Fruit Leather

I had about 50 lbs of peaches to work with this year, and thought I would try my hand at making fruit leather.  I skimmed a variety of recipes and instructions on the internet, and proceeded with recipes and advice in my head. I concluded that you need not be precise, and I work well in that format.

The peach leather turned out to be very easy to make, and a nice little break from canning and freezing.

Peach Fruit Leather

Preheat oven to lowest setting on your oven (my lowest setting is 170 degrees) .  Take what ever amount of peaches (or fruit of any kind) you would like to work with and wash and pit them.  Put into blender, skin and all. You may add sugar or honey or nothing at all (I used nothing at all, because the peaches were sweet enough on their own).    Prepare a cookie sheet by covering it with a piece of parchment paper, and then buttering it lightly.  Pour blended peaches over parchment paper until covered with a thin layer about 1/4 of an inch thick... give or take.   Put into oven for 10 to 14 hours, checking periodically.  If you let it  dry too long, your leather will be like... well...leather... (don't ask me how I know this.....).  For a chewy, but not too chewy consistency,  test it at about 10 hours.  If it is dry, but still nicely pliable, it is ready, if still wet in places... back in the oven it goes.  A dehydrator is next on my list... Once I get that figured out I'll share                           

it  with you.  I had one batch that was overly dry, which I restored by storing with a slice of bread... this works wonderfully  to revive dried and hardened brown sugar by the way... I am always amazed at how it brings that moisture back.  The next batches came out just right, because I watched them a little closer the last couple of hours.  Trim off the ugly jagged edges with some kitchen scissors, and then cut into rectangles of what dimension you choose and roll them up.

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