Fruit Leather Recipe

I received an email from Homemade Simple the other day with a recipe for homemade Fruit Leather.  I immediately wanted to try it because Captain Fussybuckets LOVES Fruit Roll-Ups.  I love Fruit Roll-Ups because he’s getting fruit, but with all of the additional corn syrup and sugar, I’m not sure it’s worth it.  BUT I do believe it’s better than just handing him some candy.  Right??

Well, I got some no sugar added applesauce and the other ingredients to make the Apple Spice Fruit Leather and went to work.  It was really easy making the stuff and sticking it in the oven.  The hard part was knowing when it was “done.”  The first batch was definitely TOO done.  It was more like fruit jerky.  Captain Fussybuckets wanted to like it, but he just didn’t.  Daddy and I liked it and ate it up, but every time I asked CF, he just said “no thanks!”

So, I tried again.  This time I had found some strawberry applesauce on clearance at Target and that worked much better.  Do you want to know WHY it worked much better?  Corn syrup.  Sigh.  I also made it a little thicker and didn’t cook it as long.  But the corn syrup thing, I guess there’s a reason that stuff is in there, but I’m still determined to make some without.  That’s the whole point, right?  But the strawberry applesauce fruit leather was a bigger hit with CF, although it wasn’t quite the love he has for Fruit Roll-Ups.

Here is the recipe:

1.  Preheat oven to 170 degrees F.

2.  Line an 11″x17″jelly-roll pan or lipped cookie sheet with greased parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.  (note:  I didn’t grease the parchment paper and it came apart fine, but you might want to experiment.)

3.  Spread the puree until it’s about 1/4″ thick.  (this is very important.  My second batch came out way too thick and took too long to cook!)

4.  Bake in oven for 5-8 hours.  It’s ready when it’s smooth and non-tacky.

5.  Let it cool, then cut in strips with scissors or pizza cutter.  Stack or roll them and store in an airtight container or a zipper storage bag.

This was an interesting tip from Homemade Simple:  Store in a cool, dry place.  You can store fruit leather up to a year in the freezer, six months in the fridge, or a few weeks at room temp.

I think I’ll try again with other fruits and possibly some veggies.  Hmm…  The pictures on the Homemade Simple website make it look so….simple…but yeah, I’m not Martha Stewart.  But I WILL try again!!!

Here are some pictures from my fruit leather experiment: