Peach Leather

This recipe is from "Putting Up: A Year-Round Guide to Canning in the Southern Tradition," by Steve Dowdney (Gibbs Smith, Publisher, $19.99).

Ingredients:

2 pounds peaches, peeled, pitted and puréed

3 cups sugar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Instructions:

Peel, pit, purée and place peaches in a pot. Add sugar and lemon juice. Over medium heat, stirring often, bring to a boil.

Pour thin layers of peach purée onto large, nonstick, shallow pans. Tilt pans to move purée around until thin — but not too thin — and evenly dispersed.

Place sheets in lowest temperature oven. When no longer wet to touch but not crisp-dry (like the texture of leather), remove from oven. Allow to cool. Peel from pan.

On a cutting board, cut into 2½-by-3-inch rectangles. Roll into short side. If removed before too dry, the rolls will stay together.

Roll the peach leather rolls in sugar and store in an airtight jar, zip-close bag or wrap in plastic wrap.

This story was originally published July 16, 2008 at 3:41 AM with the headline "Peach Leather."