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I am not one of those people that eat strictly organic, natural, and whole foods. Just check this, this and this. Overall, I am not a very healthy eater. My diet consists of mostly bread, pasta, cheese and sugar. Oh, and heavy cream. That’s a staple these days. Don’t tell my doctor, please. I would love to be one of those people who eats steamed veggies and fish at every meal. But I’m not. I probably never will be. However, I do like to know what I am putting into my body. I would much rather make something from scratch then buy it from the store. Even if what I’m making contains nothing but sugar, flour, and Nutella.
Even though these fruit roll ups cannot be considered healthy I think they can be called healthier. Healthier is better than unhealthy, right? They have 2 ingredients: fruit and sugar. 1 is healthy, 1 is not. But more importantly these taste far better than any store bought fruit roll up I have ever had. The strawberry taste is very strong. They taste like real strawberries, not strawberry flavoring. But they are quite sweet. If you are worried about the sugar content, try using extra sweet, in-season strawberries and cut down on the sugar. I did have a couple problems with this recipe, and I’m sure they’re my fault. See my note below. Despite that, I will be making these again.
Here is what you'll need. Simple enough.
Add the strawberries to the food processor
And the sugar
Puree
Transfer to a sauce pan
Bring to a boil and then let simmer for 1 hour
Pour the mixture onto a baking sheet lined with a Silpat
Spread evenly
Bake for about 3 hours and then let dry
Cover with parchment paper and then roll
Slice as desired and enjoy!
Ingredients
4½ cups strawberries, halved (about 1½ lbs.)
¾ cup sugar
Directions
Combine strawberries and sugar in a food processor and puree until smooth. Transfer the puree into a medium pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Stir it more frequently at the end, until the mixture has reduced to 1 to 1¼ cups. It should be thick enough to fold over itself.
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with a nonstick liner, such as a Silpat. Pour the hot puree onto the liner and use an off-set spatula to spread it thinly and evenly. Dry the puree in the oven until it feels slightly tacky but does not stick to your fingers, roughly 2 to 3 hours.
Transfer the roll-ups (still on the Silpat) onto a cooling rack to completely dry, at least 3 hours (and up to 24). Place a piece of parchment paper on top of the fruit roll-ups. Flip the whole thing over so that the parchment paper is on the cooling rack and the silpat is facing you. Peel off the silpat. Roll them up in the parchment so that parchment paper is facing out. I rolled it starting at the short side. Then I cut them into pieces about 1 ½ inches wide. Think Fruit by the Foot.
Notes:
I would do 2 things differently next time:
1) I would spread the puree out more evenly. I should have used an offset spatula but couldn’t find it. I think that I had some parts that were thicker so it did not cook evenly.
2) I would leave them in the oven longer. Some parts were still liquid-y. ( See #1). Some parts were sticky and I was afraid that it would burn if I left it in the oven for longer, but I think they really should have cooked longer.
Source: Just a Taste
I am absolutely addicted to fruit leather. I spend entirely too much money on it between Trader Joe’s all natural versions, and wherever Fruitabü (http://www.stretchislandfruit.com/ProductsFruitaBu.aspx) can be found.
I can’t wait to try this, though I’ve got to get my hands on a silicone baking mat first. Do you know if baking time will be affected I cut the sugar significantly, say to 1/4 cup?
I’m so glad Foodista linked to your blog. I’ve already bookmarked half a dozen of your recipes to try in the future!
- C
I love fruit leather too! I have not tried to cut the sugar, but I would still bake it for the same time and keep checking it. You want it to be tacky, not sticky. Let us know how it works out. Oh, and we have used our silpat over and over again since we got it. I definitely recommend it.
Mmm, this looks tasty. I’m always had a soft spot for fruit leather. Do you think it would be okay to use baking paper rather than silpat? I cut a hole in mine…
Thanks for the comment. I found this article about making fruit leather on parchment paper:
http://www.ehow.com/facts_7373813_can-fruit-leather-parchment-paper_.html Good Luck!