The Real Food Candy – Watermelon Jerky
When I was a kid I loved Jolly Ranchers watermelon candy, honestly I am surprised I have any teeth left from all the watermelon Jolly Ranchers I ate. In fact I loved watermelon flavored anything; slurpee, candy, gum, snow cone and taffy. Here is the kicker; I would not eat real watermelon. I hated it in fact. My mom used to say “Leslie, you love watermelon flavor why won’t you eat watermelon?” It was the texture that got me. I did not like the way it felt when I ate it. I was 40 before I learned to eat it. I found when I stopped eating fake food and started eating real food I started craving things like a real watermelon. Now it is a summer favorite in my house! Pass the watermelon jerky!
Preserve Seasonal Watermelon
One of the sad things about watermelon is that there is really no way to preserve it so you can eat it after the season is over. Until now! When I saw this recipe for watermelon jerky I knew I had to give it a try. I was not hopeful that it would taste like the candy I loved as a kid. I mean if I could get a real food Jolly Rancher I knew my life would be complete. LOL! Ok, it was not that serious, but I knew it would make me really happy!
Your Kids Will Love Them
Not only will your kids love to eat them, they will love the process of making them. It is so fun to watch a whole piece of watermelon shrink into the perfect real food morsel that is watermelon jerky. Get them involved, have them set a timer, check the dehydrator or record the event in the time-lapse feature on your cell phone. It will become a new summer tradition.
Watch the Tutorial Here…Tips and Tricks
Watermelon Jerky Recipe
1 ripe watermelon
Cut into 1″x2″ or larger pieces and dehydrate on 130 degrees for 18-48 hours. The time will depend on the type of dehydrator you are using. An oven will work but it needs to be on the lowest setting and rotated often. In an oven it will take at least 48 hours, FYI.
Watermelon jerky not your thing…check out these amazing watermelon recipes!
