How to Make Fruit Leather

Ingredients

• 1 serving fruit fresh (apricots, peaches, plums, berries, apples, pears, or grapes)
• 1 serving water 
• 1 serving juice of lemon 
• 1 serving sugar 
• 1 serving spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg 

Equipment

• food processor
• frying pan
• baking sheet
• sauce pan
• oven
• blender
• plastic wrap
• potato masher
• microwave

Directions

1. Rinse the fruit. If you're working with stone fruit, take out the pits. Chop the fruit.
2. If you're working with apples or pears, peel and core them, then chop. If working with grapes, de-stem them.
3. Taste the fruit before proceeding. Note how sweet the fruit is. If very sweet (ripe Concord grapes, for example) you won't need to add any sugar. If still a little tart, you may need to add some sugar in the next step.
4. Place the fruit in a large saucepan.
5. Add 1/2 cup of water for every 4 cups of chopped fruit.
6. Bring to a simmer, cover, and let cook on a low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the fruit is cooked through. Uncover and stir.
7. Use a potato masher to mash up the fruit in the pan.
8. Taste the fruit and determine how much sugar, lemon juice, or spices to add.
9. If needed, add the sugar in small amounts (1 tablespoon at a time), to your desired level of sweetness.
10. Add lemon juice 1 teaspoon at a time to help brighten the flavor of the fruit.
11. Add a pinch or two of cinnamon, nutmeg, or other spices to augment the flavor, if you'd like.
12. Continue to simmer and stir until any added sugar is completely dissolved and the fruit purée has thickened, another 5 or 10 (or more) minutes.
13. Simple Tip!
14. If you are working with grapes, strain the juice out of the mashed grapes to make grape juice. Force what is left behind through a food mill to make the purée for the next step.
15. Put the mashed fruit through a food mill or chinoise. Alternatively, purée the fruit thoroughly in a blender or food processor. The purée should be very smooth.
16. Taste again and adjust the sugar/lemon/spices, if necessary.
17. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a sturdy, heat-proof plastic wrap (the kind that is microwave safe).
18. Pour out the purée onto the lined baking sheet to about an 1/8 to 1/4 inch thickness.
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20. Heat the oven to 140°F.
21. Place the baking sheet in the oven. Try to keep any plastic wrap from touching the sides of the oven or the oven racks. Also, try to make sure the plastic wrap hasn't folded back over on top of the purée. If this happens, the purée won't dry out.
22. If you have a convection setting, use it. It will speed up the drying process.
23. Let dry in the oven for as long as it takes for the purée to form fruit leather. We usually keep it in the oven overnight, about 8 to 12 hours.
24. The fruit leather is ready when it is no longer sticky to the touch.
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26. When the fruit leather is ready, you can easily peel it up from the plastic wrap.
27. To store it, roll it in its plastic wrap, put it in an airtight container, and store in the refrigerator or freezer.
28. Did you love the recipe? Give us some stars and leave a comment below!
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30. Nutrition Facts (per serving)
31. Calories
32. Fat
33. Carbs
34. Protein
35. Show Full Nutrition Label
36. Nutrition Facts
37. Servings: 10
38. Amount per serving
39. Calories
40. % Daily Value*
41. Total Fat 0g
42. Saturated Fat 0g
43. Cholesterol 0mg
44. Sodium 3mg
45. Total Carbohydrate 20g
46. Dietary Fiber 3g
47. Total Sugars 13g
48. Protein 1g
49. Vitamin C 58mg
50. Calcium 22mg
51. Iron 0mg
52. Potassium 292mg
53. *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
54. Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition.
55. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.