We are all accustomed to the fact that only the flesh is edible in a watermelon. We enjoy the sweet sugar filling of this giant berry, and we ruthlessly send the peel with pits into the bin. Indeed, what else to do with them? Not to eat ... Why not? After all, you can make real jam from watermelon peels. Yes, yes, this is not a joke. Such a delicacy came to us from the East, and there they know a lot about sweets. By the way, not only jam but also candied fruits are made from peels there. But we will stop on the first dish.
The recipe for watermelon crust jam is more than budget. After all, we are buying a watermelon, and the peel is just a “by-product” left over from eating it. In our case - a "bonus". In addition to this component, only sugar and water will be needed. Well, to make the watermelon crust jam more interesting in taste and not too cloying, you can use a little lemon / orange juice, as well as cinnamon. However, all this is optional.
Amount of ingredients required:
- peel of watermelon - 1 kg;
- granulated sugar - 1 kg;
- water - 2 glasses;
- at the request of lemon / orange - 1 piece;
- cinnamon (vanillin, cardamom, etc.) - to taste.
Watermelon crust jam is prepared in four stages. First you need to separate the peel of the watermelon (or several, depending on size) from the pulp. Cut a green hard layer from it, and cut the white part into small pieces.
Next, rinse and lower the prepared crusts in salt water - about 2 small spoons per liter of salt liquid. This is necessary so that the crusts do not fall apart during the cooking process.
The next stage is hot water, heated to a boiling state. You need to keep watermelon crusts in it for about 10 minutes, and then immediately transfer to a pan with pre-cooked sugar syrup. To do this, pour sugar in water and put on medium heat, wait until it boils, and cook, stirring, so that the sweet sand is completely dissolved. Lemon / orange juice can be added at this stage or later, at the very end of the process.
Now the cooking process begins directly. Watermelon crust jam is cooked on low heat for 15 minutes with breaks for 3 hours. This procedure is repeated about 4 times. During the very last cooking, lemon or orange juice (if you haven’t done this before) and spices are added. Then the jam is cooled, laid out in jars (pre-pasteurized) and covered with lids.
You should get the following: a transparent amber syrup with undigested crusts that slightly crackle on the teeth, resembling candied fruits. In appearance, they become "glassy." You can see how watermelon peel preserves should look . Photos of this treat are presented in this article.
You can use it for its "intended purpose" - that is, just eat it with tea. Or apply in the preparation of various dishes, especially in baking and desserts. Very well, watermelon jam goes well with custard or sour cream. They can layered cakes and pastries, add to the filling for rolls, sweet rolls and pies, spread on a croissant or toast. In general, there are many options, imagination would be enough.