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Fruit Jerky Sticks (Fruit Leather) Ingredients:
Ripe fruit of your choice
Additional sweetener to taste Directions: 1. For best results, select fruit that is at peak ripeness without being overly ripe. 2. Process fruit by removing all pits and stones, however the small seeds that would normally be eaten in berries do not need to be removed from the fruit 3. Cut the fruit into small pieces and puree in a blender or food processor. 4. For yellow or light-colored fruit, 1 tablespoon of lemon or lime juice for each quart of fruit may be added in order to preserve the color. 5. If you are using orange or pineapple pulp, you might want to add some additional sweetener to taste (such as sugar, or corn syrup). Other fruits do not require additional sweeteners. 6. Put wax paper on a cookie sheet. 7. Pour the puree onto the sheet to a depth of about 1/4-inch. Distribute evenly by tilting the sheet. A spatula will not be necessary. The cookie sheet should be completely covered before drying. 8. Set oven at lowest setting (140 degrees). Place the sheet in the center rack of your oven and leave the door cracked open 2 to 6 inches, as you would when broiling. The fruit jerky will take about four to five hours to dry. Allow the fruit jerky (also known as fruit leather) to cool before removing for storage. Storage: After loosening the edge and peeling it back about an inch, roll the waxed paper and the dried fruit leather in one piece into a loose roll. The dried fruit roll can be stored for years in the freezer, for months in the refrigerator, and many weeks at room temperature (70 degrees Fahrenheit or less).
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