Strawberry Fruit Leather
Kids love fruit roll-ups, and while there are some great brands out there made with just fruit, you save a ton of dough making them yourself. Although there are guidelines here, you’ll have to experiment with the cooking time, as timing, oven type, and berry quality all have to be taken into consideration.
1. Preheat the oven to 250°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Place the strawberries and honey in a blender and purée until smooth.
3. Pour the mixture onto the baking sheet and spread it into a large rectangle with the back of a spoon or spatula (my rectangle was 11×15 inches), making sure that the mixture is spread completely evenly.
4. Bake for 2 to 3 hours, until the fruit leather is dry and not sticky to the touch. Remember, cooking times will vary depending on how thick you spread your mixture and how much water (juice) is naturally in the fruit. Also, every oven is different, so the cooking time may be less than 2 hours if your oven tends to be hot. (If using a dehydrator: Pour the mixture on a lined dehydrator sheet and dehydrate the fruit leather at 135°F for 5 to 6 hours.)
5. Allow the fruit leather to sit and cool to room temperature. It takes several hours for the fruit to soften up; when you first take the leather out of the oven the edges will be a bit dry and crisp, but if you allow it to sit overnight it softens up nicely. I like to roll it up and place it in a covered container.
6. Use a knife, pizza cutter, or kitchen shears to cut the fruit leather into 8 long strips, keeping the paper on the back. Roll the leather into “roll-ups.”
7. The fruit leather will keep for at least a month in a covered container.
From Weelicious by Catherine McCord.
Originally featured in Sweet Treats for Kids
