Quick Fruit Leather Food

FRUIT LEATHER ROLL-UPS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Combine the fruit and sugar in a blender. Add the lemon juice to taste (use 2 tablespoons for apples or bananas) and puree until smooth.
• Transfer the pureed fruit to a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook, stirring occasionally at first and then more often toward the end, until most of the liquid evaporates and the mixture is very thick, 35 to 45 minutes. Be careful: The mixture may splatter.
• Line a 12-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet with a silicone mat or nonstick foil. Use an offset spatula to spread the fruit on the mat or foil into a thin layer. Bake until barely tacky, 3 hours to 3 hours, 30 minutes.
• Transfer the baking sheet to a rack and let the fruit leather cool completely. Peel off of the mat or foil. If the leather is still moist on the underside, return it to the oven, moist-side up, until dry, about 20 more minutes. Lay the leather smooth-side down on a sheet of wax paper and use kitchen shears to cut it into strips on the paper. Roll up the strips and store in zip-top bags for up to 1 week.
• Plum: 5 medium, unpeeled, chopped
• Peach or nectarine: 5 medium, unpeeled, chopped
• Apple: 3 large (Gala or Granny Smith), peeled and chopped
• Strawberry: 4 cups, hulled and chopped
• Raspberry: 5 cups
• Grape: 3 1/2 cups (preferably Concord), seeded if necessary
• Banana: 5 medium, peeled
• Mango: 2 large, peeled and chopped
• Raspberry-Vanilla: 5 cups raspberries plus the seeds from 1/2 vanilla bean
• Strawberry-Banana: 3 cups strawberries, hulled and chopped, plus 2 medium bananas, peeled
• Apple-Ginger: 3 large apples, peeled and chopped, plus 1 1/2 teaspoons grated ginger
• Spicy Mango: 2 large mangoes, peeled and chopped, plus 1/8 teaspoon each salt and cayenne pepper

QUICK FRUIT LEATHER

Steps:

• In blender or food processor, blend fruit and sugar until smooth.
• Pour fruit puree into microwave-safe bowl and cook on HIGH 8 minutes or until puree is reduced by half.
• Lay a piece of microwave-safe plastic wrap on a 10-inch microwave-safe plate.
• Evenly spread 1/4 cup fruit mixture to a 6-1/2 inch diameter circle.
• Make sure edges are not too thin or they will scorch.
• Elevate plate on top of inverted (upside-down) microwave-safe saucer.
• Microwave at MEDIUM (50% power) about 5 minutes or until leather is no longer sticky in center.
• If more cooking time is needed, cook at MEDIUM in 25 second increments, watching closely so that leather does not burn.
• Carefully place plastic wrap with fruit leather on wire rack to cool.
• Let stand at room temperature overnight to dry.
• Repeat with remaining fruit puree.
• Roll up leathers in plastic wrap.

FRUIT LEATHER

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 150 degrees F (65 degrees C). Cover a baking sheet with a layer of plastic wrap or parchment paper.
• In the container of a blender, combine the sugar, lemon juice, apple and pear. Cover and puree until smooth. Spread evenly on the prepared pan. Place the pan on the top rack of the oven.
• Bake for 5 to 6 hours, leaving the door to the oven partway open. Fruit is dry when the surface is no longer tacky and you can tear it like leather. Roll up on the plastic wrap and store in an airtight jar.

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.

FRUIT LEATHER STRIPS

Steps:

• For a quick and nonperishable snack, fruit leathers are perfect for keeping in your gym bag or purse. But costing almost a dollar, fueling up on these can quickly add up. With a food processor, an oven, and a lazy afternoon, it's easy to whip up a batch of fresh-tasting fruit leathers for a fraction of the cost. And bonus — these homemade fruit leathers contain 15 calories instead of the 45 in most store-bought brands.
• Preheat your oven to 150°F (or as low as your oven will go). Line an 11-by-17 cookie sheet with a Silpat baking mat. If you don't have one, use parchment paper, although a Silpat will offer better results.
• Wash, dry, and cut up four cups of strawberries (or other fruit of your choice such as peaches, bananas, or raspberries). Place in a food processor or blender.
• Puree the fruit until completely smooth, about 30 seconds.
• Slowly pour the pureed fruit onto the prepared pan. Use the back of a spoon or spatula to spread it out evenly. Carefully slide the pan into the oven and bake for eight hours (or six to seven hours if your oven is at a slightly higher temperature).
• Remove the pan once the fruit is set and still slightly tacky. Be careful not to overcook, as you'll end up with fruit chips instead of fruit leather. Once the fruit has cooled to room temperature, slowly peel it off the mat or parchment paper. Lay it on a cutting board and use a knife to cut out 12 portions; store in an airtight container.

FRUIT LEATHER

Steps:

• Combine ingredients in a blender until pureed.
• Oil a 9x13 inch cake pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• Pour puree onto pan.
• Shake pan gently from side to side until evenly distributed.
• Bake in preheated 150 degree oven for 5 to 7 hours.
• Leather is done when bendable and no longer sticky to touch.
• Once cooled, cut into strips while still in pan.
• Lay each piece on plastic wrap and roll up.
• Store in a covered container.

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.