Whether you're calling it watermelon candy or dried watermelon jerky dehydrated watermelon is a summertime treat everyone will love.
This stuff tastes amazing.
If you love watermelon you are going to go crazy for this easy summer fruit dehydrator recipe.
One bite of dehydrated watermelon and you will understand why this stuff is called watermelon candy.
This stuff tastes so good you will have a hard time not eating it until it is all gone.
On the first bite, your mouth is flooded with a tartness that immediately turns into the sweet flavors of a wedge of fresh watermelon.
Imagine the best icy cold piece of watermelon you bite into on a hot summer day.
Dehydrated watermelon is an easy snack recipe that is also perfect for camping and hiking.
Dried fruit like watermelon, Dehydrated Pineapple, and Dried Cherries are some of the easiest homemade snacks you can make.
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Recipe Prep
- Set your food dehydrator up on a stable surface.
- Line each of the trays with a plastic mesh screen.
- Carefully cut the watermelon into quarters.
- Place a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl.
- Cut one-quarter of the watermelon into manageable size pieces that will fit on a mandolin, if using.
- Carefully, using a sharp knife cut the watermelon rind from the small pieces of watermelon.
- Use a mandolin placed over a bowl to slice the watermelon into ¼ inch thick pieces. Or use a sharp knife the cut the watermelon chunks into ¼ inch slices.
Watermelon is 92% water and 6% sugar. Removing as much of the watermelon juice from the sliced pieces is an important step for two reasons.
The most important reason is to avoid excess liquid from dripping down into the base of the dehydrator and ruining the appliance.
The second reason is to speed up the drying process. The more moisture the fruit contains when you load the dehydrator trays the longer it will take for the fruit to dehydrate completely.
Dehydrating mistakes to avoid
- Drying method: a proper dehydrator should be used when possible. The oven set on a low temperature can be used for dehydrated food that will not be stored for an extended period of time. The heat of the oven may not go low enough to allow the optimal dried fruit or vegetable texture.
- The cut: properly cutting the fruit is one of the most important steps when it comes to dehydrating. Fruit or vegetables cut too thick might dry unevenly or not dry completely. Too thick and it will take way longer to dehydrate.
- Drying temperature: The recommended drying temperature for fruit is 135 F. degrees.
- Dehydrating time: The average drying time for ¼ inch thick slices of fruit like watermelon is about 8 to 12 hours. Drying times are variable because the thickness of the fruit pieces, the evenness of the slices, the humidity in your home, and the air temperature all play a part when it comes to dehydrating.
How long does it take to dehydrate watermelon?
For me it took about 11 hours in my dehydrator set at 135 F. degrees.
For you, the dehydrating time may vary based on the environment you are dehydrating the watermelon in.
If you are using a dehydrator that doesn't have the ability to set the drying temperature like the Presto Dehydro Electric Food Dehydrator (not currently available on Amazon) like I had been using until recently it may take less time to make dried watermelon because the temperature of that dehydrator is set at 165 F. degrees.
Currently, I am using a Presto Digital Electric Food Dehydrator that has an adjustable dehydrating temperature.
Ingredients
- 1 small to medium seedless watermelon
Tools Needed
- Dehydrator: Use whichever dehydrator you have or you can buy an inexpensive one on Amazon.
- Mesh Screens: Some dehydrators come with a couple of fine mesh screens. I bought extras because I prefer using them to line the dehydrator trays for all of the fruits and vegetables I dehydrate.
- Plastic cutting mats: I always use an inexpensive plastic cutting mat when I am slicing or dicing fruits or vegetables.
- Sharp knives or a vegetable mandolin: I always use a mandolin to slice my fruits and vegetables when drying into ¼ inch slices. A sharp knife can be used if you don't have one.
Directions
- Carefully cut the whole watermelon into quarters which will be easier to manage. Cut each quarter into smaller pieces.
- Use a sharp knife to remove the rind and all of the white leaving just the red flesh of the watermelon. If you will be using a vegetable mandoline slice the watermelon pieces so they will fit on the mandolin you are using.
- If using a knife to slice the watermelon you can cut the pieces of the watermelon into any size you like. The size of the pieces of melon you cut and then dehydrate will determine how large the snack pieces of dried watermelon you will end up with. Keep in mind dehydrated fruit shrinks about 50% during the dehydrating process.
- As you slice the watermelon place the slices in a colander over a bowl so the watermelon juice will drain. Once the watermelon has drained a few minutes arrange the pieces in a single layer on a dehydrator tray that has been lined with a fine mesh screen. Place the tray once filled on a cookie sheet or in the sink until you have filled all of the dehydrator trays. This is so the juice does not pool in the bottom of the dehydrator as you work.
- Once all of the trays are filled place the lid on the top tray and turn the dehydrator on.
- Dehydrate the fruit for 8 to 11 hours or until the watermelon pieces are evenly dried. The watermelon will be tacky and flexible once dried completely.
- Allow the dehydrated fruit to cool to room temperature before storing it in an airtight container.
- Half of a medium watermelon will make about 1-quart jar of dehydrated watermelon pieces.
More Dehydrator Recipes
You can find all of my dehydrating recipes on the Food Dehydrator Recipes page.
More watermelon recipes
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Dehydrated Watermelon
Ingredients
- 1 medium seedless watermelon
- water
Instructions
- Wash the outside of the watermelon with cold water.
- Carefully cut the whole watermelon into quarters which will be easier to manage. Cut each quarter into smaller pieces.
- Use a sharp knife to remove the rind and all of the white leaving just the red flesh of the watermelon. If you will be using a vegetable mandoline slice the watermelon pieces so they will fit on the mandolin you are using.
- If using a knife to slice the watermelon you can cut the pieces of the watermelon into any size you like. The size of the pieces of melon you cut and then dehydrate will determine how large the snack pieces of dried watermelon you will end up with. Keep in mind dehydrated fruit shrinks about 50% during the dehydrating process.
- As you slice the watermelon place the slices in a colander over a bowl so the watermelon juice will drain. Once the watermelon has drained a few minutes arrange the pieces in a single layer on a dehydrator tray that has been lined with a fine mesh screen. Place the tray once filled on a cookie sheet or in the sink until you have filled all of the dehydrator trays. This is so the juice does not pool in the bottom of the dehydrator as you work.
- Once the watermelon has drained a few minutes arrange the pieces in a single layer on a dehydrator tray that has been lined with a fine mesh screen. Place the tray once filled on a cookie sheet or in the sink until you have filled all of the dehydrator trays. This is so the juice does not pool in the bottom of the dehydrator as you work.
- Once all of the trays are filled place the lid on the top tray and turn the dehydrator on.
- Dehydrate the fruit for 8 to 11 hours or until the watermelon pieces are evenly dried. The watermelon will be tacky and flexible once dried completely.
- Allow the dehydrated fruit to cool to room temperature before storing it in an airtight container.
- Store the dried watermelon in zip lock bags or air tight container.
Video
Recipe Expert Tips
Tools needed to make dehydrated watermelon
- Dehydrator: Use whichever dehydrator you have or you can buy an inexpensive one on Amazon.
- Mesh Screens: Some dehydrators come with a couple of fine mesh screens. I bought extras because I prefer using them to line the dehydrator trays for all of the fruits and vegetables I dehydrate.
- Plastic cutting mats: I always use an inexpensive plastic cutting mat when I am slicing or dicing fruits or vegetables.
- Sharp knives or a vegetable mandolin: I always use a mandolin to slice my fruits and vegetables when drying into ¼ inch slices. A sharp knife can be used if you don't have one.
- Makes: Half of a medium watermelon will make about 1-quart jar of dehydrated watermelon pieces.
Dehydrating Mistakes To Avoid
- Drying method: Use a proper dehydrator should be used when possible. The oven set on a low temperature can be used for dehydrated food that will not be stored for an extended period of time. The heat of the oven may not go low enough to allow the optimal dried fruit or vegetable texture.
- The cut: properly cutting the fruit is one of the most important steps when it comes to dehydrating. Fruit or vegetables cut too thick might dry unevenly or not dry completely. Too thick and it will take way longer to dehydrate.
- Drying temperature: The recommended drying temperature for fruit is 135 F. degrees.
- Dehydrating time: The average drying time for ¼ inch thick slices of fruit like watermelon is about 8 to 12 hours. Drying times are variable because the thickness of the fruit pieces, the evenness of the slices, the humidity in your home, and the air temperature all play a part when it comes to dehydrating.
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