Homemade fruit leathers

When my mom was still packing my lunches I always wanted her to include a Fruit Roll-Up or a Fruit by the Foot. The sugary, brightly colored treat was the perfect snack from the prospective of a kid in elementary. But a quick glance at the ingredients and it makes you think twice — maltodextrin, the ever controversial corn syrup, partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil, acetylated mono and diglycerides sodium citrate, malic acid, xanthan gum, locust bean gum, potassium citrate, yellow 5, red 40, and blue 1. Oh yeah, and fruit.

But those delicious treats don’t have to be filled with all that crap, and you can make them at home too. Pretty easily in fact. Here’s what you need:

• 2 lbs of peaches (canned or fresh)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup sugar
• Juice of half a lemon

I only used one of these jars.

Combine the water and sugar, dissolve over heat. Add the peaches and bring to near boil.

Add the lemon juice, then put the mixture into a blender and puree, or use a stick blender to do it in the pot.

Turn on oven to 180 degrees F.

Bring that all back to a boil and reduce by at least a third, or until about the consistency of apple sauce or baby food.

Spread the mixture on cooking sheets covered with parchment paper. Spread out the mixture until it’s about 1/8 inch think. Pop in oven for 2-4 hours, until the fruit is tacky to the touch, but won’t spread to the touch either.

Cut with a pizza cutter, store in an air-tight container for up to a month.

 

Don’t be afraid to use other fruit, or combine fruit. Strawberry kiwi? Peach Strawberry? It all sounds pretty delicious.