The Altitude Adjustment Section
I love fruit leather. Did you have this as kids? Now its hippy food, go figure! This is a great way to use autumn's abundance of apples. Even fruit that is slightly bruised works well; simply trim the brown portion. Or try ripe pears in place of the apples. This recipe is from my favorite felon — Martha Stewart. This makes two 13-by-9-inch sheets.
Ingredients
Vegetable-oil cooking spray
3 pounds (5 to 6 medium) baking apples, such as Gala or Macoun, peeled, cored, and chopped (8 cups)
1 cup fresh or thawed frozen cranberries
1/3 cup pasteurized apple juice or cider
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons sugar
Procedure
Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Generously coat two 13-by-9-inch rimmed baking sheets with cooking spray, and line with a Silpat baking mat. Working in batches, puree apples, cranberries, apple juice or cider, lemon juice, honey, and sugar in a blender. Pour into a bowl to combine. Divide puree between prepared pans. Let stand 1 minute, then drain excess liquid. Smooth with an offset spatula. (The puree should be almost 1/4 inch thick.) Bake, with oven door open slightly, until dry to the touch (but not browned), about 6 hours. Close oven door, turn off oven, and let dry overnight in the oven. (Fruit leather should be stiff, but still pliable.)Remove fruit leather from pans. Trim uneven edges, cut into desired size, and roll up if desired. Fruit leather can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 month.
