Our Favorite On-The-Go Fresh Snack (with Recipe)

There’s an ongoing joke between me and my husband regarding my favorite food and cravings. Whenever someone asks him what my favorite type of food is, his reply is always “fresh.” This stems from my go-to response of “something fresh” whenever I’m asked what type of food I’m hungry for by him.

There’s always one item that takes over my mind whenever I’m craving something refreshing and “fresh”: watermelon. Not only is it the perfect summertime snack, but it’s hydrating and versatile.

One of Fox’s first words (and still a daily request) is “melon” which refers to the always cut and sliced fresh watermelon that we keep in the refrigerator for anyone to grab and go. It’s the perfect snack for him after he gets home from preschool after long days in the summer sun running and playing.

As you may already know, we recently embarked on a large road trip all over New England for a week. In preparation for our journey, I picked up an assortment of snacks, toys and games, and other refreshments. But even after grabbing item after item to satiate any and all cravings that could creep up during a 7+ hour drive, there was still one thing missing: something fresh. I ended up picking up an extra watermelon that happened to be on sale and headed home.

Our go-to on the drive and during our day trips ended up being these delicious watermelon roll-ups. They were fun and exciting to make and provided a refreshing and sweet treat whenever that craving snuck up on us (being outdoors most days during a massive heat-wave, it happened a lot). I just grabbed a few each morning and threw them in my purse for a quick and easy treat that all of us loved. Here’s the recipe:

Simple Watermelon Roll-Ups

Ingredients:
1 watermelon
1/2 cup sugar (increase or decrease depending on how sweet you want them)

Instructions:
Slice the watermelon into small cubes, add sugar and puree. Transfer to a large bowl lined with cheese cloth or heavy-duty paper towels and strain the juice into a separate container so that only the pulp is left with little to no liquid remaining. Set aside juice as it makes a great drink! Preheat over to the lowest setting (160 degrees for me). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and evenly spread mixture across surface so that it is about 1/4″ thick. Bake for 8-10 hours, rotating the baking sheet every couple hours. The roll-ups should be done when the mixture is no longer sticky to the touch. Place a sheet of parchment paper on top press firmly across the entire surface. Flip the pan over so that the new parchment paper is underneath the watermelon. Roll up length-wise and slice into 1″ rolls.

If you love watermelon as much as we do, you’ve got to check out Watermelon.org for more great watermelon-based recipes (both sweet and savory) and even ways to prepare every part of the watermelon, including the rind! You can even submit your own recipe for a chance to win $500 and be featured on watermelon.org!

 

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.