I think a battle many of us have as moms, or just people in this world, is the reality that sadly so much of our food contains artificial ingredients. From sweetners to dyes something always seems to be chemical. I have tried, especially since becoming a mother, to find more homemade ways to make a variety of foods that come more commonly “processed.” One of these as a the mother of a toddler is fruit snacks! Thomas first tried these when he sweet talked another child at daycare for some and came hold requesting something we had never had in our house. We have tried a variety of “healthier” alternatives but nothing ever quite did it for him before today.
DISCLAIMER: These are not beautiful and I will be updating this post with some more experiments on improving their appearance but they are so super yummy!!! Toddler and mom approved!
Ingredients:
1 Large Apple – or 2 small – I used a large Honeycrisp
1 cup Strawberries – stemmed and cored
1/2 cup blueberries
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1-2 tbs sugar
Method:
First puree in a food processor the fruit and lemon juice until it is smooth.
Then in a small pot on low-medium heat bring to a simmer, stirring almost constantly. Add sugar here.
Continue stirring until the fruit thickens and is reduced and gorgeous! About 5-8 minutes.
Line a baking sheet or 13-9 pan with parchment paper and pour mixture out evenly. Bake at 200° F for 4 hours until it is slightly sticky but doesn’t stick to your finger.
Because I used a cookie sheet mine came out so thin it broke apart. I am going to try a 13 x 9 pan next time to see if I can get them slightly thicker to keep shape but will probably take longer to cook.
Happy Baking!!
thehillcountrywoman 