How to Dehydrate Watermelon (Watermelon Candy)

Do you have more watermelon than you can deal with? Learn how to make watermelon candy. This easy DIY food storage recipe to dehydrate watermelon will make your day … and your kids will love it!
dehydrate watermelonSummertime is prime time for watermelon. In fact, I can’t even imagine buying watermelon in the middle of winter that came from across the earth. It’s just wrong. So wrong. We eat as much watermelon as we can get, not only for its dietary contributions but because it just tastes so darned good when it’s perfectly ripe and in season (but a mealy watermelon? ICK!). We invariably end up with watermelon fatigue, though, and need to find a way to store the leftovers in a way that doesn’t end up as a fuzzy science experiment in the back of the fridge.

Thus… watermelon candy. Sure, it’s just a fancy name for dehydrated watermelon, but of all the products we dry, this comes closest to being like candy. Except without all the preparation of trying to create a fruit leather blend.

So let’s get started!

How to Dehydrate Watermelon

How to Pick a Watermelon

Pick a watermelon that feels really heavy for its size and is a good rich color. Expect to find a patchy area where it is yellow/brownish. This is fine – it’s where it was allowed to ripen on the ground instead of being picked early.

dehydrate watermelon

Dehydrating Tools You Might Need

  • Dehydrator (I prefer the Excalibur Dehydrator or Nesco FD-80 Dehydrator) While you can do this in the oven, it takes too long, wastes too much electricity, and I can’t walk away from an oven that’s turned on for hours. You also run the risk of ‘cooking’ the watermelon instead of dehydrating the watermelon.
  • Parchment or wax paper
  • Serated Edge Knife  (or, if you like unitaskers – this cute watermelon cutting knife will go with your watermelon plates and napkins for summer decor)
  • Cutting Board. While I prefer a bamboo cutting board for just about everything, I love this cutting board because of the drip channel, and I can toss it into the dishwasher because it gets pretty sticky with juice.
  • Zip top bags

Prepare the Watermelon

I love a good serrated edge to cut watermelon with. Some like to use electric knives, some like those plastic melon slicers they sell at the store next to the watermelons, others like machetes.

dehydrate watermelonThis is how *I* do it (or better yet my son!) I cut 1/2″ -3/8″ slices of watermelon, then do a quick cut around the inside to remove the rind. Easy peasy. I cut the discs into strips then cut the strips down into about 2-3″ pieces.

Dehydrate Watermelon

dehydrate watermelon

Then I set the slices on my dehydrator trays over the sink. This gives the pieces a chance to drain a little if they are really watery. Once done, I slip them into the dehydrator and set it to 135F for about 8-10 hours. Of course, times may vary depending on the water volume in your watermelon, the strength of your dehydrator, and the humidity level in your home.

After about 6 hours, I turn the pieces over so that both sides can get an equal chance to dry. This is one fruit that I make sure to leave a little space between because there is a  lot of moisture coming out.

You can dry in the oven at 140F for about 15-20 hours. If your oven doesn’t go that low, you can prop the door open. I don’t recommend oven drying for fruit because it heats up your house, it’s dangerous to leave an oven door open for long periods of time, and it ties up your oven for too long.

A helpful tip: Don’t make your pieces too thick. I slice them in half if I think they’re too thick. For me, the thicker pieces get spongy and gummy, which is not a great texture. When done properly, your pieces dry into something like fruit leather.

dehydrate watermelon

I take the trays out of the dehydrator and lift off the pieces, and set them back down. Do you see the dark cross hatches in my trays? That’s where the sugars from the watermelon have adhered the tray/protector together. It’s not damaged, but it does let you see that things get a little sticky :) It washes well in warm soapy water!

Let the pieces cool completely. I find that mine are always a bit tacky, so just storing in an airtight container can leave them stuck together. If yours are really sticky, you’ll want to throw them back in for a while longer.

dehydrate watermelon

Store Dehydrated Watermelon

I then roll mine up in parchment paper, sort of like a commercial fruit roll-up. You can use wax paper, too. Perfect little bite-sized pieces of watermelon goodness, just like a piece of candy. To me, it is one of the fruits that gets an even more intense flavor after dehydrating.

dehydrate watermelonHere’s the thing. For the purposes of this blog post, I forbade everyone in my house to partake of this goodness so that I could get pics. Rarely, and I mean rarely does our watermelon candy need to be stored for long. People keep sneaking pieces left and right. So I can’t tell you how long this will store for sure. We never have it around long enough to figure that part out. It’s suggested 2-4 weeks in storage, and that you can even freeze it (but I’ve never been able to).

Alton Brown has a few ideas of what else you can do with our favorite summer ‘gourd’. You heard that right…watermelon is a vegetable, too! Don’t believe me?

Your thoughts — what other fruit do you love to eat fresh from the dehydrator?

Want to get even more dehydrator tips and techniques? Click below!

101 Dehydrating Recipes & Tips from Mom with a PREP.com

Now…what to do with all that leftover rind….

dehydrate watermelon

Watermelon Rind Pickles

Watermelon Rind Candy

Watermelon Rind Jam

dehydrate watermelon

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Becky is a wildlife enthusiast and pet and livestock care expert with a diploma in canine nutrition. With over a decade of experience in animal welfare, Becky lends her expertise to Simple Family Preparedness through insightful info about pets, livestock, bee keeping, and the practicalities of homesteading.

Last update on 2024-03-19 at 00:02 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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