Dehydrated Watermelon is one of the best dried fruits. It is sweet and a little chewy, with the texture of watermelon jerky and the taste of watermelon candy.
Dried watermelon is a great snack because it tastes like jolly rancher candy but is still fruit! It is an easy snack to bring hiking, camping, fishing, or to send in a school lunch. I love to make a mix of broken pieces of dried watermelon and dried strawberries to serve along with homemade granola or to toss into a side salad with dried cherry tomatoes.
This dried watermelon is a little thicker than the watermelon jerky that you can get at Trader Joe’s, but the taste is the same because it is just watermelon – it has no added sugars!
Watermelon is one of our favorite fruits, but in the summer months, we sometimes grow too many of them and have excess fruits. We hate food waste, so I love to dehydrate some slices to save for snacking. We love to have watermelon taffy for trips, and small watermelon chips are a great addition to homemade trail mix.
Table of Contents
- ❓ What Does Watermelon Jerky Taste Like?
- 🍊 Is Watermelon Jerky Healthy?
- 🥘 Ingredients Needed
- 🍉 How to Pick a Watermelon
- 🍽 Equipment Needed
- 🥣 How to Dehydrate Watermelon
- ♨️ How to Dehydrate Watermelon in the Oven
- 🛍️ Condition the Dried Watermelon Slices
- 🙋♀️ Frequently Asked Questions
- 🍲 Serving Size
- 🫙 How to Store Dried Watermelon
- ⏲️ How Long Does Dried Watermelon Last?
- ✏️ Helpful Tips
- Other Fresh Garden Recipes
- Dehydrated Watermelon Jerky (Dried Watermelon) Recipe
❓ What Does Watermelon Jerky Taste Like?
Dehydrated watermelon is a very polarizing treat. Some people love it, and some people hate it. To me, it tastes like a Jolly Rancher candy. Just talking about it makes my taste buds pucker up in anticipation. It is very sweet and a little chewy, like taffy. If you like it, you will love it, and dehydrated watermelon jerky is an addicting snack.
🍊 Is Watermelon Jerky Healthy?
Yes! Watermelon jerky tastes just like a healthy candy – but it is still fruit. A single serving of dehydrated watermelon has almost a full day’s worth of Vitamin A and Vitamin C.
🥘 Ingredients Needed
Here you go – watermelon jerky is made from one ingredient only – fresh watermelon. Seedless watermelon is easier to use as you don’t have to pick out the black seeds 😉
🍉 How to Pick a Watermelon
Try to choose a perfectly ripe watermelon with a yellow or light brown circle on the end – that is a sign that it was allowed to ripen on the vine and should be nice and sweet. It should also feel heavy for its size.
🍽 Equipment Needed
- A Food Dehydrator – I like to use my big Excalibur Dehydrator or my smaller, cheaper dehydrator. (You can also make this in the oven.)
- A Cutting Board and a Sharp Knife.
🥣 How to Dehydrate Watermelon
Dehydrating a perfect summer watermelon and making it into sweet, yummy dehydrated watermelon slices is so easy.
You can cut the watermelon up however you find to be the easiest – I like to cut it in half and then from there into quarters. (I like to put a layer of dish towels under my cutting board because watermelon juice makes a huge, sticky mess.) (Picture 1 – 2)
After slicing the watermelon into quarters, slice the skin and rind off in chunks, trying to get as much of it as possible. (Picture 3) I like to then save the rind to make candied watermelon rind, watermelon rind preserves, pickled watermelon rind, or fermented watermelon rind pickles. Remove any watermelon seeds.
Now, slice the watermelon into half-inch slices, then in half again. (Pictures 4 – 5)
I then like to cut the quarter-inch slices in half across the middle so that the pieces are not too big – about 2-inch slices. (Picture 6)
Now, line the trays of your dehydrator with the watermelon chunks. (Picture 7) Cover the dehydrator and then let it do all the work. It has a lot of water in it (water-melon…), so it will take time to dry out. (Pictures 9 – 10)
On a dehydrator without a temperature setting, it will take 8-12 hours.
If you can set the temperature of your dehydrator, set it to 135°F for 18 – 24 hours. It will take longer, but the watermelon tastes sweeter and has a better flavor if it dries slower.
If you check on the watermelon throughout the dehydration process, there will be three main stages: still normal watermelon, dried out and a little puffy, and then ready to eat – chewy but snaps if you bend it. Flip the watermelon slices over halfway through the dehydrating process to prevent sticking to the dehydrator trays.
♨️ How to Dehydrate Watermelon in the Oven
First, slice the watermelon as directed above.
Next, place the slices on a cooling rack lined with parchment paper wire over a cookie sheet with edges. For easier cleanup, you can line the cookie sheet with aluminum foil. The wire rack helps with airflow under the fruit and keeps the watermelon from cooking on the bottom instead of drying out.
Dry/bake the watermelon at 170° (or the lowest temperature your oven has) for 4-6 hrs, checking every hour or so as needed to make sure they don’t burn. Keep an eye out to make sure the watermelon doesn’t burn.
Flip the slices over halfway through the drying process to keep them from sticking.
🛍️ Condition the Dried Watermelon Slices
Before putting the dehydrated watermelon in long-term storage, condition it for 5-7 days. This means transferring it to an airtight container and observing it, then checking it for moisture every day. If there are signs of moisture, all of the watermelon slices should go back into the dehydrator.
Once it is fully dried out, the watermelon jerky can be stored.
🙋♀️ Frequently Asked Questions
You can make candied watermelon rind, watermelon rind pickles, and watermelon rind preserves. You can also make watermelon rind tzatziki!
When a watermelon is ripe, it will have a yellow patch on the bottom. It will also seem pretty heavy for its size (full of water!) but also sound like a drum if you tap on it. (You want a hollow thunk sound instead of a shallow tap/knock.)
🍲 Serving Size
You can eat a lot of dried watermelon really easily and not realize it and end up with a pretty upset stomach – so just be cautious!
🫙 How to Store Dried Watermelon
Store the thin slices of dried watermelon in a glass mason jar or airtight container, ideally with a desiccant packet. The packet will absorb extra moisture so that the watermelon jerky stays perfectly fresh.
What is a Desiccant Pack/Packet?
Desiccant packets are those little silica gel packets you find in your new shoes that say “DO NOT EAT!!” all over them. The idea is that they should actively absorb any moisture in the container that they are stored in so that whatever they are stored with does not; so dehydrated foods, leather goods, etc. Be sure that you use a food-safe brand and that you use the right size for your storage. (You don’t need a 50 gram pack in a small mason jar!)
I like to use Wisedry 5 gram Packs for most of my food storage. They are small enough for a jar, and the beads change color to a dark green when saturated with moisture so you know to change out the pack. (Once you take out a pack, you can “recharge it” by drying it back out and reusing it, which is also really cool.)
⏲️ How Long Does Dried Watermelon Last?
Dried watermelon lasts a pretty long time. It will last at least 6 months, but you will probably finish it a lot sooner.
✏️ Helpful Tips
- Watermelon jerky is also really good with a sprinkle of Tajin Seasoning on top (Chili Lime Watermelon Jerky, similar to what you can get from Trader Joe’s!) Add the Tajin after a few hours of cooking so that it stays near the outside of the watermelon as it dries, and you can really taste it.
- Add a little lime juice to the watermelon slices before drying them.
- I recommend storing dried fruit in glass containers as opposed to plastic so that it does not absorb the taste of the plastic.
- Watermelon is pretty sticky – you can cover your dehydrator trays with parchment paper if desired. Cut a few slits in the paper to allow air to circulate through it.
Other Fresh Garden Recipes
- Shrimp, Corn, and Okra Succotash
- 5 Minute Easy Homemade Salsa
- Homemade Peach Lemonade
- Instant Pot Collard Greens and Southern Style Collard Greens with Bacon
- Instant Pot Southern Style Green Beans and Crock Pot Green Beans
Have You Tried This Recipe?
Please rate it and leave a comment below. I would love to hear what you think!
Dehydrated Watermelon Jerky (Dried Watermelon)
Ingredients
- 1 ripe watermelon seedless recommended
Optional
- Tajin Seasoning this is really good sprinkled on the watermelon
Instructions
- You can cut the watermelon up however you find to be the easiest – I like to cut it in half and then from there into quarters. (I like to put a layer of dish towels under my cutting board because watermelon juice makes a huge, sticky mess.)1 ripe watermelon
- After slicing the watermelon into quarters, slice the skin and rind off in chunks.
- Try to get as much of the rind off as possible.
- Now, slice the watermelon into ¼ – ½ inch thick slices.
- Then slice those slices in half.
- And then cut them in half one last time.
- Line the trays of your dehydrator with the watermelon chunks.
- Cover the dehydrator and let it do all the work. It has a lot of water in it (water-melon…) so it will take time to dry out. On a dehydrator without a temperature setting, it will take 8 – 12 hours. If you can set the temperature of your dehydrator, set it to 135°F for 18 – 24 hours. (It will take longer but the watermelon tastes sweeter and has a better flavor if it dries slower.)
- If you check on the watermelon throughout the dehydration process, there will be three main stages: still normal watermelon, then dried out and a little puffy…
- And finally, ready to eat – its chewy but snaps if you bend it.
How to Dehydrate Watermelon in the Oven
- First, slice the watermelon as directed above.
- Next, place the slices on a cooling rack lined with parchment paper wire over a cookie sheet with edges. For easier cleanup, you can line the cookie sheet with aluminum foil. The wire rack helps with airflow under the fruit and keeps the watermelon from cooking on the bottom instead of drying out.
- Dry/bake the watermelon at 170° (or the lowest temperature your oven has) for 4-6 hrs, checking every hour or so as needed to make sure they don't burn. Keep an eye out to make sure the watermelon doesn't burn.
- Flip the slices over halfway through the drying process to keep them from sticking.
Condition the Dried Watermelon Slices
- Before putting the dehydrated watermelon in long-term storage, condition it for 5-7 days. This means transferring it to an airtight container and observing it, then checking it for moisture every day. If there are signs of moisture, all of the watermelon slices should go back into the dehydrator.
- Once it is fully dried out, the watermelon jerky can be stored
Notes
Serving Size
You can eat a lot of dried watermelon really easily and not realize it and end up with a pretty upset stomach – so just be cautious!How to Store Dried Watermelon
Store dried watermelon in a glass mason jar, ideally with a desiccant packet. The packet will absorb extra moisture so that the watermelon jerky stays perfectly fresh. Tips- Watermelon jerky is also really good with a sprinkle of Tajin Seasoning on top (Chili Lime Watermelon Jerky!) Add the Tajin after a few hours of cooking so that it stays near the outside of the watermelon as it dries, and you can really taste it.
- I recommend storing dried fruit in glass containers as opposed to plastic so that it does not absorb the taste of the plastic.
What can you make with watermelon rind?
You can make candied watermelon rind, watermelon rind pickles, watermelon rind preserves, or tzatziki!How do you know if a watermelon is ripe?
When a watermelon is ripe, it will have a yellow patch on the bottom. It will also seem pretty heavy for its size (full of water!) but also sound like a drum if you tap on it. (You want a hollow thunk sound instead of a shallow tap/knock.)Nutrition
Nutrition information is approximate and is automatically calculated, so should only be used as a guide.
