Fruit leather

Fruit leather is an easy way to use up leftover fruit and to preserve a sweet bit of summer! You can use almost any fruit, and it doesn’t require any special equipment. I like to make fruit leather in the summer when the berries are plentiful, and then stash it away for the winter, when we’re all missing those beautiful fresh local berries!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 – 2 cups of pureed fruit(s), such as strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, cherries, peaches, or pears
• 1/4 cup sugar, agave, or honey
• 1 to 2 teaspoons of lemon juice to preserve flavor and color

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 175* (or the lowest temp you can set your oven to). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. (Wax paper would probably work too.)
2. Puree the fruit and optionally strain the seeds out. Place pureed fruit in a small pot with sugar and lemon juice.
3. Bring fruit to a boil over medium heat, then let it simmer for about 5 mins., and turn it off.
4. Pour fruit onto parchment paper and use a rubber spatula to spread it evenly across the pan.
5. Place pan in oven for at least 90 mins. It’s done when you can touch it and it doesn’t leave wet marks on your fingers. If your pan is small or you use an ample measure of fruit, it can take several hours to dry. Don’t worry; it will eventually dry out. And even if you accidentally let it go too long, it will still make a tasty fruit chip!
6. Remove pan from oven and cool. When it’s cool, trim away excess paper. Then cut into squares or strips, leaving the paper backing in place to keep the fruit pieces from sticking to one another. Store in a ziplock bag in your pantry or cupboard.

Author: cardamomandcreme

I like to bake, garden, pick fruit, hike, and share good meals with friends and family! You can also follow my food adventures on Instagram @cardamomandcreme View all posts by cardamomandcreme