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Wash, core and cut 3-5 pounds fruit into chunks (apples and pears work
well). Leave skin on because there is pectin in the peel and that pulls
cholesterol out of your body.
Cooking options:
Crockpot: Spray pot with a nonstick spray. Put fruit in. Cook
on low 8-10 hours or high 4-5 until fruit is soft enough to mash.
Stovetop: Place in heavy or nonstick large pot. Add up to 1
cup water, cider or apple juice (to keep fruit from sticking), and simmer
until fruit is soft. You may have to add a bit more liquid. Be careful here
because the mixture tends to sputter up.
To Puree:
After fruit is cooked, run through food mill or sieve, a blender, food
processor. (If you’re not going to make rollups, then you can mash the fruit
with a potato masher to keep it chunky if you like). If desired, sweeten to
taste with sugar, Stevia or Splenda. Add cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice to
taste. Do this while fruit is still warm. Now you have the best tasting
homemade applesauce! To turn the applesauce into fruit leather, you need to
dry it to let all the moisture evaporate out, and here’s how you do it:
Drying to make fruit rollups/leather: In the sun: Cover cookie sheets
with foil, dark side facing up so that the fruit absorbs the sun more. Spray
and spread mixture on foil, about 1/4” thick or so. Place outside in the
sun and cover with cheesecloth if necessary to keep insects off, and bring
in at night or if it rains. It will take 2 days to a week.
Oven: Dry in warm oven with door ajar if necessary. It will take
several hours depending upon the kind of apples, etc.
How to tell if the fruit leather is done: It should pull up from the pan
in one sheet.
Storing: In refrigerator, up to 6 months, and up to l year in freezer.
Tips from Rita’s
Macy’s Kitchen: REMOVING PESTICIDES FROM APPLES AND PEARS:
Put 3 tablespoons cider vinegar into 6 cups water. Add unpeeled fruit and
gently scrub with a washcloth. Rinse in clear water and dry.
More recipes, etc. on Rita's
web site:
www.abouteating.com
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