If you are using fruit with stones, take them out, chop up the fruit.
Place fruit in a large saucepan. If you need add a small amount of juice if mixture is too dry, bring to a simmer, cover and let cook on a low heat for 10-15 minutes, or until the fruit is cooked through.
Uncover and stir. Use a potato masher to mash up the fruit in the pan or put in blender to puree`.
Taste the fruit and determine how much lemon juice, and/or what spices spices to add.
Add lemon juice one teaspoon at a time to help brighten the flavor of the fruit and keep it's colour. Add a pinch or two of cinnamon, nutmeg, or other spices to augment the flavor if you like.
I don't add sugar, but if you like it to be a bit sweeter I suggest using honey, real maple syrup, yogurt(using yogurt it takes longer to dehydrate) or applesauce.
Continue to simmer and stir until the fruit purée has thickened, another 5 or 10 minutes (or more).
Taste again and adjust lemon/spices if necessary. The purée should be very smooth.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with sturdy plastic wrap (the kind that is microwave safe). Pour out the purée once cooled slightly into the lined baking sheet to about an 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick.
Place the baking sheet in the oven, try to keep any plastic wrap from touch the sides of the oven or the oven racks.
Heat the oven to a low 140°F.
Let dry in the oven like this for as long as it takes for the purée to dry out and form fruit leather. I keep it in the oven overnight, so about 8-12 hours. The fruit leather is ready when it is no longer sticky, but has a smooth surface. I always dry my fruit leather in the heat of the summer outside. Cover with cheesecloth (Tent) and let dry in the sun all day. There are times depending on the humidity in the air you will need to finis drying in the oven. I find on humid days I bring it in at night and take it out again the next morning and it is usually ready by the evening.
When the fruit leather is ready, you can easily peel it up from the plastic wrap. To store it, roll it in plastic wrap, put it in an airtight container and store in cool dry pantry, refrigerator or freezer.
4 cups of fruit yields about one baking sheet of fruit leather.
My boys cut their teeth with fruit leather, very healthy alternative to teething biscuits.
You can do the fruit leathers as a puree` cold but I find the flavor is enhanced much more if you heat it, especially if you are adding spices.
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