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Biting into a juicy watermelon can be so refreshing and satisfying – it’s one of nature’s most delicious treats! Now that’s just one way of eating a watermelon. There are just so many ways to enjoy them! Has dehydrating watermelon ever come to mind? Well, if you’re looking for a little adventure and a fun way to indulge in that yummy watermelon, you’re gonna love this easy dehydrated watermelon jerky recipe! The whole family, especially the kids, will be in for a special little surprise healthy treat with this one!
In addition to being such a tasty fruit, watermelons are packed with nutritional goodness and tons of health benefits. With every bite, you can expect to get some Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Vitamins B1, B5, B6, Potassium and Magnesium. And some of the health benefits include: promoting heart health, preventing inflammation, improving digestion, healthy skin and hair to name just a few amazing things.
If you ever found yourself at the grocery store, in front of a large pile of watermelons that all look the same, you may be wondering how to pick the best one. The process is fairly simple, and shouldn’t require too much effort. Here are a few quick things you can do:
Once you’ve selected your winning melon, the fun begins!
Making dehydrated watermelon jerky is pretty easy. Waiting for the watermelon dehydration process to complete may be the longest part, but it’s well worth the wait!
You’ll simply start out by cutting the watermelon in 1/4″ circular slices.
Then you’ll want to remove the rind, by cutting the inner part of the melon in a circular direction, until you end up with a round flat circular shape.
After you’ve done that, begin to slice the melon into strips. Then you can cut the strips into half.
The number of slices you’ll want to cut all depends on the amount of dry watermelon jerky strips you want to make, and also on the size of your food dehydrator. In this recipe, we’re using a 9 tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator, which allows for a larger quantity of watermelon strips to be dehydrated. But you can use any food dehydrator size you’d like.
Once your melon strips are ready to go, lay them out evenly on your dehydrator tray and throw them into your dehydrator to get things going.
The results will produce a candy-like jerky texture – you just might end up eating them off the tray before they ever make it into a container.
Check out the instructions below to make these delicious and healthy dehydrated watermelon treats. They’re great to make in bulk and store for long term storage, so that you and the whole family can enjoy them on the go or at any time.
Easy Dehydrated Watermelon Jerky Recipe
Cut watermelon in 1/4″ slices. Make sure your slices aren't to thick.
Cut around the inner part of the watermelon in a circular direction to remove the rind
Cut into long strips at first. Then cut the strips in half.
Place all the watermelon strips on your dehydrator trays. Sprinkle some Sea Salt (optional).
Dehydrate watermelon strips at 135° F for 18 hours or until fully dry. You can flip each watermelon strip after about 9 hours for even dehydration on both sides.
Let cool and then enjoy!
If your watermelon strips are a little watery, use Paraflexx sheets on your trays and dehydrate them that way. Or if you don't have any Paraflexx sheets, place your trays over your sink to allow some of the water to drain from your watermelon strips.