April 1, 2024

Make Your Own Healthy Sour Watermelon Fruit Snacks

Nothing beats a sour watermelon fruit snack! Follow along with Captain Create to learn how to make your own sour watermelon fruit snacks, filled with fresh watermelon juice, no additive colors or flavors, and less than 2 T of sugar for the whole batch!

Ingredient Spotlight: Gelatin

Have you ever heard of or used gelatin before? Gelatin is an interesting ingredient that causes liquid to solidify and turn into a gummy texture.

Gelatin is a soluble protein that comes from animal tissue, most often cow tissue. This soluble protein is generally odorless and tasteless, but it has a powerful role in today's recipe.

Gelatin is used in most gummy candies and many other desserts. Often these tasty treats are full of artificial colors, flavors, and packed with added sugars. In today's recipe you can learn how to make your own delicious fruit snacks with real ingredients and significantly less added sugar!

Want to learn more about added sugar in our diets? Visit MyPlate's article on how to cut back on excess added sugars.

These Fruit Snacks Make a Great After School Snack

Fun and healthy after school snacks can be hard to find, but these homemade fruit snacks will not disappoint. Simply pair them with an item from another food group. For example, these homemade fruit snacks would go great with mixed nuts, sliced cheese, popcorn or carrot sticks.

Coming home to an after-school snack was a great way for me to wind down from the day when I was in school. It's my hope that you take this recipe as an opportunity to make a healthy afterschool snack for you and your family!

Making Fruit Snacks: The Process

If you've never worked with gelatin before this is a fun way to get started! Here are some general tips about gelatin:

Bloom the Gelatin:
- Sprinkle the powdered gelatin evenly over a small amount of cold water in a bowl. Let the gelatin sit for about 5 to 10 minutes. During this time, the granules will absorb water and swell. Failing to bloom the gelatin properly can lead to lumps or uneven distribution in the final product. Make sure to give the gelatin enough time to absorb water and swell before proceeding. This is usually done with a cool temperature liquid because adding gelatin directly to a hot mixture can cause it to clump or not dissolve properly.
Heat the Gelatin:
- After blooming, gently heat the gelatin mixture. You can do this by gently warming it on the stove or by using short bursts in the microwave. The goal is to dissolve the gelatin completely, but avoid boiling it. Adding gelatin directly to a hot mixture can cause it to clump or not dissolve properly. Always dissolve the gelatin in warm or slightly heated liquid before adding it to hot mixtures.
Incorporate into the Recipe:
- Once the gelatin is completely dissolved and has turned into a clear liquid, you can incorporate it into your recipe. Mix the dissolved gelatin into the other ingredients of your recipe. Stir well to ensure even distribution. When incorporating gelatin into a recipe, thorough mixing is crucial. Inadequate mixing can result in uneven distribution, causing some parts of the final product to have a different texture.
Chill to Set:
- Allow the mixture to cool and set. Gelatin will start to set as it cools and reaches a certain temperature. The exact temperature depends on the recipe, and normally is set in the refrigerator

Sour Watermelon Fruit Snacks Recipe

It's time to make your own sour watermelon fruit snacks! These pack a lot of flavor and are a great way to enjoy a sweet treat made out of healthy ingredients. Enjoy!

Recipe inspired by Unbound Wellness' Sour Watermelon Gummies Recipe

Ingredients:

1.5 cups cubed watermelon (fresh or thawed frozen)
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 oz gelatin powder
2 T granulated sugar

Directions:

Add watermelon to a blender, blend until liquid. Strain into a small pot through a fine mesh strainer. Press pulp with a spatula until all the juice is gone from the pulp.
Add lemon juice and vanilla to the watermelon juice. Sprinkle gelatin powder over the mixture, and let sit for 10 minutes or till the mixture has firmed.
Put the mixture on the stove a heat on low. Stir continuously until mixture is completely liquid again (about 5 minutes).
Pour into a container (I uses a baking pan) and let set in the fridge for at least 1 hour. When ready to eat, sprinkle sugar on top of sliced gummies.

sour watermelon gummies recipe