Making fruit leather is one of the easiest and cheapest methods of storing fruit over winter. If you have ever had sticky coils of fruit flavoured roll before you should definitely try making it for yourself.
All you need to make fruit leather is a bunch of fruit, and some sugar. However, unlike jams and cordials that require a high percentage of sugar to preserve the fruit, fruit leather is dried out so only requires as much sugar as you want in order to stop it tasting bitter or sour.
First of all take your chosen fruit of any quantity and mush it together in a pan. Taste the fruit and decide how much sugar you want to add to the mixture. Simmer for 5 minutes or until thoroughly mushy and the sugar is completely dissolved.
If you do not like skins and seeds in your fruit leather, now is the time to sieve them out. Spread the mixture thinly onto greaseproof paper. Use a second piece of paper on top if necessary to roll it out with a rolling pin.
Remove the top layer of grease proof paper and place into the oven at around 75 degrees, or into a dehydrator machine.
Wait for about a day and test the leather to make sure it is no longer sticky, and dry enough to touch. Remove from the machine and gently peel off the greaseproof paper, cut into strips and roll. To store for any length of time dust with icing sugar to prevent the rolls from sticking to each other.