Seasonal Fruit Leathers 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.

SEASONAL FRUIT LEATHERS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 175 degrees. Puree pineapple and mango with 1 tablespoon honey or persimmons with 2 Tbsp honey in a food processor until smooth.
• Spread puree on a Silpat or parchment-lined baking sheet in a thin, even layer about 1/8-inch thick. Tap baking sheet on the counter a few times to release air.
• Bake until set in the middle and barely tacky, 2 1/2 to 4 hours. Let cool completely, then use a pizza cutter to slice into 2-inch-wide strips. Halve each strip crosswise and roll in parchment strips of equal size.