Fruit roll-ups were a lunchbox staple when I was growing up (along with pudding cups, cheetos, and capri-suns).  The 80s really showed us how fun and processed kid food could be.   I ate my fair share, despite my mother’s ban on high-fructose corn syrup.

No matter what ‘fruit flavor’ roll-up you choose, you will not find that fruit in the ingredients.  Instead you’ll find several types of sugar, cottonseed oil, dyes and artificial flavors.  Funny how if you make them at home the only ingredient is fresh fruit.  They’re tastier and way more fun.

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Mango Roll-ups

Ingredients for one half-sheet (18×13) pan:

• 3 cups mango
• 1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice (optional)

Directions:

Heat the oven to 175 (or as low as your oven will go).

Line a half-sheet pan with parchment paper allowing it to extend up the sides of the pan.  If you have a silicone baking mat, put that on top of the parchment to make it even easier to remove.

Puree the mango in a food processor until it’s smooth.  Add the lemon or lime juice, if desired.  Spread the puree on the pan, about 1/8-inch thick, smoothing it with a spatula to get it as even as possible.

Bake for 4-5 hours, or until the mango is no longer sticky when you touch it, but still pliable.

Loosen up the edges with a spatula.  Place a piece of wax paper over the top.  Turn it upside down, removing the parchment paper or silicone baking mat if used.   Use scissors to trim the edges so they’re even.  Slice the mango and wax paper together into long strips.   Roll up the strips.

Store them in an air-tight container or ziplock bags.