Strawberry Fruit Leather
Easter is coming, and advertisements for sugary sweets plaster our televisions screens. Fruit leathers are a delicious, healthy, fun alternative to candy that is sweetened with processed sugar/sugar products. I know I will be happy with roll-ups of Strawberry Fruit Leather in my Easter basket!!! How about you and your children?
Are Fruit Leathers Healthy?
If you make your own fruit leathers and use honey instead of sugar, should you desire a sweetener, fruit leathers can be a healthy alternative to candy for your children. Healthfully talks about the benefits of low sugar or sugar free fruit leathers:
Fruit leathers can be low-calorie, convenient and light-weight snacks for kids and adults. One commercial all-natural fruit leather strip counts as ½ serving of fruit and contains no added sugar. A 14g serving provides less than 50 calories and 0g of fat. Some even offer about 10 percent of the daily value of vitamin C, based on a 2,000-calorie diet. Picky kids who are reluctant to eat whole fruit might be willing to try fruit leather as an alternative.
The Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound strawberries hulled, quartered, rinsed, and drip dried
- 1/3 cup Bee Wild Varietal or Infused Honey (to your taste)
- 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
Instructions
- Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 175 degrees F.
- Line a 17-by-12-inch baking sheet with a silicone baking mat.
- Put the strawberries, honey and lemon juice in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Pour the puree into a saucepan, bring it to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Let cool for 5 minutes.
- Pour the puree onto the prepared baking sheet and spread it out almost to the edges, ensuring it's thin and even. Pay particular attention to ensure the middle is thin.
- Bake until the puree is set, about 5 hours.
- Let cool completely.
- Lay a sheet of parchment on top of the fruit leather.
- Invert the leather and gently peel off the mat.
- Cut the leather into 7 strips.
- Gently roll up each strip starting from the short end, then tie with twine.
- Store in an airtight container or package in cellophane bags.
