cucumber spears on dehydrator tray - ready to be dehydrated and made into pickles. — I cut most of the cucumbers into spears, with the anticipation of turning the dehydrated cucumbers into pickle spears down the road.

When I saw cucumbers on sale for just $0.99 a pound, I couldn’t pass up the deal. I bought a bunch—definitely more than we could eat fresh before they went bad. I quickly froze some (check out my post on how to freeze cucumbers), but I still had plenty left. I considered making pickles (I’ve got a post on that, too), but my pantry’s still stocked from last year. That’s when I started looking into how to dehydrate cucumbers—and I’m so glad I did.

Why Dehydrate Cucumbers?

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You may not think of cucumbers as something you’d dehydrate, but there are some big benefits.

🥒 Crispy pickles without canning – According to The Ultimate Dehydrator Cookbook (Amazon – this is my go-to dehydrating resource), you can make refrigerator pickles from dehydrated cucumber spears or slices—and they stay crisp! That alone made it worth trying.

🥒 Perfect for small pantry spaces – Dehydrated food shrinks down significantly, which is great when you’re short on storage space (like me!).

🥒 Flexible snack or prep item – Enjoy them as crispy chips, toss them in soups or smoothies, or use them for pickles later. In other words, once you make and can pickles, there aren’t a whole lot of options for what to do with them. But dehydrating plain cucumbers keeps your options open for future use.

Step 1: Blanch (Only If Keeping the Peel)

all the items needed for blanching cucumbers in preparation for dehydrating them. — My setup for blanching cucumbers before dehydrating. I put a pot of water on to boil, and had my cucumbers washed and ready for blanching. I had tongs and a bowl ready for removing the cucumbers and setting them aside to cool.

If your cucumbers have the peel on (like mine did), you’ll need to blanch them before slicing. This step removes the waxy coating and softens the skins, helping them dehydrate better.

If you plan to peel the cucumbers, you can skip this step entirely and go straight to slicing.

Here’s what I did:

Brought a pot of water to a boil.
Blanched whole, unpeeled cucumbers, one at a time, for exactly 30 seconds.
Immediately put them aside so they could cool.

A single cucumber in a pot of boiling water. — I only put one cucumber at a time into the pot, both because it would be hard to fit more in, and also because the instructions said to blanch them for exactly 30 seconds. It would be harder to be precise with the time if multiple cucumbers were in the pot at the same time.

holding a cucumber down into boiling water with some tongs. — One problem that I had was that the cucumbers kept bobbing up above the water. I used tongs to hold them into the boiling water for the entire 30 seconds.

Using tongs to remove a cucumber from boiling water. — I used tongs to remove the cucumbers from the water at the 30-second mark.

Putting the blanched cucumber into a bowl to cool. — I put the cucumbers into a bowl to cool as soon as I removed them from the boiling water.

Step 2: Slice or Spear the Cucumbers

Once blanched (or peeled), it’s time to prep the cucumbers.

I started by trimming off both ends.

A cucumber laying next to a mason jar that is on the side. This was done so that the cucumber can be cut to the right size to fit into the jar. — Laying the cucumber next to the jar let me know how much of the end to cut off so that the remainder would be the perfect size for cucumber spears.

Then, I figured out the ideal length for spears by laying a quart-sized mason jar on its side and holding a cucumber next to it.

A cucumber with part cut off to make it the right size to fit into a mason jar. — On the left is the part of the cucumber I’ll use for spears, and on the right is what I’ll cut into slices.

I trimmed the cucumber so it would fit nicely into the jar, then saved the cut-off ends to make cucumber slices.

Here’s how I prepped:

💡 Important Update: After testing both spear-cut and sliced cucumbers in a pickle recipe, I found that slices work much better than spears for making refrigerator pickles from dehydrated cucumbers.
👉 Be sure to read my post on making pickles from dehydrated cucumbers before you dehydrate, especially if you plan to use them for pickling later!

Cucumber cut in half lengthwise. — Start by cutting the spear portion in half lengthwise.

Cucumber spears - cut into 4ths. — Then cut the cucumber into 4 spears

Using a knife to cut the cucumber 4ths in half, to end up with 8 spears per cucumber. — Cut each spear in half again, to end up with 8 spears per cucumber. I was tempted to leave them larger, but was concerned they wouldn’t dehydrate all the way through if they were too large.

Cut each cucumber lengthwise in half, then cut each half into 4 spears (for 8 spears total).
Sliced the leftover ends into round chips.

Step 3: Load the Dehydrator Trays

Arrange the cucumber slices and spears in a single layer on your dehydrator trays. Make sure they don’t overlap so air can circulate.

Dehydrator tray with cucumber spears not yet dehydrated. — I laid the cucumbers on the dehydator tray with room between each spear so they would dehydrate better.

Sliced cucumbers on dehydrator trays. — I did the same with cucumber slices.

Step 4: Dehydrate the Cucumbers at 125°F for 8–12 Hours

Set your dehydrator to 125°F (52°C). I initially ran mine for 12 hours.

A Cosori dehydrator filled with cucumbers, with the temperature set at 125 degrees Fahrenheit. — I set the temperature at 125 degress Fahrenheit.

A Cosori dehydrator filled with cucumbers with the time set for 12 hours. — And I set the time for 12 hours.

Here’s what happened:

At 8 hours, everything was still very limp.
At 12 hours, the thinner pieces were dry, but many spears were still bendy.

Testing a dehydrated cucumber spear. It was very "bendy" which means it still has a lot of moisture in it and needs to go back into the dehydrator. — This cucumber spear was clearly not fully dehydrated, as it was very flexible. When fully dehydrated, it should snap in half, rather than bend.

I transferred everything to my Cosori mini dehydrator (Amazon) to finish drying—since the cucumbers had shrunk and I wanted to save on electricity. Having this smaller dehydrator has been a game changer for me because it does help me use less electricity when dehydrating a smaller batch, or when I have a small amount of food that needs more time in the dehydrator.

The Cosori mini-dehydrator set at 125 degres Fahrenheit. — I set the dehydrator at 125 degrees Fahrenheit.

The Corsori mini-dehydrator set for 2 hours. — And I set the time for 2 hours, since the remaining cucumbers were close to being completely dehyrated.

Step 5: Test for Dryness

Dehydreated cucumber slices with one slice broken in half which indicated it was completely dehydrated. — The above example is how the cucumbers will easily snap in two when fully dehydrated.

Cucumber slices and spears are done when they feel dry and snap cleanly in half. If they still bend, they need more time.

Step 6: How to Store Dehydrated Cucumbers

Dried cucumbers are fragile and can potentially crumble.

While The Ultimate Dehydrator Cookbook (Amazon) advises not vacuum sealing due to how fragile dehydrated cucumbers can be. I found that vacuum sealing in mason jars (not bags) worked just fine. Since the food isn’t compressed, it stayed intact.

dehydrated cucumber spears in a mason jar, with a mason jar vacuum sealer on top. — Can you believe that 40 dehydrated cucumber spears fit into a single pint jar? Remember that I cut them to fit into quart size jars, but since they shrunk in both width and height, I was able to put them into a pint jar for storage.

A top view of the mason jar vacuum sealer with a digital display showing 33 which indicates the vacuum sealer had been running for 33 seconds. — It took about 33 seconds using the vacuum sealer to seal the pint jar.

A half pint jars filled with dehydrated cucumber slices, and a pint sized mason jar filled with dehydrated cucumber spears. Both jars were vacuum sealed. — I sealed both the half pint and pint jars so they will last for a long time in the pantry. Note that vacuum sealing isn’t advised in bags, since the dehydrated cucumbers are fragile.

✅ Storage options:

Mason jars with tight lids (vacuum sealed or not). If you choose to vacuum seal, here is the mason jar vacuum sealer that I used, that I picked up on Amazon.
Mylar bags with oxygen absorbers
Ziptop freezer bags inside a rigid container

Store your dehydrated cucumbers in a cool, dark place for maximum shelf life.

Bonus: Planning Ahead for Pickles

I tested how many dehydrated spears would fit in a quart jar—16 spears is the magic number, at least with the cucumbers I used. Your results may vary, but you can test it out before dehydrating the cucumbers.

fresh cucumbers cut into spears and in a quart-sized mason jar, from a top view. — Before putting the cucumber spears into the dehydrator, I put them into a quart-sized mason jar to see how many will fit when fully rehydrated. This will help me to use the right amount of cucumber spears when making pickles from my dehydrated cucumbers.

fresh cucumber spears in a mason jar from the side view. — Here’s a side view of the same jar.

Knowing how many fresh cucumber spears fit into a quart jar will make it easy for me to know how many dehydrated cucumber spears to put into the jar when I decide to make pickles. This will make it easy to rehydrate and make refrigerator pickles later on.

Stay tuned—I’ll be sharing my dehydrated cucumber pickle recipe in an upcoming post!

FAQs About Dehydrating Cucumbers

Yes, but be sure to blanch them whole for 30 seconds to remove the wax and soften the skin.

Only if you’re keeping the peel. If you peel the cucumbers first, you can skip the blanching step.

Set your dehydrator to 125°F and plan for 8–12 hours of drying.

Dehydrated cucumbers should feel dry and brittle and snap cleanly in half. If they’re still flexible, they need more time.

Store in mason jars, Mylar bags, or zip bags inside a second container. Keep them in a cool, dark spot. You may vacuum seal them if using mason jars, but they will likely be crushed if you try vacuum sealing dehydrated cucumbers in bags.

Final Thoughts

Learning how to dehydrate cucumbers was a game-changer—especially since I already had frozen cucumbers and a pantry full of canned pickles. Now I have both cucumber chips and pickle-ready spears stashed away, and they take up almost no space.

Whether you’re prepping for winter, avoiding waste, or just looking to preserve a great sale, dehydrated cucumbers are a smart, space-saving addition to your pantry.

Pin it for Later

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How to Dehydrate Cucumbers

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Learn how to dehydrate cucumbers step-by-step for long-term storage. This method preserves them as chips or spears—perfect for snacking, soups, or future pickle-making.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Additional Time 12 hours

Total Time 12 hours 15 minutes

Difficulty Easy

Materials

Fresh cucumbers (peeled or unpeeled)
Pot of boiling water (for blanching, if not peeling)
Large bowl (for cooling cucumbers)
Knife and cutting board
Tongs

Tools

Dehydrator (I used a Cosori)
Mason Jars or mylar bags
Mason jar vacuum sealer (optional)

Instructions

Step 1: Blanch (Only if Keeping the Peel)
If you're leaving the peel on, blanch whole cucumbers in boiling water for exactly 30 seconds to remove wax and soften the skin. Cool them in a bowl immediately after. Skip this step if peeling cucumbers.
Step 2: Slice or Spear the Cucumbers
Trim off the ends. For spears, cut the cucumber in half lengthwise, then each half into four spears (8 total). Slice leftover ends into rounds for chips.
Step 3: Load the Dehydrator Trays
Arrange spears and slices in a single layer on dehydrator trays. Leave space between pieces for airflow and avoid overlapping.
Step 4: Dehydrate at 125°F for 8–12 Hours
Set your dehydrator to 125°F. Dehydrate for 8–12 hours, checking occasionally. Spears may take longer than slices. Transfer to a smaller dehydrator if needed to save energy.
Step 5: Test for Dryness
Dehydrated cucumbers should feel dry, brittle, and snap in half. If they bend, they need more time in the dehydrator.
Step 6: Store Properly
Store in mason jars, Mylar bags, or zip-top bags inside rigid containers. If using a vacuum sealer, only vacuum seal in jars—cucumbers are too fragile for bags.

Notes

🥒 Blanching Note:
If you're leaving the peel on your cucumbers, be sure to blanch them whole in boiling water for exactly 30 seconds to remove wax and soften the skins. If you plan to peel the cucumbers, you can skip the blanching step.

🔪 Cutting Tip:
To make sure cucumber spears will fit in a quart jar for future pickling, lay a jar on its side and use it as a cutting guide before trimming your cucumbers.

⚡ Energy-Saving Tip:
Once your cucumbers shrink down, consider moving them to a smaller dehydrator to finish drying. This helps conserve electricity when you're only drying a small batch.

🥶 Storage Tip:
Dehydrated cucumbers are very fragile. If vacuum sealing, use mason jars instead of vacuum-seal bags to avoid crushing the dried pieces.

🧂 Rehydrating for Pickles:
Test how many fresh cucumber spears fit in your jars before dehydrating. That way, you'll know how many dried spears to rehydrate when you're ready to make pickles.

🕒 Drying Time Reminder:
Cucumber slices will dry faster than spears. Fully dehydrated cucumbers should feel dry and snap cleanly in half. If they bend, they’re not ready.

🧺 Pantry Storage:
Store dehydrated cucumbers in a cool, dark place using vacuum sealed mason jars.

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💬 I’d love to hear from you!

Have you tried this yourself? Have a question or tip to share? Leave a comment below — your experience or question could help someone else, too!

How to Dehydrate Cucumbers (Why You Might Never Want to Can Pickles Again)