Fruit Leather Apple Recipes

HOW TO MAKE FRUIT LEATHER

Steps:

• Clean and prep the fruit: Rinse the fruit. If you're working with stone fruit, take out the pits. Chop the fruit. If you're working with apples or pears, peel and core them, then chop. If working with grapes, de-stem them. 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.
• Boil the fruit with water, then mash: Place the fruit in a large saucepan. Add 1/2 cup of water for every 4 cups of chopped fruit. 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. Use a potato masher to mash up the fruit in the pan.
• Season with sugar and spices, if desired: Taste the fruit and determine how much sugar, lemon juice, or spices to add. If needed, add the sugar in small amounts (1 tablespoon at a time), to your desired level of sweetness. Add lemon juice 1 teaspoon at a time to help brighten the flavor of the fruit. Add a pinch or two of cinnamon, nutmeg, or other spices to augment the flavor, if you'd like. 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.
• Purée the cooked fruit: 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. Taste again and adjust the sugar/lemon/spices, if necessary.

BERRY STUDDED APPLE FRUIT LEATHER

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 170 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment, making sure there is an overhang. Spray the parchment with cooking spray.
• Place the apples, juice, cinnamon and a pinch of salt into a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples have softened, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside. Pulse the apple mixture in a food processor until smooth and free of any large pieces. Using a ladle, pass the apple puree through a fine-mesh strainer. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, place the blueberries, sugar, lemon zest and 1/4 cup water into a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the berries soften and burst, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and crush the berries into a coarse puree using a potato masher. Set aside.
• Using an offset spatula, spread the apple puree evenly over the prepared baking sheet. Tap the baking sheet once or twice on the countertop to settle any air bubbles. Using a small spoon, spread the blueberry mixture in thin diagonal lines across the apple puree. Tap the baking sheet again to remove any remaining air bubbles.
• Bake, until the surface is smooth and no longer sticky, 3 to 4 hours, then let cool 20 minutes. Remove the parchment from the baking sheet and flip over to peel the paper away from the fruit leather. Slice the fruit leather into 16 long strips, 1-inch wide. Roll each strip in wax paper and store in an airtight container.

FRUIT LEATHER

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 150 degrees F (65 degrees C). Cover a baking sheet with a layer of plastic wrap or parchment paper.
• In the container of a blender, combine the sugar, lemon juice, apple and pear. Cover and puree until smooth. Spread evenly on the prepared pan. Place the pan on the top rack of the oven.
• Bake for 5 to 6 hours, leaving the door to the oven partway open. Fruit is dry when the surface is no longer tacky and you can tear it like leather. Roll up on the plastic wrap and store in an airtight jar.