Watermelon is often at our tables and it is a favorite summer fruit for many people, including kids. But what about dehydrated watermelon that you can eat all year round? This gluten-free and sugar-free healthy watermelon jerky can be dehydrated easily.
The process of making this snack, often called Watermelon Jerky, is easy to follow and even if you don’t have any experience, you’ll be able to make it. You will need a dehydrator, a knife and cutting board, and a blender. So, how to dehydrate watermelon?
Materials and tools:
- A well ripe and fresh watermelon
- A knife
- A cutting board
- Dehydrator.
Before you begin – How to pick the right watermelon?
In order to have a sweet flavor and quality, you have to find a watermelon that is heavy for its size and has a rich green color.
The best thing you can do is to try a tiny piece before you start dehydrating to make sure you get the right sweetness and taste. This way you will
Step 1: Cut the watermelon into 1/2inch- pieces
The first step would be to slice the watermelon into quarters. Place the watermelon on a cutting board and cut it in half first. Then cut each of the halves into quarters.
Using a slicer, or a knife, slice these watermelon chunks into ½-inch pieces. Let these stay for a few minutes. Also, don’t forget to cut off the watermelon rind.
Step 2: Remove the watermelon seeds from each quarter
The next step is to make sure our pieces are washed and free of seeds. Before you place the watermelon in the dehydrator, make sure to remove all the seeds.
Using a small spoon, gently remove all the seeds from all pieces of watermelon. You don’t want a watermelon candy that has a lot of black seeds in it. So, make sure it’s a seedless watermelon before you dehydrate it.
Step 3: Dehydrate for 8 hours or more if needed
Turn on your dehydrator and preheat it to 135 F degrees. Place all the pieces of watermelon on the dehydrator trays. Make sure you don’t squeeze them too much as there has to be enough space between these to ensure even air flow.
Once the chamber is preheated, place the rack inside and set timer on 8-12 hours. It is a good idea to place these watermelon slices on a parchment paper so the watermelon juice does not drip on a tray.
Step 4 – After 12 hours of dehydrating….
After 12 hours, check the watermelon to see if you need to dehydrate it a bit more. Usually, 12 hours will be enough to make the pieces dried out and thin.
If they are not 100% dry, let them dry for another hour and do check it again. Congratulations – deliciously dried pieces of dehydrated watermelon jerky that anyone will adore are ready! Enjoy your healthy snack – watermelon chips!
Bonus tips & suggestions
To make this recipe even more tasty, we decided to share with you a few secrets tips that will make dehydrated watermelon delicious!
Sprinkle it with lime juice
Sprinkle the pieces with a lime juice before the dehydration to give it a bit sour taste. Dehydrated watermelon tastes a lot better with this juice.
Add mint on top
Do add a freshly cut mint over the top of the pieces, before you start drying. Mint gives the natural and herb-spicy note.
FAQs about dehydrated watermelon
Here are the most frequently asked questions about the process of making dehydrated watermelon as well as storing dried watermelon.
How long should I dehydrate watermelon?
The average dehydrating time is 12 – 18 hours at most. Dry it at 135 F degrees for at least 8 hours and check how it’s going on. Do not dry it longer than 18 hours.
What is the best dehydrator for watermelon?
EXCALIBUR 3948CDB DEHYDRATOR – check out our in-depth coverage of this model.
How to store dehydrated watermelon?
Once completely dried out, place your dehydrated watermelon on parchment paper and then store it in an airtight container.
Does a dehydrated watermelon have an expiry date?
The average lifespan of dried fruit is 4 to 12 months.
