Strawberry Leather
Submitted by martin-house
Strawberry fruit leather made with pureed berries, applesauce, and a hit of lemon juice. Slow-baked until it peels cleanly from the plastic for a chewy, naturally sweet snack you can roll up and stash for later.
YIELD
12 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
300 minREADY
310 minStrawberry leather is the kind of pantry candy that makes commercial fruit roll-ups look like a sticker. Pureed strawberries get blended with applesauce so the pectin pulls everything into a glossy, tacky sheet as it dries.
The lemon juice does double duty here: it brightens the berry flavor and keeps the color from going muddy in the long, low oven. A jelly roll pan lined with plastic wrap is the trick - the leather releases in one piece instead of fighting you with a spatula.
Watch for the edges to look matte and pull cleanly from the wrap. If the center still feels tacky-wet, give it another half hour. Cut warm, wrap each strip, and you have lunchbox snacks for the week.
Pro Tips
- Strain the puree through a sieve if you want a smoother leather without seeds catching in your teeth.
- Spread the mixture between ⅛ and ¼ inch thick. Thicker takes forever to dry; thinner cracks when you peel it.
- Store wrapped strips in an airtight container at room temp for up to two weeks, or freeze for three months.
Variations
- Swap half the strawberries for raspberries or blackberries for a tart, jammy edge.
- Stir in ½ teaspoon vanilla extract or a pinch of cinnamon before spreading.
- Use honey or maple syrup in place of sugar for a deeper, less candy-sweet finish.
Ingredients
Directions
Combine puréed berries and applesauce with lemon juice and sugar.
Line a 10×15 in jelly roll pan with plastic wrap.
Pour fruit into pan and spread evenly.
Bake about 5 hours at 200F or until leather pulls away from wrap.
Flip leather onto counter, peel away plastic and remove any mixture that has not “set."
Cut into slices and wrap each in plastic.
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