Candied watermelon: a snack with 1 ingredient and an honest label

There is something steadying about a treat whose whole ingredient list is 1 word. This is watermelon and nothing else. The dehydrator pulls the water out and lets the fruit's own sugar concentrate until the slices turn chewy and candy-like, with nothing added and nothing to read twice.

Watermelon is a source of vitamin C and of lycopene, a carotenoid that gives the flesh its color and is often studied for its antioxidant activity. Drying does not add anything, it simply lets what the fruit already carries come forward. This is sweetness that came from the field, not from a bag.

It asks for patience more than effort. Slice it, lay it out, walk away, and let time do the rest.

Ingredients

• 1 whole watermelon, rind removed, sliced 1/4 inch thick

A single AIP-compliant ingredient. No swaps needed.

Method

Lay the watermelon slices on the dehydrator trays, leaving at least 1/4 inch of space between pieces so air can move around each one.

Run the dehydrator at 135 F for about 12 hours, until the slices are dry, leathery, and chewy. Thicker pieces may need a little longer.

*Adapted from a-clean-plate*