Candied watermelon rinds: the simplest homemade recipes with photos and videos

What you need to know about candied watermelon rinds?

The rind of a watermelon is rich in useful substances, like its pulp, has its own indistinguishable aroma and, if properly processed, can become a delicious dessert. In particular, you can cook candied fruits. So it’s not always worth throwing watermelon rinds in the trash; you can be patient and get original candies that you’re unlikely to find on sale. It is worth understanding that watermelon must be grown without adding large amounts of harmful substances, which tend to accumulate in the rind.

The benefits and harms of watermelon pulp and rinds

The advantage of the sweet berry is that the pulp consists of 90-95% water.
It also contains fruit acids, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Few people know that the peel of watermelons also contains a number of useful substances: magnesium, potassium, sodium, phosphorus, iron, vitamins A, C, P, and this is not a complete list. Useful substances can be obtained from both fresh watermelon and processed pulp. Watermelons are canned, jams and jams are made from them, and the pulp is even salted.

The harm of sweet berries lies in the high content of chemicals, which are often used for rapid ripening. Also, watermelon pulp is not recommended for use in acute diseases of the genitourinary system, pancreatic diseases, and diabetes.

As for candied fruits and jam made from the rinds and pulp of watermelon, many vitamins and minerals are destroyed during heat treatment. During the cooking process, a large amount of sugar is added, which increases the calorie content of the final product. If you look at the situation from the other side, with prolonged boiling, heavy metals and nitrates come out of the peels, which are concentrated to a greater extent in the peel of watermelons.

Important! You can make candied watermelon without adding sugar, but the end result will be a tasteless product. This dessert is made for the sweet fruity taste, so you shouldn’t give up sugar. However, it is worth noting that people suffering from diabetes and excess weight should avoid dessert.

The process of preparing candied fruits from watermelon rinds

The procedure for preparing any candied fruit is, as a rule, standard and consists of several stages. Recipes for cooking candied watermelon rinds differ only in the composition and quantity of ingredients and additives.

Stages:

preparation of raw materials (see above);
soaking or boiling in water (allows you to soften the pulp and remove harmful substances). You can omit this point, but for ideal candied watermelon it will not be superfluous, therefore, before starting cooking, it is better to soak the crusts for a couple of hours in water (add any adsorbent if desired) or boil for 10-15 minutes;
Cooking in sugar syrup is the longest process, during which all moisture is removed from the crusts and they are saturated with sugar taste, and also acquire a glossy appearance and a pleasant consistency. Water is mixed with sugar and sugar syrup is prepared on the stove (it should be quite thick), after which watermelon rinds are placed in it and boiled for 5-10 minutes. Then you need to let it cool and steep in the syrup for several hours, and then turn it on again and boil. This process must be repeated until the pieces become transparent and acquire a pleasant yellowish tint. Usually they get by with 6-10 boils, but you can speed up the process if you are satisfied with the appearance and quality of the resulting candied fruits.
straining the syrup through a colander to rid the treat of residual water;
Drying of candied fruits is carried out either in the oven or in an electric dryer at a temperature of 40-60 degrees until ready. The finished product should be dry on the outside and elastic on the inside.

With lime

Time: 36 hours.
Number of servings: 5 persons.
Calorie content of the dish: 302 kcal.
Purpose: for tea.
Cuisine: Russian.
Difficulty: easy.

The subtle lime aroma will make homemade candied watermelon rinds an exquisite dessert. To prepare this dish you will need not only lime juice, but also zest. You can remove it using a special knife or, if you don’t have one, with a regular fine grater. It is important to remove only the top layer; the inner white part of the peel is bitter and can ruin the dish. For a delicious experience, use fresh limes.

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Ingredients:

watermelon rinds – 1.5 kg;
sugar – 700 g;
water – 300 ml;
lime – 2 pcs.

Cooking method:

Boil watermelon rinds in water, drain the broth, and let cool.
Boil sugar syrup and immerse the peels there, boil for 5 minutes, cool.
Repeat 4-5 cooking cycles, during one of them add the zest and juice of the limes.
Remove the pieces, boiled until transparent, from the syrup, allow the remaining liquid to drain and dry on a baking sheet for 24 hours.

Recipes for candied watermelon rinds

The easiest recipe for the winter

To remind yourself of summer and the aroma of watermelon in winter while enjoying candied fruits, use a quick recipe for making a dessert from watermelon rinds at home.

Compound:

water - 0.5 liters;
sugar - 1.2 kg;
watermelon rinds - 1 kg;
powdered sugar - 50 gr.

To speed up the process of preparing candied fruits, you can omit the soaking step of the peels and immediately prepare the sweet syrup. You can cook in this solution longer - up to 20 minutes, stirring constantly and avoiding burning. Let it brew overnight. The next day, repeat the cooking procedure several times with short periods of cooling and settling.

Strain and place on a baking sheet so that the pieces do not stick to each other. Send candied watermelon fruits to dry in the oven or dryer for 1-1.5 hours, temperature around +50 C. Cover with sweet powder and store in an airtight dry container or serve with tea.

With lemon

In this recipe, to add a touch of sourness to candied fruits, you can use not only lemon juice, but also lime and citric acid.

Compound:

watermelon rinds - 1.5 kg;
granulated sugar - 1.8 kg;
water - 3 glasses;
1 Lemon or 5 g citric acid.

How to make candied watermelon with lemon? The procedure is similar to those described above. If time allows, you can use a multi-step process with soaking and several days of boiling, so the candied fruits will become rich and beautiful. The only difference is that during cooking, acid is added to the syrup (this can be lime or lemon juice). Therefore, in the end, candied fruits are obtained with a citrus aroma and sourness.

With orange

Candied fruits with orange are orange in color and have a bright orange flavor.

Compound:

orange - 2 large fruits;
watermelon rinds - 1 kg;
granulated sugar - 1.2 kg;
water - 2.5 cups;
powdered sugar - 50 gr.

The crusts should be cooked with the addition of orange zest and squeezed orange juice. We repeat the standard soaking steps, strain, and dry. Wonderful orange candies are ready! Bon appetit!

With soda

Baking soda is used in any of the recipes to soften the watermelon rinds before you cook them. Thanks to the action of this substance, the pulp of candied fruits becomes as tender as possible. One teaspoon should be diluted in 3-4 glasses of hot water and pour this mixture over the chopped watermelon rinds. Let it brew for 2-3 hours. Then rinse thoroughly with water and you can put it on the fire in sweet syrup. Next, cook according to the described scheme.

With ginger

Candied ginger is a reminder of oriental sweets. In addition to ginger, you can add other herbs and spices to candied fruits to suit your taste. It can be Indian masala, cloves, vanilla, cardamom and even hot red pepper!

Ingredients:

ground ginger - 1 teaspoon;
peeled watermelon rinds - 1 kg;
sugar - 1 kg;
lemon or orange zest - 1 tsp;
water - 3 glasses.

Soak the cut watermelon rinds in sugar syrup, zest and ginger for several hours. Place the entire mixture on the fire and boil for 10-15 minutes. Let cool. Do this procedure several times, then strain and dry at a temperature of 40 to 60 degrees. The delicacy has a rich ginger taste and aroma.

In a slow cooker

Household appliances speed up and facilitate the process of preparing candied fruits.

Compound:

watermelon rinds - 1.5 kg;
water - 1.5 l;
sugar - 2 kg;
powdered sugar for dusting.

Cooking steps:

Soaking in plain water - 3-5 days, in the refrigerator, the water must be changed regularly;
Rinse in running water;
Select the “Steam” mode in the multicooker, the crusts should be covered with water - 20 minutes;
strain;
Dilute sugar with water, place with crusts in a multicooker, turn on the “Pilaf” mode until automatic shutdown occurs;
We carry out the drying procedure in the oven.

In an electric dryer

An electric food dryer saves a lot of time. And if you use it in tandem with a marinator, you can prepare candied fruits much faster than in the standard way.

place watermelon rinds covered with sugar in a marinator for several cycles;
then cook in boiling sweet syrup until translucent;
strain through a colander or cheesecloth;
place the candied watermelon rinds in an electric dryer and bring to readiness;
Sprinkle with powdered sugar and store in a dry, closed container.

To get multi-colored candied fruits, you can use food coloring and syrups of bright berries (blueberries, sea buckthorn, cherries or black currants) when cooking. The children will be delighted!

Recipe in a slow cooker

An interesting recipe, as a result of which you can get delicious homemade sweets without spending a lot of time.

Ingredients:

One and a half kilograms of the white part of the crusts;
5 kg sugar;
One and a half liters of water;
5 grams of citric acid;
Powdered sugar.

How to cook:

Place the chopped peels in a saucepan, cover with clean water, and refrigerate for 3-4 days. In this case, you should change the water once every 6-7 hours.
After the time has passed, remove the pan from the refrigerator and rinse the crusts under running water.
Place in a slow cooker and add water to completely cover the crusts.
Set the “Steam” mode for 20 minutes.
Next, drain the pieces into a colander and wash the multicooker bowl.
Pour the crusts into a clean bowl, add water and sugar.
Set the multicooker to the “Pilaf” mode.
At the end of the program, take out the pieces, roll them in sugar, and dry them in the oven.

Reviews

On Internet forums there are mostly positive reviews about candied watermelon rinds.

Anzhelika, Tomsk: “For a long time I considered such candied fruits a second-rate product and did not understand why people spend so much time preparing them. Last summer my mother-in-law treated me to it. She spent a long time asking where she bought them, but my mother admitted that she made them herself from the rinds left over from the watermelon. I took the recipe from her and now enjoy seven healthy candied fruits in July-August. There is no way to prepare it for the winter, since the children and husband eat them up very quickly.”

Ivan, Orenburg: “We are growing watermelons at our summer cottage, and I accidentally came across a recipe for making candied fruits from the rinds. We’ve been making them for several years now, our grandchildren like them, they keep for a long time, we eat them instead of sweets.”

Cooking tips

Experienced housewives share recommendations for preparing dessert :

Candied fruits can be stored in the syrup in which they were boiled and dried before serving. Or you can not dry it at all, but eat it like watermelon jam.
Never pour out the syrup after cooking . This “watermelon honey” can be added to various baked goods, and even just to tea. You can also pour it over ice cream and all kinds of desserts.
Instead of citric acid, you can add juice from one or two lemons or limes to the syrup.

Features of storing workpieces

The main advantage of this sweet is its long shelf life - 12 months. The product simply needs to be placed in a hermetically sealed glass container and then placed in a dark, dry place. Temperature does not matter.

Watermelon rind is well suited for making candied fruits. All of the above sweet dish recipes were tested by users and received the largest number of positive reviews. They are not difficult to make, and the result will amaze any sweet tooth.

( 1 rating, average 5 out of 5 )

How and with what to decorate candied fruits?

After cooking, candied fruits become transparent and acquire a yellowish tint. It’s boring to decorate a cake or pie with such a one-color product. To decorate sweet slices, you can use the juice of fresh vegetables and fruits:

beets,
carrots,
spinach,
strawberries,
raspberries,
cranberries,
currants.

It is added to the syrup during the first boiling. Gradually, the crusts are saturated with red, yellow or green syrup - and forever retain their acquired color.

You can eliminate the foreign odor that appears when adding natural dye with a pinch of vanillin or a sprig of mint added to the pan during the last boil.