Make Handmade Strawberry Fruit Leather

by Christina Dennis

It's the end of Strawberry season, and strawberries are in abundance at a great price right now! I love fruit so much and so does my family - it's fun to experiment with new ways to eat it. I totally admit that I've purchased the sugary, sticky packaged fruit "roll-up" candy, but here's a better and healthier alternative that you (and your kiddos) will love! This homemade fruit leather is simple to make and requires no fancy kitchen appliance!

Homemade Fruit Leather

Ingredients:

• 2 cups fruit (I used strawberries)
• 1 tablespoon honey (optional)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
• parchment paper

Directions:

Blend the fruit, honey and cinnamon in a blender until completely smooth. I liked the addition of honey with strawberries - you could add a little more than a tablespoon for extra sweetness! Cinnamon is nice with strawberries, but have fun playing with different spice and fruit combinations.

Line a cookie sheet with the parchment paper. Pour the blended fruit onto the paper, spreading it out evenly with a spatula. The fruit should be about ¼" thick. It does thin a lot as it dries, so don't pour too little into the pan. Set your oven at the lowest temperature (mine was 150 degrees F) and let the fruit sit in the oven until it is dry and leathery-feeling. My fruit leather took approximately 3 hours, and this time will vary from oven-to-oven. Let the fruit leather cool, peel off the paper, and cut it into strips. You can roll the strips up if you want - my daughter though the little rolls were fun to eat!

Christina Dennis is the creator and designer behind Golly Gee Baby, a collection of unique and colourful baby clothing and accessories that are ethically manufactured.