Watermelon Candy – Dehydrating Yum!

Making Watermelon Candy with Your Dehydrator

It’s summertime and what better way to celebrate then with a juicy watermelon.  But did you know we can also make a delicious, nutritious “candy” snack by dehydrating the melon?

If you follow me on social media you know I love my dehydrator and trying new recipes is so much fun. I want to share with you how to make watermelon candy but first let’s look at what watermelon offers us from a nutritional standpoint.

Watermelon is a powerhouse of nutritional goodness!

Watermelon gives us vitamins A, B6, C, lycopene, antioxidants, amino acids and potassium. With only 40 calories in a cup it packs a lot of amazing nutritional benefits in very few calories.

The antioxidant properties of watermelon deserve special attention. Lycopene is an antioxidant which works by reducing free radicals within the cells. Free radicals are formed when there is stress, pollution, toxins, etc and cause inflammation and therefore disease. Watermelon offers one of the highest concentrations of lycopene of any other food. Lycopene is best known for its ability to reduce prostate cancer cells. Watermelon also contains choline which is another antioxidant that helps keep inflammation down.

Tasty and sweet – it doubles as a healthy candy!

So, aside from all the good benefits for our health, watermelon is tasty and the most popular melon in the United States. Who wouldn’t like to replace some sweets in the house with something that is sweet AND nutritious? This recipe will give you watermelon in the consistency of a taffy.  Replace the fruit roll-ups and gummy bears with this tasty, nutrient packed snack.

As with most dehydrator recipes, you can’t go wrong. Leave the melon on the dehydrator from 8-24 hours checking it about 8 hours to see if its done. Mine goes on over night or even longer and comes out perfect every time. You really can’t go wrong! Enjoy!

The first one is Nesco and I own this one. What I like about it is that you can fit a lot on the racks and it comes with the Jerky Maker kit. The Chicken Jerky is one of my favorites. The cons are that it does not have a timer and it does not compress for storage so it’s requires room in your cabinet. Since when you dehydrate you will most likely not have your dehydrator in your kitchen (gets hot and is noisy so I put it on the screened porch)….you might not care if it has a timer or not since you can leave it overnight for fruits and vegetables and can use your watch or phone to time the jerky.

This second options is a Presto and the pros are that it has a timer and it is able to collapse for easy storage. You may lose a slight bit of space on the racks but I have a client that has this one and loves it. It does not come with the jerky maker so you would have to buy that separate. I’ve listed that below also.

Presto Jerky Maker kit – keep in mind you only need the actually jerky maker because you don’t want to use their packets of seasoning. I have a good recipe for Chicken or Turkey Jerky.

So start dehydrating today! It’s fun and makes great snacks for the entire family!

Watermelon Candy

1 seedless watermelon, cut and sliced into 1/4 inch pieces

Place the slices on the dehydrator so that they do not overlap.  Fill your trays and dehydrate for 8-24 hours, depending on humidity levels, at 135.  I usually leave mine all night up to 18 hours because I do it on the porch where it is more humid.

To keep it fresh store it in the freezer and allow it to defrost for a few minutes before eating.  This is a great treat for kids and adults.  I hope you enjoy it.  I’d love to hear from you so please follow me on social media and drop me a note!

Are you looking to transform your health? Mary works with clients all over the country developing personalized nutrition and exercise plans for weight loss and health. If you’re ready to get started on your journey to health and wellness contact her today!

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