Fruit Leather { Lunchbox Recipe }

Fruit leather, also known as fruit roll-ups, are available at most grocery stores, but we all know the amount of preservatives, sugars and chemicals food producers tend to pump in any off-the-shelf treat.

These fruit roll-ups are easy to make, and can be made in a variety of flavours. What’s more, you control how much sugar you put in them – if any at all!

You will need:

• 3 cups of fresh ripe fruit of your choice – soft fruits like mangoes, peaches, bananas and strawberries work especially well. Even berries and beet!
• Sugar to taste (optional)

To make the leather:

• Preheat your oven to 170 degrees Celsius.
• Place the fruit in a food processor and blend it up until smooth.
• Add sugar to taste and blend it again.
• Grab a baking tray and line it with baking or wax paper, making sure that the paper is a little bigger than the tray.
• Pour the fruity pulp mixture on to the prepared cookie sheet and spread it out with a spatula to about 2mm thick (or as thick as you desire).
• Place in the oven and bake for about 6 to 8 hours, until the centre is no longer sticky.
• Grab the paper sheet by the ends (sticking out) and lift it out of the cookie sheet. Place on a flat surface to cool.
• Take a pair of kitchen scissors and cut the fruit leather (still attached to the baking paper) into strips.
• Leave the paper on, roll it up and store the roll-ups in an airtight container.

Original images and their credits available on Pinterest