I have recently bought a watermelon & a cantelope. I was wanting to try drying them. I've heard that the watermelon was as sweet as candy, but what about the other melons (cantelope, honeydew, muskmelon, and a few other lesser known melons)? Will they also be sweeter after dried? Are any of them worth drying? How thick do I need to cut it?

I'm starting with drying foods first (in small quantitys), before I try other preserving methods. If I can't work it out on a small scale first I won't move on to other things (like canning).

animalfarms

-- animalfarms (In) (jwlewis@indy.net), August 21, 2000

Answers

Response to dehydrateing melons

Took a look in my recipes for the dehydrator. Watermelon is listed, but not other melons. Can't see why it wouldn't work. It calls for watermelon slices 1/4" thick, cut off rind, and dried for 8-36 hours at 135 degrees. The book says it comes out pliable and sticky. There's no mention of any sort of melon in the fruit leather recipes.

-- Melina Bush (goatgal1@juno.com), August 21, 2000.

Response to dehydrateing melons

I have tried dehydrating watermelons and canteloupes. They are both very sweet when dried. The watermelons tend to be very thin because they are composed of mostly water. The canteloupes had alittle more form to them. The only thing I found out was that the melon had to be real tasty to make a good dried product, if the flavor is only mediocre it won't taste good when dried.

-- Marlene (mleiby@caprock-spur.com), August 23, 2000.

Response to dehydrateing melons

I don't have an answer but wondered if you tried drying the melons.? I am putting a gift basket together for my son and wife for christmas and would like to know if you have tried honeydew's yet? Good luck

-- carol (dreamgal@about.com), December 04, 2000.