Strawberry Leathers

I have been going back and forth with the title for this post for a while now. Fruit Roll Ups, Strawberry Jerky, Fruit Leather, Dry Fruit Strips or Dehydrated Strawberry Thins. As you see in the end, I went with Strawberry Leathers. It was the closest way to describe the waterless pile that lay before me.

I am on a hunt to find quick, easy and healthy snacks. While this one couldn’t have been easier, it surly was not quick. The recipe I found only contains 2 ingredients and requires 3 kitchen appliances. A blender, a cookie sheet and a dehydrator (or your oven). I should have known this would not turn out as I expected. The directions read “if you didn’t have a food dehydrator you can use your oven on its lowest sitting for however long it takes”. Wait, for however long it takes?

All you need are 2 cups of fresh organic Strawberries and 1/4 tsp of cinnamon. Blend everything together and place on a parchment line cookie sheet. I was a bit unsure of the flavor as I tasted it, but decided to follow the recipe to the letter. I place the mixture in the oven on 170 degrees (the lowest my oven would go), and impatiently wait for just over 6hrs. After allowing to cool they were dry and pliable just like the recipe stated. However, they were thin, paper thin. I took a bite and the flavor was better than when it was raw. There was no sweetness to be found, I think I picked the tartest Strawberries in the store. This stuff was like leather or jerky and stuck to my teeth. I think I got more on my toothpick then in my stomach. I had such high hopes for this. I guess its back to the drawing board on this one. What do you whip up when you want an easy quick treat?