How to Make Healthy Homemade Fruit Snacks

Dried fruit snacks are a great way to curb those cravings for sweets.

Eating sweets can lead to weight problems, tooth decay and even diabetes. Some of us have the discipline to avoid eating foods that are bad for us, but some of us need something sweet from time to time. Fortunately, plenty of healthy but sweet foods can be made at home. So next time, skip the triple-layer chocolate cake and try a delicious homemade fruit snack.

Things You'll Need

• Five pounds of fruit
• Water
• Fruit/vegetable peeler
• Lemon juice
• Knife
• Oven
• Cookie sheets
• Spatula
• Plastic zip-storage bags

Instructions

1. 

   Ripe, unblemished fruits are the best choice when making homemade fruit snacks.

   Select the type of fruit that you would like to use for your fruit snacks. Good choices are bananas, peaches, grapes, pears, kiwi and pineapple. The fruit must be fully ripe and unblemished.

2. 

   Use those leftover fruit peels in a compost bin.

   Rinse the fruit in lukewarm water. Peel the fruits that need to be peeled, such as bananas, peaches, pears, kiwi and pineapple.

3. 

   Lemon juice prevents the fruits from turning a dark brown while drying in the oven.

   Dip any light-colored fruits in lemon juice to prevent darkening while in the oven. This includes apples, apricots, bananas, peaches, pears and pineapple.

4. Cut the fruit into quarter-inch slices. Cut smaller fruits, such as grapes, in half. Pears and apples must be cored, and you will need to remove the pits from peaches, cherries and apricots.

5. Preheat your oven to 150 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the fruit in one layer on a cookie sheet. After the oven has heated up, place the cookie sheet in the oven. Open the oven door a few inches to allow air to circulate.

6. Check on the fruit and flip with a spatula every hour. Fruit can take anywhere from eight to 24 hours to dry out. If your fruit is taking a very long time and you must leave it unattended, turn the oven down to 100 degrees F. Flip the fruit again as soon as possible to avoid overdrying. When the fruit becomes leather-like, it is done.

7. Allow the fruit to cool. Fruit snacks are best when consumed immediately but will last for about four days to a week. Store in plastic bags and place in the refrigerator.

References

• Marks Daily Apple: How to Make Dried Fruit
• Fruit from Washington: Drying Fruit