Step-by-step instructions: how to dry watermelon in an electric dryer and store the finished product

Watermelon is rarely used for cooking. It is usually eaten separately and in its original form. However, the list of “watermelon” culinary possibilities is wide. It is fermented, fried, jam is made from it, and used in the preparation of salads, desserts, and drinks. It goes equally well with both fruits and vegetables.

Have you tried dried watermelon? Find out how you can use it in cooking in our article.

Dried watermelon: a joke or not

Is it even possible to dry this “water ball”, consisting of 91.5% water? Easily, even up to the chips stage. Watermelon chips will be a wonderful treat during the season when you want this berry, but have nowhere to buy it. In addition, unlike regular chips, watermelon chips are not only much tastier, but also much healthier.

The technology for preparing dried watermelon allows you to preserve all the beneficial substances, and these are:

• most B vitamins;
• ascorbic acid;
• nicotinic acid - a vitamin that improves the functioning of the heart and blood vessels;
• calcium, iron, sodium;
• pectin, highly digestible sugars;
• magnesium - to normalize blood pressure and reduce nervous excitability;
• fiber - to improve digestion;
• Lycopene is a beneficial antioxidant responsible for the red color of watermelon. Among other beneficial properties, it prevents the formation of cancer cells.

Preparing watermelon for drying

For drying, you will need a slightly unripe fruit with dense pulp.

Before drying watermelon in an electric dryer, prepare it:

1. First you need to wash it.
2. Next, cut in half and peel.
3. Then cut into slices. Thickness - approximately 5 mm, width - at your discretion. Keep in mind that when dried, the volume of the pulp will decrease by 10-11 times.
4. We clean the slices from seeds and place them in trays of an electric dryer. Each tray contains one layer of product.

That's it, the watermelon is ready to dry!

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Dry in an electric dryer

The process of preparing dried fruits in an electric dryer is not difficult. It is necessary to correctly install the trays with the product and turn on the device. An important issue is the cooking temperature. At high temperatures, the product will simply bake and there will be no useful substances left in it. At low temperatures, the watermelon will take a long time to dry, which means extra energy costs. The optimal temperature is considered to be 50 °C.

Cooking time depends on the desired result. To obtain lozenges, the product should be dried for at least 12 hours. If you want crispy chips, wait a little longer.

Checking for readiness

It’s easy to check if the delicacy is ready. If your goal is soft lozenges, then you should take one slice and press it with your fingers, bend it in half or break it. If no liquid comes out of it, the dish is ready.

The situation with chips is a little different: when tested, the slice should be crunchy.

How to store

The finished slices are stored in a glass jar or plastic container. Shelf life: 12 months.Dry chips are stored without additives, but before storing lozenges, it is advisable to roll them in powdered sugar so that they do not stick together.

Advice. If you couldn’t stand the agonizing wait and didn’t dry the lozenges to the state of chips, then simply store them in the refrigerator. At this temperature, the sugar contained in the watermelon will caramelize, and the slices will crisp up.

How else to dry watermelon

You now know the standard scheme for drying watermelon. But there are several more unusual ways: for example, candied watermelon (dried watermelon rinds) or salted watermelon chips.

Candied watermelon

When preparing dried watermelon lozenges, a lot of crusts remain, which housewives mercilessly part with - and in other cases we usually throw them away. But they can make quite tasty candied fruits.

To prepare them, do the following:

1. Trim a thin layer of green peel from the rind and discard it.
2. Cut the remaining pulp into small cubes.
3. Boil them in sweetened water. The amount of sugar depends on preference, but they recommend about 0.5 kg of sugar per 1 liter of water.
4. We throw the future candied fruits into a colander. We wait until the excess liquid drains.
5. Load the cubes into the electric dryer. We dry it the same way as slices: at a temperature of 50 °C until the desired condition.

These candied fruits are stored in a plastic or glass container. They are convenient to add to baked goods or drinks.

Important! Such candied fruits are contraindicated for people with diabetes or overweight. You should also limit yourself in case of exacerbation of chronic diseases of the genitourinary system and gastrointestinal tract.

Watermelon rinds for health

The recipe is as follows:

1. We prepare the crusts in the same way by cutting off the green layer.
2. Cut the light pulp into thin slices.
3. We load them into the dryer and dry them at a temperature of 50 °C until the moisture is completely lost. They should become brittle and light.

Ready-made peels are used for medicinal purposes. They retain all the beneficial substances and help with gastrointestinal disorders, constipation or inflammatory processes of the digestive system. These dried peels are taken in the form of a decoction or infusion. Sometimes other herbs are added to such decoctions for greater effectiveness. For example, calendula or yarrow.

To prepare the decoction, pour the crushed dry crusts into 0.5 liters of boiling water and place in a water bath. After twenty minutes of simmering, remove from the heat and let it brew for half an hour. Then the broth is filtered.

Sweet watermelon chips

This method of using watermelon slices will appeal to true gourmets and those with a sweet tooth. For preparation you will need:

• prepared dried watermelon (crispy);
• milk (or dark) chocolate - 100 g;
• pistachios - 50 g.

Preparation:

1. First, chop the pistachios.
2. Then melt the chocolate in a water bath.
3. Then dip each slice of watermelon in chocolate.
4. Finally, sprinkle with pistachios.

The dish for the most sophisticated sweet tooth is ready!

Salty watermelon chips

A special dish is salted watermelon slices. The technology for their preparation is practically no different from the preparation of standard watermelon chips. One difference: before drying, the slices are sprinkled with coarse salt. These chips have an unusual taste - it's worth a try!

Watermelon marshmallow

Watermelon marshmallow will become a memorable treat at any tea party and will successfully decorate your dessert. It is no more difficult to prepare than a simple dried watermelon.

In a dehydrator

Any watermelon is suitable for making marshmallows - an overripe one is also suitable. Loose, fibrous pulp will be just right.

The pastille is prepared in this way:

1. Peel the watermelon from the rinds. Cut the pulp into pieces, remove the seeds.
2. In a deep bowl, grind the pulp with a blender. Squeeze out excess juice. It's better to leave it - it might come in handy for your next culinary experiment.
3. Let's taste it. If the puree is not sweet enough, add a couple of tablespoons of honey, or to taste.
4. Lubricate the marshmallow trays with vegetable oil, put in the puree, and level with a spoon. To prevent the marshmallow from turning out rough, make the layer no thicker than 5 mm.
5. Dry in a dehydrator at 55°C for four hours. Then, lowering the temperature to 40 °C, dry until ready. The finished pastille should not leave marks on the hand when touched.

In the oven

Another experiment - marshmallows in the oven. To prepare it, watermelon honey is prepared from watermelon juice:

1. Filter watermelon juice through cheesecloth.
2. Cook the juice over low heat. During the cooking process, remove the foam with a slotted spoon. Cooking time depends on the sweetness of the watermelon. On average it takes at least three hours.
3. When the juice acquires a consistency like honey, remove it from the heat. It will darken during cooking - this is normal.
4. Preheat the oven to 100°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Lubricate it with vegetable oil.
5. Pour honey into the prepared baking tray and place in the oven.
6. Dry with the door open for 6-8 hours. We check readiness in the same way - there should be no marks left on your hand when you touch the marshmallow. If prints remain, lower the temperature slightly and wait a little longer.

For convenience, the finished marshmallow is cut into squares or long strips.It is permissible to sprinkle with powdered sugar to taste.

Read also:

How to cook delicious and healthy watermelon compote.

How to germinate watermelon seeds correctly and what to do next with the finished planting material.

How to prepare tasty and healthy watermelons in your own juice for the winter.

Conclusion

Preparing food in an electric dryer is an interesting and not too troublesome task. Now you know that watermelon is dried in different ways. The advantage of cooking in a dryer or dehydrator is that with this method of harvesting the berries retain their beneficial substances. As a result, you will receive not just a tasty, but also a healthy treat.