You can find numerous recipes for fruit leather on the internet. It’s been around forever. The best thing about this simple treat is that if you make it at home you don’t need chemical preservatives, you can control the amount of sugar, and best of all you can be as creative as you want to be. I have yet to see strawberry basil fruit leather and after tasting it we are all missing out! The sweetness of the strawberries and the fresh almost licorice taste of the basil makes a unique and amazingly flavorful treat for everyone! I’ve got many different flavor combos to share with you in the near future. So watch out!

Strawberry Basil Fruit Leather

• 1 1/2 pound strawberries
• 1 cup fresh basil (about 40 leaves)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 Tbs lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and puree for 1 minute until smooth. If you don’t have a food processor you can finely chop the basil and add everything in a saucepan. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes until the strawberries are soft and mash until smooth with a potato masher.

Pour the puree into a pot or saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes until the mixture becomes a little thicker.

Line a 17″x 11″  baking sheet with parchment paper and pour the puree onto it. Spread out evenly with a spatula, leaving a half inch of parchment paper on all sides.

Place in a 170°F oven for 6 hours (or 120°F for 8 to 10 hours) until the puree is shinny and no longer wet and supper sticky. Allow to cool.

Once cool, remove from the pan with the paper intact. Roll tightly and cut into sections with a sharp knife. Serve and watch the smiles. Store in a plastic bag or air-tight container in the pantry for up to 3 months.

They don’t last long in this house.