Following on from our fun school pack-lunch ideas, this is a fabulous way to sneak fruit into children’s lunch boxes!
Makes 7 long strips
- 1 pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into chunks
1. Preheat the oven to 80C/175F (60C135F if using a dehydrator).
2. Place the pineapple chunks in a blender and puree until smooth.
3. Pour the pineapple puree onto a parchment-lined baking tray and use the back of a spoon or spatula to spread it very evenly into a large rectangle, about 11 x 15 inches.
4. Bake for 4 to 5 hours, or until the fruit leather is dry and slightly sticky to the touch, but not mushy. Remember, baking times will vary depending on how thick you spread your mixture and how much water (juice) is naturally in the fruit. (If using a dehydrator, count on 5 hours.)
5. Cool at room temperature; it takes several hours for the fruit to soften up (when you first take the leather out of the oven, the edges will be a bit dry and crispy, but if you allow it to sit overnight it softens up nicely).
6. Using a knife, pizza cutter, or scissors, cut the leather into seven 2-inchwide- by-14-inch-long strips, keeping the paper on, if desired. Roll the leather into roll-ups.
Tip: If you have a dehydrator, this is the perfect time to use it!
Note: Fruit leather will stay good for weeks, if not months.
Weelicious Lunches: Think Outside the Lunch Box with More Than 160 Happier Meals, is published by William Morrow Cookbooks