How to Dehydrate Watermelon

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAAAAAAW!!! It warm enough for outdoor picnics, parades, and potlucks.

And watermelon.

Which is the best thing to take to an outdoor picnic, parade, and potlucks.

Why?

Because watermelon is the best!

Unfortunately, watermelon doesn’t keep very long after you slice it, which can be a bad thing if you have leftover watermelon from a picnic, parade, potluck, or dessert.

Fortunately there is an easy way to preserve watermelon and enjoy it all year long – dehydrate it! Yes, you can dehydrate watermelon. The more you know.

It will take a little longer to dry than other fruits due to watermelon’s higher water content but once it is does, dehydrated watermelon tastes even sweeter – just like candy!

How to Make Watermelon Candy

Pin this recipe for later and to share with your friends!

Many people call dehydrator watermelon Watermelon Candy. The instructions and recipe for dehydrating watermelon and making dried watermelon candy are the same.

The only difference is what you call it and what you plan to do with it after you make it. I don’t’ rehydrate it to use in recipes or smoothies so we are cool with calling it candy. A few dried watermelon chips are just the healthy thing to satisfy your sweet tooth!

You will need these ingredients this recipe:

Dehydrator – I have Nesco dehydrator and love it! I got it because it has better reviews than the Excalibur  and they are so right!

Clean a Screen dehydrator liners – crazy helpful for easy clean up and for removing high sugar fruits that tend to cement themselves to uncovered dehydrator trays. Guess how I know?

Watermelon

Cutting Board

Knife

Disclosure: I am including affiliate links for your convenience.

Step by Step Recipe Tutorial

1. Use the cutting board and knife to remove the rind and cut the watermelon into thin cubes or slices. The thinner the slice, the better the fruit will dry.

2. Spread the watermelon chunk  evenly and in a single layer on the Clean a Screen (s )  your dehydrator tray ( s ). If the slices overlap, they may take longer to dry.

I used a  fruit leather tray here because I didn't have enough Clean a Screen Trays for every tray in my dehydrator because I rarely have a job that requires using all of they trays at once. 

3. Dehydrate the watermelon for up to 24 hours at 130 –140 degrees (F ) or longer* until the watermelon is fully dry and without moisture.

My watermelon post took approximately three humid days to dry to the texture I wanted.

Truthfully your watermelon will most likely take longer than 24 hours to fully dehydrate. How long it takes depends depending upon how thick you sliced the watermelon, how much water is in the fruit, the humidity in your area when you are using the dehydrator, and how dry you want the fruit to be at the end of the process.

4. Once the watermelon is fully dehydrated and cool, remove it from the dehydrator tray( s.)

5. Store your home dehydrated watermelon candy in an sealed container (I use an empty mason jelly jars) until you are ready to get your snack on!

Yep, it is that. easy!

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