How to Dehydrate Cantaloupes at Home? [4 Ways]

In this article, I will be outlining the best methods to dry cantaloupes from the comfort of your home.

You’ll be requiring your everyday kitchen appliances for the same.

I’ve not only poured my personal experience with drying cantaloupes but have also incorporated hours of research on what food bloggers and experts have to say on drying cantaloupes at home.

There are many ways to dry cantaloupes and I’ve got you covered with the four simplest methods.

Since each of these methods are unique in their own way, let’s kick things off with the most common method referred to for drying cantaloupes at home.

Dehydrate Cantaloupes Using a Food Dehydrator

Using a dehydrator is a great way to dry cantaloupes in bulks for mass storage.

The method takes less than a day and you get perfectly dried cantaloupe slices from the comfort of your home.

Wash the Cantaloupes

Use a produce brush to wash the cantaloupes. Make sure you are using lukewarm running water to get rid of the dirt on the skin of the melon.

Pat-dry the Fruit

Grab some paper towels or a cloth and gently dry the fruit. This helps speed the drying process.

Peel the Cantaloupe

Use a sharp knife to peel the thick skin off the fruit.

Slice the Fruit

Slice the cantaloupe in half and use a scooper to scoop the sticky seeds (core) out.

Proceed by cutting the fruit into thinner slices. The thinner the slices are, the faster the drying process will be.

Arrange the Slices

Place cheesecloth in the center of the oven tray and lay your slices down on top.
Make sure you leave some space between each slice. It’s necessary to do so to allow proper air circulation.

Dry the Slices

Place the tray in the dehydrator and let the slices dry for the required time.

You’ll have to flip the slices halfway through the drying process to let the other side dry as well.

You can increase or decrease the temperature depending on what type of food dehydrator you are using.

Cool the Slices

Once dried, take the tray out of the dehydrator and let the slices cool down before proceeding to store them.

Cantaloupe Using the Air-Drying Technique

Air drying is another method that doesn’t require artificial heat to dry cantaloupes.

The method is performed indoors and takes less than a week before you get perfectly dried cantaloupe slices in the comfort of your home.

Wash your Cantaloupes

Using a produce brush, wash the cantaloupes under warm running water. It’s essential to properly clean the melon before proceeding further.

Pat-dry the Fruit

Use a cloth or some paper towels to dry the skin of the melon. Removing excess moisture will help you dry the melon faster.

Peel the Cantaloupe

Using a sharp knife, peel the thick skin off the fruit.

Slice the Fruit

Slice the cantaloupe in half and use a scooper to scoop the sticky seeds (core) out.

Continue cutting the fruit into thinner slices. The thinner the slices are, the faster the drying process will be.

Arrange the Slices

Place a cookie sheet in the middle of the cheesecloth and place them on a tray.
Keep your slices on top. You need to ensure that some space remains between each slice for proper airflow.

Dry the Slices

Place the tray on a platform or counter and let the slices air dry for the required time.

You will need to place another cheesecloth or cookie sheet on top since you will be placing the tray in your house.

The coverage is to prevent flies, tiny insects, or bugs from coming close or sitting on top of the slices and spoiling them.

This method will or will not work depending on the weather of the region you live in.

Cantaloupes Using an Oven

An oven is one of the fastest methods to dry cantaloupes.

All it takes is 8 hours before you get perfectly dried cantaloupes in the comfort of your home.

However, you will have to leave the oven door open when drying to let excess steam or moisture escape.

Wash the Cantaloupes

Use a produce brush to wash the cantaloupes. Make sure you are using lukewarm running water to get rid of the dirt on the skin of the melon.

Pat-dry the Fruit

Grab some paper towels or a cloth and gently dry the fruit. This helps speed the drying process.

Peel the Cantaloupe

Use a sharp knife to peel the thick skin off the fruit.

Slice the Fruit

Slice the cantaloupe in half and use a scooper to scoop the sticky seeds (core) out. Proceed by cutting the fruit into thinner slices.

The thinner the slices are, the faster the drying process will be.

Arrange the Slices

Place cheesecloth in the center of the oven tray and lay your slices down on top.

Make sure you leave some space between each slice. It’s necessary to do so to allow proper air circulation.

Dry the Slices

Let the slices dry for a minimum of 7 hours. If you’re looking for a more chewy texture, take them out after 7 hours.

If you prefer a crispy texture, let the slices dry for another hour.

During the drying process, leave the oven door a little open.

This is to allow some steam fumes and moisture to escape. Leaving the door open will speed the drying process up.

The Proper Way to Store Dried Cantaloupe

After drying your cantaloupe, you can place it in glass mason jars with regular canning lids.

However, avoid plastic mason jar lids as they don’t keep the dried cantaloupe as airtight as it needs to be.

Therefore, proceed with using metal lids and rings instead.

Then, for best taste, store your jar in your cabinet, cupboard, pantry, or another dry, dark place for up to a year.

To extend the shelf life of dried cantaloupe, you can place your jars in the refrigerator.

Our Take on Which Method is The Best

If you want to dry your cantaloupe in bulks, you can opt for the dehydrator method.

That combined with the oven method is ideal for bulk drying to get perfectly dried cantaloupes at home.

If you are looking for a natural drying method, you can use the sun drying one.

That and the air-drying method are ideal to dry cantaloupes without using any form of artificial heat.

FAQs

Bottom line

Hopefully, this guide has aided you in understanding how to dry cantaloupe at home with ease.

In case you have any queries to ask regarding the process, do let us know.

Feel like we have missed out on something? Let us know any tips we can include in our guide to make it better!

Kindly share this guide with your friends and family to assist them with drying cantaloupe at home.