Fruit leather is a great alternative to fruit snacks.You can make a fun snack out of fruit with just a few ingredients.You can bake it or use a food dehydrator to turn it into leather.
Step 1: Pick your fruit.
You can make fruit leather with any fruit you want.Pick one fruit or choose your favorite combination to make fruit leather.A total of 1 1/2 pounds of fruit is required.Fruits shape up into delicious leather with the perfect texture: Strawberries Grapes Plums Peaches Nectarines Pears Apples Mangoes PapayasKiwis Bananas
Step 2: The fruit should be washed thoroughly.
Before you start, it's important to wash away dirt and pesticides.Under cool, running water, rinse each piece of fruit.If you want to pat the fruit dry, use a paper towel.
Step 3: If necessary, peel the fruit.
If you're using a fruit with a thick peel, you need to remove the peel before you dehydrate it.The soft fruit inside the peel will dry out to just the right texture, but a dried peel could become too chewy to eat.If you're using any of the following fruits, peel them first.
Step 4: Cut the fruit into pieces.
The pieces are small enough that you can put them into your food processor.You can chop the fruit with a sharp knife.
Step 5: There is fruit, sugar and lemon juice.
The fruit, sugar and lemon juice should be in the food processor.You can puree the ingredients until you have a smooth puree.You might need to do it in batches.Substitute honey or half sugar, half honey as an alternative if you don't want to use sugar.The time it takes to dry the fruit leather will be increased by using honey.A blender will do if you don't have a food processor.If you want your fruit leather to be smooth, try to get the puree as smooth as possible.The lemon juice is a natural flavor enhancer.You can add more or less.
Step 6: It's time to Preheat.
Using a slow cooking method will give the puree time to dry out.If you own a food dehydrator, you can use it.There's no risk of burning the fruit puree because the drying process takes longer.The same process is used for this method.The same fruit puree prep process can be used in the microwave method.Simply microwave the puree for five minutes, or until it has dried, instead of using the oven.The entire recipe won't fit in the microwave so you'll have to do it in batches.
Step 7: The baking sheet should be lined with foil.
You can use a mat that is non-stick.It's best to use a liner because the fruit puree will stick to most other surfaces.Line the tray with foil if you're using a food dehydrator.Do not use foil in a microwave.You can use a microwave mat or tray.
Step 8: Spread the fruit puree on the baking sheet.
The layer should be about a quarter of an inch thick.If it's too thin, it will be hard to chew, and it won't be as dense as it should be.
Step 9: The puree should be baked for three hours.
Check on it after two and a half hours to see how it is progressing, in most cases it will still need more time.It should be the right texture for fruit leather after three or so hours.The puree might be ready sooner than four hours if it was on the dry side.It will take at least eight hours or overnight if you are using a dehydrator.Pick the correct setting according to the instructions.The leather should be finished in about six minutes if you use the microwave.It might take more than four hours to eat a wet fruit.
Step 10: Allow the fruit leather to cool down.
It will fall apart if you try to handle it while it's still hot.Wait at least twenty minutes before handling it.The leather has fruit on it.It's finished if both sides are completely dry.If the fruit leather is still wet on the bottom, return it to the oven for another hour or so to dry it out.
Step 11: The fruit leather should be on a sheet of paper.
The leather won't stick to itself when you roll it up.Rolling up the fruit leather is a good way to store it.
Step 12: Cut the fruit into strips.
Cut it into strips with a pizza cutter or scissors.You should cut through the paper as well.The strips should be as wide or narrow as you want.
Step 13: Take the strips and roll them up.
As you would a jelly roll, start at the narrow end of a strip of leather and roll it up.Continue until the entire strip is rolled up.Roll the rest of the strips.