Ombre Fruit Leather Food

STRAWBERRY FRUIT LEATHER

Steps:

• Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 175 degrees F. Line a 17-by-12-inch baking sheet with a silicone baking mat.
• Put the strawberries, honey and lemon juice in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour the puree into a saucepan, bring it to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes.
• Pour the puree onto the prepared baking sheet and spread it out almost to the edges, ensuring it's thin and even. Pay particular attention to ensure the middle is thin. Bake until the puree is set, about 5 hours. Let cool completely.
• Lay a sheet of parchment on top of the fruit leather. Invert the leather and gently peel off the mat. Cut the leather into 7 strips. Gently roll up each strip starting from the short end, then tie with twine. Store in an airtight container or package in cellophane bags.

FRUIT LEATHER

Steps:

• Mix 1/3 cup no-sugar-added fruit preserves with 1 teaspoon cornstarch. Spread into a 2-by-12-inch strip on greased parchment; bake 45 minutes at 225 degrees F. Cool, then trim the parchment and roll up.

STRAWBERRY FRUIT LEATHER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 170 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat sheet, set aside.
• Place strawberries and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook for 3-4 minutes until berries being to soften. Puree berries using an immersion blender or food processor. Return puree to saucepan, stir in sugar and honey. Cook for an additional 10 minutes or until thick and syrupy. Pour the hot fruit mixture on to prepared pan and spread out into an even layer. Place in the oven to dry for 3 hours. Turn off the oven and allow to sit overnight to dry completely. Cut into 1-inch strips with a pizza cutter and peel away from paper or Silpat sheet. Roll up strips and store in an airtight container for up to 4 weeks.

OMBRE FRUIT LEATHER

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 175 degrees F. Line a half baking sheet with a silicon baking mat or parchment paper. If using parchment, leave 2 inches of excess paper on the sides to use as handles.
• Pour the plain applesauce against the short side of the pan. Use an offset spatula to spread the applesauce into an even, thin layer; it should cover a quarter of the surface area.
• Repeat this process with the mango applesauce, strawberry applesauce and berry applesauce to fill the remaining spaces, creating an ombre pattern. Be sure all the colors are in an even layer no more than 1/4-inch thick. Carefully place the baking sheet into the oven without tilting the applesauce. (If using parchment, make sure the excess paper is tucked under the baking sheet in the oven, so the oven fan doesn't blow the paper onto the fruit leather before it is dry.)
• Bake until firm to the touch, about 5 hours and 30 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for 15 minutes. Use scissors to cut the cooled fruit leather into eight 1-inch pieces. Remove the parchment paper (if using) and wrap the strips in wax paper. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

GRAPE FRUIT LEATHER

Steps:

• Puree the grapes in a blender or food processor, in batches if necessary, until very smooth. Pour the puree into a fine sieve and press hard with a spatula to extract as much juice as possible. Puree the grapes again and put them back into the sieve. Press again and reserve the juice for another recipe. There should be about 2 cups of grape puree.
• Pour the puree into a small saucepan with the sugar and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Simmer, stirring often and scraping the sides, until the puree turns glossy and darkens slightly, about 30 to 45 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 200°F using convection mode if available. Line a large-rimmed baking sheet with a silicon baking sheet. Pour the puree onto the mat and spread into an 1/8-inch thickness using an offset spatula, leaving a 1-inch border of space around the edge. Bake 1½ to 3 hours, rotating the tray halfway through, until the puree is tacky and not quite dried in the center. Let stand at room temperature until fruit leather peels easily from the tray, 24 hours to 48 hours.
• Place a piece of parchment paper over the fruit leather and invert. Peel off the silicon baking sheet and starting at the long end, roll up the fruit leather and parchment. Using scissors or a sharp knife, cut the fruit leather roll into 1-inch segments. Store in a resealable plastic bag for up to 1 week at room temperature or 2 to 3 months in the freezer.

PINEAPPLE-BERRY DEHYDRATOR FRUIT LEATHER

Steps:

• Combine the raspberries, strawberries and 1/2 cup applesauce in a blender and blend until very smooth. Strain through a fine mesh sieve and transfer to a medium bowl or measuring cup.
• Combine the pineapple and remaining 1/2 cup applesauce in the blender and blend until very smooth.
• Put one nonperforated dehydrator insert on a work surface. Pour the pineapple puree onto the insert in random dots. Pour the berry puree onto the insert to fill the remaining space, making sure not to overlap too much with the pineapple (it will create thicker layers that won't dry properly). Gently shake the insert to evenly spread the puree all the way to the sides. Use a spoon or offset spatula to thin out any thick spots.
• Place the insert in a dehydrator and dry according to the manufacturer's instructions at 125 degrees F until the fruit puree is dry to the touch, matte and no longer shiny, about 12 hours (times may vary depending on the machine). Test with your fingers to make sure it is dry all over. Let cool at room temperature for 5 minutes. Use a butter knife to loosen the fruit leather from the insert and slowly peel away.
• Cut or tear the leather into pieces and store in an airtight container up to a week.