How to Make Cantaloupe Chips
HEALTHY Cantaloupe Chips! This easy recipe shows you how to make cantaloupe chips with a dehydrator! These naturally sweet chips are such a healthy snack! They’re one of the best Summer recipes!
We just bought a food dehydrator and it’s changing my life. I can’t believe it took me this long to finally get my dehydrating game on!
With a new shiny dehydrator sitting in my kitchen, I have been asking myself the question of “Can *enter vegetable or fruit* be dehydrated?”. You name it, I’ve probably thought of it. Expect lots of dehydrating recipes and experiments in the next few weeks! I can’t be stopped!
We had a few cantaloupes sitting out that we grew this Summer. They’ve just been sitting there, begging for attention. I couldn’t decide what to do with them, besides roasting them for my Roasted Cantaloupe Salad. But then a thought came to myself, “Self, why don’t you dehydrate these babies?”.
You see, I’m kinda obsessed with dried fruit. Dried pineapple is one of my favorite snacks ever. It’s one of my snacks I go to whenever I’m hungry. So if pineapple was delicious, then dried cantaloupe had to be as well, right?
Totally. It’s delicious. The cantaloupe is so naturally sweet you don’t need to add anything. You just cut it into slices, throw it into the dehydrator and out comes leathery crunchy cantaloupe chips. Right now I have a bowl right in front of me. Because of it’s sweetness it’s the perfect solution to not grab that chocolate bar.
So let’s do a cantaloupe dehydrating tutorial!
Grab your cantaloupes and spoon the seeds out.
Then you’re going to cut them up into 1/2 inch slices. The way I do this is I cut each cantaloupe in half. Then I cut each half into fourths. Then I cut each fourth into slices. It’s important to cut them into 1/2 inch slices as if they are bigger they are going to take much longer to dry, but if they are smaller they won’t really turn into chips. I’m bad at estimating the first few slices, so I usually grab my handy measuring tape and look at how 1/2 inch looks. This way I know I’m not going too big or too small. I’ll just measure the first couple and then I’ll be good for the rest.
Then you’ll want to organize all your slices on your dehydrating sheets.
And take a minute and admire how pretty this cantaloupe is, because honestly, it’s gorgeous!
Then into the food dehydrator it goes. I was also drying kale and tomatoes that day. Since cantaloupe is the most juicy I always put on the bottom shelves just in case juice drips from it to other vegetables on the bottom.
Then it gets set to 135 degrees and you’ll wait 16-18 hours. During this time the cantaloupe is going to make your house smell amazing. Neighbors will knock on your door to find out, birds will sit outside your window, your cats will be amazed, your husband will stand in the kitchen looking weird. It really is amazing.
By the way, this is the food dehydrator I have, the Excalibur 3900B 9 Tray. It’s awesome. The 9 trays are worth it. If you have a garden or want to do a bunch at once, you want extra trays. Trust me!
Around the 16 hour mark I will check on them to see how crispy or how leathery they are. It’s really up to when you want to stop depending on how you like them. I like mine a little crisp but still tasting like fruit leather, so I go closer to the 18 hour mark.
And then they come out… look at them!
Seriously, let’s ooh and ahhh these together!
Since you’ve kindly sat through this entire post, I’m even giving you one!
Then I store then in mason jars.
But honestly, they don’t last very long with me around. They are uber delicious. Does anyone still use the word uber?
Enjoy your dried cantaloupe, I think you’re going to love it!
Pamela I remember you sent me some amazing dried pineapple/apples when you did the Christmas Pkg exchange last year – I assumed you already had a dehydrator – if those were done without a dehydrator and tasted awesome, I can only imagine how good these cantaloupe “chips” are!
Awww, thanks Shashi! I’m so excited for it!
Wow Pamela, dehydrated cantaloupe. Love it, I’ve wanted to get a dehydrator and haven’t yet, You have inspired me.
Thanks Suzanne, I’m in love with mine!
Well, I never 🙂 You my friend are super clever. I’ve never even tasted cantelope dried like this…… but I think I really want to. I’m kind of interested in the dried kale too – was it successful as well? Have an awesome day my friend.
Totally, the kale turned out great and super crisp! Hope you’re having a great day too girl!
I have that same dehydrator and I posted almost an identical blog post when I first got it. I dehydrated everything with moisture in it – beets, cantaloupe, carrots, green beans, kale…etc etc etc.
My very old blog post about it: http://makingfoodandotherstuff.wordpress.com/2010/09/27/i-bet-this-can-be-dehydrated/
Very cool! I’ve always been curious about dehydrators! Looks like you are having lots of fun with yours so far! 🙂
I don’t think I have ever tried dried cantelope but at the peak of their ripeness I bet they are super sweet and delicious. Just think how much money you can save as dried fruit here in HK is so expensive…
I have never tried dried cantaloupe! Thanks!
Oohhh! Ahhh! Loving these. CAn’t wait to see what else you will create with this bad boy! I use ‘uber’ al the time, perfectly acceptable I say! 🙂
Love my dehydrator too. I made lots of dried tomatoes, banana and apple chips. Your cantaloupe chips look great, Pamela.
Such a healthy snack! Gotta love it!
Home made cantaloupe chips?!!!! Hope amazing is that! ! Awesome.. 🙂
OMG!!! {if you can say uber, I can say OMG right ;} I have been reeeeeheeeeelly wanting a dehydrator for a very long time. I almost bought some other, cheaper brand but have heard such good things about the Excalibur that I’ve been on the fence. You have totally made up my mind. This is happening. Looking forward to more dehydrator posts!!! oxox
You’ll have to tell me how much you love it when you get it! 🙂
So interesting dehydrated cantaloupe…I can only imagine how delicious it must taste with all the natural sugar concentrated in those slices.
Have a wonderful weekend Pamela 😀
We looove cantaloupe around here – I imagine we’d love this too, should I ever get a dehydrator 🙂 Glad you’re loving yours!
Your pictorials are the best, what a wonderful idea! These chips would be a great snack 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Isn’t a dehydrator sooo life-changing! Obsessed! I miss mine so much…I never had a nice shiny Excaliber though 😉
I can’t believe you can dehydrate canteloupe, though! I would have lot that they contain just too much moisture and not enough actual pulp to stay solid like that. Mind blown. Love this idea Pamela!!
[…] Cantaloupe! I’m obsessed with cantaloupe chips. […]
[…] my fun week of acting like a mad scientist in the kitchen (hello dried cantaloupe chips!), throwing vegetables and fruits in the food dehydrator asking the question “How will this […]
The width of a #2 pencil is approximately 1/4″ and the width of your finger is approximately 1/2″.
[…] to eat will love it dried. Cut in 1/2 inch or 1/4 inch slices, it dries down to a snackable chip. Dehydrating cantaloupe recipe and photo via Brooklyn Farm […]
I have a older dehydrator (round, 5 trays and no control or fan). It has been stored for years and I am 70 and never tried it. I recently did zucinni, green beans and apple. The beans were too small and came out chewy but will work in a soup. I am going to do the cantaloupe now and I am looking forward to many more items to dehydrate.
Have fun Ellie! I think you’ll like these Cantaloupe chips! The options are endless with a dehydrator!
I tried this with honeydew melon. It worked but the result was insanely, almost sickeningly sweet. Are cantaloupes less sweet?
Hey Vincent, I have made cantaloupe chips many times and never found them too sweet. A quick Google search tells me that honeydew is sweeter than cantaloupe. Hope you try this recipe!