How to Make Fruit Leather

Ingredients and supplies: 

Fruit of choice 

Saucepan 

Food processor 

Sugar or sugar substitute 

Food coloring (optional) 

Water 

Parchment or wax paper 

Two cookie sheets 

Cling wrap 

Container with lid

I'm not saying that it's quick to make fruit leather. In fact, you can go to the store and buy some much quicker than making it. But fruit leather is not difficult to make; it just takes several hours in the oven to dry. Making your own fruit leather is great because you can create a small amount or a lot more; you can also choose the particular fruit combinations that you prefer. So, if you're bored, hungry, or trying to save money, make your own fruit leather!

Fruit leather, in case you haven't seen it, is usually sold in a box. Each piece is a strip - shaped sort of like a bacon strip - but made of assorted fruits. Each one is individually wrapped to keep it fresh. But when you make fruit leather, you don't have to shape it like strips; you can make it into any shape that you or your kids will like.

Cut fruit into very small pieces. The fruit can be strawberries, bananas, grapes, raspberries, or a combination of two or more fruits. Put the fruit - a small amount or a lot - into a saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook it until the fruit is very soft, and until it begins to have a gel-like texture. If you desire, tint the fruit mixture with a couple of drops of food coloring. Remove the fruit from the heat and pour it into a food processor. Blend until the mixture has the texture of a smoothie. Add a bit of sugar - to taste - or use sugar substitute. If the mixture is too thick, add a little water.

Put wax paper or parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Spray with non-stick cooking spray and pour the fruit mixture into it. Bake at 170 degrees for about 6 hours. Prepare another pan of parchment or wax paper and flip the fruit leather onto the new pan. Remove the parchment or wax paper. Bake for another 6 hours at 170. After removing it from the heat, and allowing to cool, you can then cut it into the shapes that you want.

Cookie cutters work great for creating interesting shapes from the fruit leather. Wrap each piece in cling wrap to keep it fresh. If you desire, write on the cling wrap with a marker, to list the ingredients, tell the flavor, and/or mark the date that the fruit leather was made. Store the fruit treats in a container that has a lid for best results.