Quick Treatments: So-So Watermelon
“Jolly Rancher candy” flavor from so-so watermelon slices
"The biggest surprise was when I dehydrated watermelon and basically made Watermelon Jerky. It took about a day in my dehydrator -- just about 24 hours on the dot. It all started with too much watermelon. One weekend I bought a watermelon for eating fresh, and for pickling the rinds too (because I never let any part of a watermelon go to waste). We had friends visiting, and they each brought a watermelon too. So after using a giant watermelon in fresh salads, and making Watermelon Salsa, I decided to dehydrate the rest. I didn’t know what would happen but the result was so pretty. And the flavor – it was shocking to me. They weren't great watermelons to begin with, but when their flavors concentrated – I liken it to those ruby red Jolly Rancher watermelon-flavored hard candies. Hard to believe there was that much watermelon flavor in those so-so watermelons! More proof that dried fruit is nature’s candy!
Basically, you cut the watermelon into big rounds. The slices will shrink in thickness but maintain their original shape, unlike dehydrated apples, whose edges curl up." (Brook Hurst Stephens of Learn To Preserve, Washington State)
