loquat fruit leather

Loquats are pretty much an un-known fruit in the United States but in the past few years, I've had access to them through family and friends who grow them. I have a love-hate relationship with them. I love the sweet, juicy peach colored-flesh, yet I hate the giant pit-like seeds in the center. Also the harvest season is very short and abundant, which means you have to eat or process a huge batch of them at once.

So it's April... and its loquat season. And lucky me, my friend, Jody happened to have a loquat tree in her backyard. She brought over maybe 5lbs of these darling little fruits the other day. I ate and ate and decided I'm not going to be able to eat them all before they were spoiled. I wanted to make something that my little guy can eat and that is when I thought of fruit leather. So easy to make and it also is a great snack for kids.

They're not the most attractive looking things, so I had to put together a little artwork. The image above is inspired by one of my favorite artists, Hong Yi. I absolutely love her food series.

loquat fruit leather
ingredients:

• loquats
• lime juice
• sugar (the amount depends how sweet the fruit is, you may not need it at all)

directions:

1. wash and pit the loquat fruits.
2. place fruit, lime juice and sugar into a blender. (i had about 3 lbs of loquat, 1/4 cup of sugar, and juice form 1-1/2 limes) puree until well blended.
3. line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, then pour the puree into the pan.
4. bake it in the oven at 140 degrees F for 8-12 hours.  
5. store in airtight container.