the sheet tray with an offset spatula or knife to 1/8-1/4 inch thickness. Place it in the oven for 6-8 hours. Make sure there is air circulating to prevent scorching. Alternatively place it in the sun for 6-8 hours.

  6. Invert the fruit leather onto another baking sheet that has been covered in plastic or silicon baking pad and oiled, and remove the first lining. Place in the oven or sun for another 6-8 hours. If it becomes too brittle at any point, simply brush on water with a pastry brush to rehydrate it.

  7. Cool the sheet tray and cut the fruit leather into desired sizes. Dust with corn starch to prevent sticking, cover in plastic and store in a cool place in a sealed container.

  Enjoy!