My kids love eating fresh fruit, but it can be extremely expensive. It is much cheaper if you can buy in bulk, but only if you use the fruit before it goes moldy. Freezing is one option, but I find that a lot of fruits are really only good for smoothies or sauces after freezing. I like to buy a 4 lb package of strawberries at Costco for the ridiculously low price of $6.49, set aside about 1-2 lb for immediate consumption, and make fruit leather out of the rest. This recipe is for strawberries, but you can substitute any kind of berry or combine them. You can also use papaya and mango. This is also a perfect way to use up some fruit that isn't quite bad, but a little bit past its prime. 

• 3 lb strawberries, washed & destemmed
• 1/2 cup brown sugar or sugar in the raw

Preheat oven to 200 degrees, preferably convection. Place the strawberries in a blender and process until liquified. I do not strain it, but if you want a perfectly smooth end product, you can pass the pureed berries through a fine sieve at this point. Pour the berries into a heavy-bottomed saucepan with the sugar and heat over medium high heat until it comes to a boil. Stir thoroughly and reduce heat until you achieve a nice steady simmer. A silicone spatula is perfect for occasionally stirring this mix as it simmers away for about 45 minutes to an hour, but you can also use a wooden spoon. Once the mixture thickens up to about the consistency of a milkshake, remove it from the heat. Pour onto 2 rimmed baking sheets lined with either a Silpat mat or parchment paper. Smooth with the spatula, or better yet a small offset spatula (see pic). It does not have to be perfect, but you want to try to smooth it out into a fairly even layer.

Bake at 200 until the mixture no longer sticks to your finger when touched, 2-3 hours.
If you used Silpat mats, transfer the leather to parchment or wax paper. Spray the blades of a pair of kitchen scissors with Pam or brush with vegetable oil. Cut paper and leather into strips while still warm. Allow to cool fully on a flat surface, roll, and store for up to a month in Tupperware or a Ziplock bag.