Apple Mango Raspberry Fruit Leather Food

APPLE, MANGO & RASPBERRY FRUIT LEATHER

Steps:

• I'm only showing the steps for the Raspberry Vanilla Leathers here because, well, it is pretty much the same the whole way through. First things first, fruit leathers work best with perfectly ripened fruit. Not overly ripe or mushy, though. Look at these gorgeous raspberries. I wanted to motorboat them! It was a bit tough to turn them into leather (no pun intended) and I admit, I snuck a few for myself.
• Next we are going to create our purees. Take the 1 pound of raspberries and puree them, then halve and scrape both vanilla beans and add the seeds along with 1/4 cup of sugar to the puree, mixing well. For the mangoes, slice and cut them then puree fruit (hell, sneak a few bits for yourself). Juice 1 lime and add that juice along with 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon chili powder to the puree. The apples and fennel bulbs take an extra step. Prep the fennel bulbs, then chop them. Peel and core the apples, then chop them, placing them in a bowl with enough water to cover, and the juice of 1/2 lemon; this keeps them from browning until you're ready to use them. Add the chopped fennel and apples to a frying pan along with the juice of 1/2 lemon and cook over a medium-low heat until tender. Then puree the mixture, adding in 1/4 cup of sugar and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon.
• Line three separate quarter-sized baking sheets with parchment paper and pour each puree onto its own sheet. Holding each sheet on the short ends, give the sheets a shake... trying to evenly spread out the puree. You can use a spatula to make sure you get it to each corner. This part is a bit of a pain but you really do want an even spread.
• Place the baking sheets in a pre-heated oven at 170 degrees F and let them bake for about 6 hours, rearranging the pans midway, for an even dehydration. If you are just baking one of these at a time, it will only take about 3 hours individually.
• When finished, the end bits will be a bit crispy and you might even have to cut them off as they won't have a "leathery" texture you can work with.
• Cut the flats of leather into 1-inch strips, parchment paper and all. If you find the parchment paper is tearing and hard to work with, you might need to use fresh sheets. But if you can use the stuff you baked, it means less waste. Every piece of paper you re-use saves a kitten's life, just keep that in mind. Tie 'em off and enjoy!

FRUIT LEATHER

Steps:

• Tip the strawberries and apple into a saucepan. Put the pan over a low heat, you don't need to add any water. If you've used frozen fruit, juice will run out as they thaw. Heat gently, keeping an eye on the pan until the strawberries start to break down, you can put a lid on the pan if you like, this keeps the steam in and helps the fruit break down. Cook until the strawberries have softened and given up their juice and the apple is soft.
• Take the pan off the heat. Purée the contents with a stick blender or in a food processor. Squeeze the purée through a sieve into a clean pan, pushing as much pulp through as possible.
• Put the pan back on a low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the purée thickens enough to leave a clear patch on the base of the pan when you pull a spoon through it. The more moisture you drive off now, the shorter your drying time will be.
• Heat the oven to as low as it will go. Pour the purée onto a lined baking sheet (we use a reusable silicone tray liner) and spread it out to a thin layer, the purée should be thick enough to look opaque.
• Put the tray in the oven and dry until the surface is no longer tacky when you touch it, but the leather is still flexible - don't overcook it or it will turn brittle. This will take several hours depending on the oven temperature. If it is very hot and sunny you can air-dry the leather, or use a dehydrator.
• Leave the leather to cool to warm and then peel it carefully off the tray. Trim off the raggedy edges. Roll the leather up, then cut the roll into sections, using scissors is easiest. Each of these will unroll to make a strip. Keep the strips individually wrapped and airtight. The offcuts can be chopped up and used in baking, or snacked on.