How to Dehydrate Cantaloupe (Cantaloupe Chips)

Looking for a SUPER healthy snack? Try these cantaloupe chips!

Learn how to dehydrate cantaloupe with these step-by-step directions – the result is a delicious, healthy snack that serves as a great way to use a lot of cantaloupe!

The purchase of my food dehydrator about 5 years ago was indeed the best purchase I have ever made in terms of kitchen “power tools”.

Wait a second – “kitchen power tools?” Is that even a thing?

That IS a thing – at least to me!

A really good dehydrator is such a great investment – not only will it help you preserve a lot of fun foods, you can eat a little healthier too!

This week, I’m finding cantaloupe on sale at the market and at $.88 each I am not passing that deal by. I started the week by filling up my dehydrator trays with cherry tomatoes…

Can Cantaloupe be Dehydrated?

But it wasn’t until my middle daughter asked me if she could actually put cantaloupe on the dehydrator to make her own cantaloupe chips.  Well, golly gee – why not??!! Can you dehydrate cantaloupe Mom? 

Why YES YOU CAN!

Believe it or not, cantaloupe is amazing on the dehydrator – perhaps my favorite thing to dehydrate. The result is a super healthy, naturally sweet cantaloupe chip. Perfect for snacking – or, in my case, hiking!

What Else Can I Dehydrate?

Not only can your dehydrator take care of cantaloupe, you can use it for a barrage of other things, too. Here are just a few ideas:

• How to Dehydrate Salsa
• How to Dehydrate Mangoes
• How to Dehydrate Cherry Tomatoes
• How to Dehydrate Pineapple
• How to Dehydrate Cranberries
• How to Dehydrate Kefir Grains
• Dehydrated Green Chile Powder Recipe
• Dehydrated Kale Flakes
• How to Dehydrate Raspberries

You can even use your dehydrator to make your own veggie salt like this Rosemary Radish, or Mushroom Salt, too!

How to Dehydrate Cantaloupe

Dehydrating cantaloupe is so easy it’s wild – this is your DIY in a nutshell:

• Cut the cantaloupe in half, scoop out the seeds.
• Cut each half in half, and that half in half (now you have quarters)
• Use a paring knife to cut the cantaloupe away from the skin as if you were eating it the regular way
• Then slice those into long strips – about 1/8-1/4″. Not too thick, but not too thin.
• Place on your dehydrator trays, leave space between.
• Dehydrate for 12-14 hours at 135 degrees F.
• When they are done, they’ll be leathery.
• Store in a ziplock bag or canning jar away from moisture in a cool, dark area.

Boom ✨🙌💥 – that’s it! You have your own cantaloupe chips! 

Before you start.... you will need to know that cantaloupe on the dehydrator smells absolutely incredible. Your house will fill with the most unbelievable scent of cantaloupe! 

So good, in fact, that you might attract everything to your house for a number of hours! The kids will come out of their bedroom, wondering what smells SO good!

FAQS ABOUT DEHYDRATING

Typically speaking, it takes 12-14 hours for your cantaloupe to dehydrate. However, the actual time will depend on certain factors, such as:

• your humidity levels in your home
• thickness to which you cut your pieces
• your dehydrator specs – whether it has a circulating fan or fan that operates from the bottom and blows up
• dehydrating temp
• how many times you open and close the dehydrator lid (this is so me!)

WHAT DEHYDRATOR WORKS BEST?

I’ve used several dehydrators and they all work relatively well. Use what you can afford at the time – lower cost dehydrators may require you to rotate the trays frequently.

• Excalibur Dehydrator
• Magic Mill Dehydrator
• Elite Gourmet Dehydrator
• Hamilton Beach Dehydrator (this is what I currently use)

Ready to dehydrate? Then let’s do it!

Did you dehydrate cantaloupe?

If you did, please take a second to rate the recipe and leave a comment to let me know how it turned out!