If you have an applesauce mill that separates puree and seeds/skins automatically, you can skip peeling and coring the apples.

1. peel and core the apples.
2. Chop the apples into cubes.
3. Add apple pieces, lemon juice, and water to a large sauce pan. Simmer on medium heat until the apples are thoroughly soft, stir frequently.
4. Mash with a potato masher, or run through a food mill, or applesauce mill.
5. When the puree is smooth, add sugar to taste. If you use sweet apples the sugar may not be needed. Average sugar addition is a quarter cup per quart of apple sauce.
6. Prepare your baking sheets, or dehydrator trays with plastic wrap or parchment paper.
7. Pour 2-4 cups of applesauce per tray, depending on the size of your dehydrator trays. The goal is 1/4 inch thick on the edge, tapering to 1/8 inch thick in the center for even drying.
8. Activate your oven or dehydrator and place trays inside.
9. Drying time varies between 6-8 hours in the oven, and up to 6 hours in the dehydrator. Rotate trays and flip the fruit leather about half way through the drying time. Dehydrator time can be accelerated if you remove the plastic wrap or parchment paper backing once the fruit leather is dried enough to hold it’s form.
10. When the fruit leather is fully dried it will be shiny, and a bit tacky but not damp. Let it cool before rolling and slicing into strips with kitchen shears.
11. Individually wrap the fruit leather rolls in plastic wrap, and store in a gallon zipper bag in a cool place, like a cold storage room. Each tray should make about ten 1 inch wide and 1 inch thick fruit roll ups.
12. If you are worried about shelf life, store the fruit leather in the freezer or fridge. Fruit leather should last 12 months, about the same as dehydrated apple chips. If your family likes it as much as mine, it won’t last long enough to worry about shelf life.