Simple and quick recipes for making candied watermelon rinds at home

Candied fruits are a well-known delicacy that is prepared by boiling fruits or their crusts in sugar syrup. They act as a separate dessert or are used to decorate confectionery products. They contain a fairly large amount of sugar, but at the same time retain the beneficial properties of the fruit from which they are made. We present several recipes for making candied fruits from ripe watermelon rinds.

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.

Selection and preparation of the main ingredient

It’s better to use watermelon with a thick rind as a base. The top green layer is cut off from the peel and the remaining pulp is removed. The raw materials are thoroughly washed in water and dried with a napkin. Then it is cut into cubes or shaped pieces (if you have a special knife or device).

The weight of the watermelon mass should be about 1 -1.2 kg, so that it is more convenient to use the ratio with other ingredients.

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.

Drying is allowed simply in a dry, warm, closed room for several days. The oven time takes 1-2 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 peels to dry in the oven or dryer for 1-1.5 hours, temperature around +50 ⁰C. 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:

1. Soaking in plain water - 3-5 days, in the refrigerator, the water must be changed regularly;
2. Rinse in running water;
3. Select the “Steam” mode in the multicooker, the crusts should be covered with water - 20 minutes;
4. strain;
5. Dilute sugar with water, place with crusts in a multicooker, turn on the “Pilaf” mode until automatic shutdown occurs;
6. 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!

Storage

Ready-made candied fruits from watermelon rinds are stored for a long time if they are placed in a dry jar or container with a closing lid. You can also use paper or plastic bags. The main thing is to prevent moisture from getting inside.