How to make candied watermelon rinds: the most common recipes

During the watermelon selling season, almost all families willingly indulge themselves with these juicy fruits, but they leave behind a lot of hard rinds. The most common and delicious thing you can transform them into is sweet candied fruits. They taste like candy or marmalade, but are made from natural raw materials and do not contain harmful additives.

Preparing peels for making candied fruits

Start making candied fruits by preparing the main ingredient. Take a watermelon with a thick rind as a base and follow this method:

Cut off the greenish skin and pulp from the crusts.
Fill them with cool water and soak for 2-3 hours.
Wash the raw materials thoroughly, let the water drain and place the product on a waffle towel or cardboard napkins.
After the crusts have dried, cut them into small cubes, sticks or strips. They are made into shapes using a special knife or molds.

Ordinary candied fruit recipes

Candied fruits are easy to prepare; even novice cooks can handle this. Choose the recipe you like and start creating healthy and delicious sweets!

The most common recipe

A quick recipe for making candied watermelon rinds will allow you to quickly get a fragrant product that you will pamper your family with in the winter.

Will come in handy:

peels - 1 kg;
drinking water - ½ l;
sugar - 1-1.2 kg.

To speed up the process, skip soaking the raw materials and immediately start making candied fruits.

{Instructions}:

Pour sweet sand into a saucepan and fill it with water.
Place the container on the stove and cook over low heat, stirring constantly.
When the sugar has completely dissolved and only thick syrup remains in the saucepan, place the crust cubes in it and cook for another 5 minutes.
Remove the container from the heat and cool the product to room temperature.
Place again on the stove, bring to a boil and cook until the crusts acquire a pleasant amber color and become transparent.
Leave the candied fruits in the syrup all night (that is, in the dark) , remove them during the day and place them on a baking sheet covered with parchment or baking paper.
Dry in a dark room with good ventilation or in an oven.
Sprinkle the finished product with sweet powder and place in airtight containers.

With lemon

To add sourness to candied fruits during the manufacturing process, use lemon.

Compound:

watermelon rinds - 1.5 kg;
sweet sand - 1.8 kg;
water - 750 ml;
5 g citric acid or lemon/lime - 1 pc.

Manufacturing method:

Mix water with sugar, add lemon juice and cook thick syrup.
Throw in the chopped peels and cook for 10 minutes.
Remove from heat, cool and let steep for 2 hours.
Place it on the stove again and cook for 10 minutes.
Repeat steps 3-4 until the candied fruits become translucent and soft. Most often, this takes 5-10 brews.
Strain the cooled product through a colander.
Dry it in an oven or electric dryer at a temperature of +40-60°C.

Ready candied fruits should be elastic, but dried out on the outside.

With orange

Another fascinating version of candied watermelon is prepared from the following products:

crusts - 1 kg;
sweet sand - 700 g;
ripe oranges - 3 pcs.

Use the skin of a huge, thick-skinned watermelon. It is not necessary to immediately cut them from a large fruit; the raw materials can be collected evenly and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

{Instructions} for production:

Remove the remaining pulp and greenish skin from the peels using a vegetable peeler, then cut them into medium-sized cubes.
Fill the product with cool water and leave overnight (that is, in the dark) .
Using a special knife or a small grater, cut the zest from the oranges and squeeze the juice out of the pulp.
Place the peels in a deep ladle or pan, add sugar, add orange juice and zest, then add water.
Bring to a boil over medium heat, stir occasionally so that the sweet sand dissolves and does not burn to the walls of the container.
After boiling, boil the candied fruit for 5 minutes, turn off the stove and leave it alone until it cools completely (the first time is better for 5-8 hours).
Repeat steps from step 6 until the amount of syrup is reduced. He should only stay for a day.
Place the candied fruits on a baking sheet and leave in the turned off oven for 2-3 days.
The finished treat will dry out on the outside and stop sticking to your hands.

If you add 3-5 tbsp to the soaking water. l. slaked lime and reduce the procedure time to 2-3 hours, this will make the candied fruits more dense and similar to marmalade. Before combining the crusts with the remaining components, they are washed in running water and dried.

With soda

Baking soda softens watermelon rinds and is added to the soaking water. Thanks to its action, candied fruits are tender and melt in the mouth. Use it like this:

1 tsp. dilute soda in 3-4 tbsp. hot water.
Pour the crust substance and leave for 2-3 hours.
Wash the raw materials thoroughly under running water and dry.

After this procedure, use the recipe you like and make a delicious treat for the whole family.

With ginger

Candied ginger is somewhat reminiscent of oriental sweets. To make them, they use not only ground root, but also other spices - for example, vanilla, red pepper, cloves and cardamom.

List of components:

watermelon rinds - 1 kg;
sugar - 800 g;
water - 700 ml;
zest - 1 tsp;
reddish pepper - a pinch for taste;
ground ginger - 1 tsp.

Make a thick syrup from sugar, water, ground pepper, zest and ginger.
Soak the peels in it for 2-3 hours, then bring to a boil and cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes.
Cool the product and repeat the function a couple of times until ready.
Dry the candied fruits at a temperature of +40-60°C and enjoy the fragrant dessert.

In a slow cooker

A slow cooker will facilitate and speed up the process of making candied watermelon rinds.

Compound:

peels - 1.5 kg;
sweet sand - 2 kg;
drinking water - 1.5 l;
sweet powder - for sprinkling.

Manufacturing stages:

Soak the watermelon rinds in cool water and refrigerate for 3 days. Don’t forget to change the liquid to the freshest one 2 times a day.
Wash the raw materials, place them in the multicooker bowl, add water (it must completely cover the crusts), set the “Steam” mode for 20 minutes.
Drain the liquid, add sugar and water.
Turn on the multicooker to the “Pilaf” mode.
Cool, drain excess syrup through a sieve.
Dry the candied fruits, mix with sweet powder and distribute into jars or containers with lids.

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 sweet syrup. They act as a separate dessert or are used to decorate confectionery products. They contain quite a huge amount of sugar, but at the same time retain the beneficial characteristics of the fruit from which they are made. We present several recipes for making candied fruits from ripe watermelon rinds.

What do you need to know about candied watermelon rinds?

The skin of a watermelon is rich in useful substances, like its pulp, has its own indistinguishable smell and, if properly processed, can become a delicious dessert. Namely, you can cook candied fruits. So you shouldn’t always throw watermelon rinds in the trash, you can be patient and get unique candies that you are unlikely to find on sale. It is worth realizing that watermelon must be grown without adding a huge amount of harmful substances that tend to accumulate specifically in the skin.

Selection and preparation of the main ingredient

It is better to take watermelon with a thick rind as a base. The top greenish layer is cut off from the peel and the remaining pulp is removed. The raw materials are washed well 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 making candied fruit from watermelon rinds

The procedure for making all candied fruits is usually simple and consists of several steps. Recipes for cooking candied watermelon rinds differ only in the composition and quantity of ingredients and additives.

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 perfect 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 sweet syrup is the longest process, during which all moisture is removed from the crusts and they are saturated with a sweet taste, also obtaining a glossy appearance and a pleasant thickness. Water is mixed with sugar and a sweet 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 it. This process must be repeated until the pieces become transparent and acquire a pleasant yellow color. Usually they get by with 6-10 boils, but you can speed up the process if you are satisfied with the appearance and properties of the purchased candied fruits.
straining the syrup through a colander to free the delicacy from any remaining 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 most common recipe for the winter

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

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

To speed up the process of making candied fruits, you can omit the step of soaking the peels and immediately prepare the sweet syrup. You can cook in this solution for longer - up to 20 minutes, stirring constantly and avoiding burning. Let it brew overnight (that is, in the dark) . The next day, repeat the cooking function a couple of times with short periods of cooling and settling.

Strain and place on a baking sheet so that the pieces do not stick together. 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.

watermelon rinds - 1.5 kg;
sweet sand - 1.8 kg;
water - 3 glasses;
1 Lemon or 5 g of citric acid.

How to create candied watermelon with lemon? The procedure is similar to the above. If time permits, 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 could be lime or lemon juice). Therefore, in the end, candied fruits are obtained with a citrus smell and sourness.

With orange

Candied fruits with orange come out orange in color and have a catchy orange flavor.

orange - 2 large fruits;
watermelon peels - 1 kg;
sweet sand - 1.2 kg;
water - 2.5 cups;
sweet powder - 50 gr.

The crusts should be cooked with the addition of orange zest and squeezed orange juice. We repeat the usual steps of soaking, straining, drying. Magic 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 very tender. 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. After that, carefully wash it with water and you can send it to the fire in sweet syrup. Next, cook according to the described scheme.

With ginger

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

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 sweet syrup, zest and ginger for several hours. Place the entire mixture on the fire and boil for 10-15 minutes. Let cool. Do this function a couple of times, then strain and dry at a temperature of 40 to 60 degrees. The delicacy comes out with a rich ginger taste and smell.

In a slow cooker

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

watermelon rinds - 1.5 kg;
water - 1.5 l;
sugar - 2 kg;
sweet powder for sprinkling.

Soaking in ordinary water - 3-5 days, in the refrigerator, the water must be changed frequently;
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 function in the oven.

In an electric dryer

An electronic dryer for goods saves a lot of time. And if you use it in tandem with a marinator, you can prepare candied fruits much faster than the usual method.

place watermelon rinds covered with sugar in a marinator for several cycles;
then cook in bubbling 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 sweet powder and store in a dry, closed container.

To get multi-colored candied fruits, when cooking, you can use food coloring and syrups of the brightest berries (blueberries, sea buckthorn, cherries or dark currants). The kids will be in ecstasy!

Storage

Ready-made candied fruits from watermelon rinds are stored for quite 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 water from getting inside.

Candied watermelon rinds at home - the most common recipes

At home, you can create wonderful candied fruits from ordinary watermelon rinds. During the watermelon season there are a lot of such rinds, they are simply thrown away - no one understands what to make from them. Once you get acquainted with the recipes for making them, you will never throw away the crusts again, but will begin to carefully collect them. The dessert is prepared superbly simply, quickly, and in the opinion of almost everyone who has already tried it, it is much tastier than sweets and marmalade. Natural sweets are healthy and can be safely given to children. They are budget-friendly, since they are produced using waste.

Candied fruits are good for tea or fragrant coffee. They are used to decorate pies, cakes and other baked goods. Ordinary candied fruits can be made even tastier. For example, roll them in cinnamon, sweet powder, vanilla. Or cook with orange or lemon. You can then freeze it and treat yourself with sweets in the winter. To speed up the drying process, they often use an oven, dehydrators, or electric dryers. If you have such a device in your arsenal, do not miss the opportunity to use them.

Candied watermelon rinds at home - the most common recipe

Here is the fastest and easiest method for making delicious candied watermelon.

Watermelon rinds – 0.5 kg.
Sweet sand – 250 gr.
Water – 1 liter.

Clean off any crusts left behind by food. Cut off the inside, remove the hard crust from the outside.

Chop into small cubes.

Throw the cubes into a saucepan and cover with water. Pour in the measured amount of sweetness. If you don't like very sweet things, add less sugar. Put it on the stove to cook.

Wait for the contents to boil, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer at a gentle simmer until virtually all the liquid has evaporated. Approximate production time is 2.5 hours. Closer to the end, control the process so that the candied fruits do not burn. Do not cover the pan with a lid.

We have produced real marmalade that you can already try. To create candied fruits, the candies need to be dried. To do this, transfer the blanks onto parchment paper. Place at a certain distance so that drying is faster.

Leave it outdoors for 2-3 days. Turn the candied fruits over from time to time to speed up the process.

Delicious homemade candied watermelon rinds with orange

Watermelon rinds themselves have neither taste nor smell. Therefore, if you combine them with any citrus fruit, it will turn out indescribably delicious. Here I tell you how to create a delicacy with an orange, but you can easily replace it with lemon, the development is the same. The recipe uses only natural dyes and flavors.

Crusts – 300 gr.
Orange.
Sugar – 300 gr.
Water – 60 ml.

Peel the crusts from the tough greenish skin and cut into randomly shaped pieces.
Similarly, cut the peeled and pitted orange.
Cook syrup from the indicated amount of water and sugar. Lower the watermelon and orange cubes. Wait for it to boil, cook for 5-10 minutes.
Remove from the burner and leave for 6-12 hours so that the pieces are well soaked. If it’s not a day, repeat this function a couple of times. After each cooking, the candied fruits become more transparent and look like marmalade.
Place the finished candies on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Powder with sweet powder, leave to dry for a few days or put in an electric dryer. Turn the workpieces over from time to time. Store in glass jars for 3-4 months.

How to create candied watermelon with soda in the dryer

An electronic dryer greatly speeds up the candy making process.

Peels – 1-2 kg.
Baking soda - one small spoon per liter of water.
Citric acid - a small spoon.
Sugar – 0.5 kg per liter of water.

Prepare the crusts by cutting off the pink and greenish parts. Cut into random shapes - cubes, strips.
Place in a saucepan, add water, throw in baking soda. Let the cubes sit for 3 hours.
After this time, rinse the workpieces thoroughly. Fill with fresh water without soda and bring to a boil. When signs of boiling appear, discard the crusts in a colander.
Pour a new portion of water into the pan, add 100 g. 7 sugars for any liter of water. Throw in the crusts.
Cook after boiling for 20 minutes. Then add another 100 grams. Sahara. Continue to simmer for 20 minutes.
In a separate bowl, dilute citric acid in 2 huge spoons of warm water and pour into the pan.
Boil for another 10 minutes over high heat. If there is any syrup left in the pan, evaporate it completely.
Drain the candied fruits in a colander and leave for half an hour.
Place the workpieces in an electric dryer, set the timer for 6-7 hours. Store prepared candied watermelon rinds on the refrigerator shelf. Shelf life 3-4 months.

Candied watermelon rinds – Armenian recipe

In homemade candied fruits according to the Armenian recipe, spicy and pungent ginger is added, which makes the taste extraordinary.

Peeled crusts – 1.5 kg.
Lemon zest - large spoon.
Sweet sand – 1 kg.
Ground ginger – 2 pinches.
Citric acid - small spoon.

Trim the crusts on both sides, leaving the light part. If you leave the pink part, the candies will take a long time to dry. Chop into cubes of any size. Rinse and dry.
Place in any suitable container, cover with sweet sand, stir. Leave on the table for 5-7 hours so that the grains of sweetness dissolve.
Place on the stove. When the mixture boils, cook for 10 minutes. Remove from the burner and cool the contents.
Repeat cooking 3-4 more times, each time allowing the watermelon pieces to cool. As a last resort, add ginger, lemon zest and acid.
If there is any syrup left, discard in a colander. Then place in one layer on a baking sheet and dry the pieces well.

Video recipe for making candied watermelon

Not watermelon candies, but a true work of art! The creator of the video shares 3 methods for preparing tasty and necessary candies - watch and learn.

Candied watermelon rinds

Watermelon is one of the main summer delicacies, which is loved by both children and adults. The juicy and sweet pulp perfectly relieves thirst and has a lot of necessary parameters. But most people consider striped crusts to be waste and simply throw them away.

And this is the worst mistake, say culinary specialists. The whole point is that from the skin of a watermelon, which is of little use for food in its “unique” form, you can prepare a very original and very appetizing delicacy - candied fruits. Translucent slices of light golden or green color will not only be very tasty, but also healthy - after all, most of the necessary substances present in watermelon are concentrated specifically in the rind.

Boiled in concentrated sweet syrup with the addition of natural juices and dried watermelon rinds, which previously seemed completely inedible to us, become fragrant, soft and sweet. You can hardly find such candied fruits in a store, but you can prepare them yourself without the help of others without any problems if you have at least minimal culinary skills and free time.

Calorie content and chemical composition

Calorie content and chemical composition
Useful Features
Harmful characteristics and contraindications
Introduction to cooking
Recipes for making and storage

The energy value of the product is 209.15 kcal. The nutritional content is as follows: 2.5 g protein, 0 g fat, 51 g carbohydrates.

The chemical composition of candied watermelon rinds differs from the composition of watermelon pulp in terms of the highest content of amino acids and fiber. It is striking that most of the necessary substances are retained in the delicacy even after heat treatment.

Thus, the vitamin composition of the product includes a complex of vitamins of group B, vitamin (low molecular weight organic compound of relatively simple structure, necessary for all living things) C and vitamin (low molecular weight organic compound of relatively simple structure, necessary for all living things) PP.

Useful Features

This delicacy not only has delicious taste, but is also very healthy. It can be used to prevent and alleviate a number of diseases.

Such candied fruits help eliminate metabolic disturbances in the body, normalizing metabolism. In addition, they should be included in their diet for people suffering from diseases of the excretory system: urolithiasis, any diseases of the kidneys and bladder. Constant consumption of candied watermelon rinds will help get rid of swelling and solve the problem of water retention in the body. In addition, they have a mild choleretic effect.

These sweets are also useful for digestive disorders, since the natural dietary fibers they contain work as a real “scrub” for the intestinal tract, binding and removing toxins (Ancient Greek toxin (toxikos) - poisonous - poison of biological origin) and poisons . As a result, such nasty symptoms go away (Symptom from Greek - case, coincidence, sign - one separate sign, frequent manifestation of any disease, pathological condition or disruption of any vital process) , such as flatulence, dysbacteriosis, stool disorders.

Harmful characteristics and contraindications

There are not very many contraindications to the presence of candied watermelon rinds in the diet. First of all, they should not be consumed if you have a personal intolerance or food allergy to watermelon or fruits, the juice of which is used as an ingredient in the manufacture of this sweet.

Also, taking into account the fact that candied watermelon rinds have a diuretic effect, their frequent use is fraught with leaching of potassium from the body. Nutritionists advise to “neutralize” this harmful property of candied watermelon by constantly consuming dried apricots, raisins and prunes, which are good sources of potassium.

People who are overweight should approach the consumption of this sweet with caution - its calorie content is quite high.

It is also impossible not to mention one important aspect. Almost all careless peasants, when growing watermelons, use nitrates and other substances designed to speed up the ripening of the fruits, making them larger and visually attractive. Watermelon rinds have the property of accumulating all these harmful additives - and, as it should, if you come across a watermelon “stuffed” with chemicals, candied fruits made from its peel can cause serious harm to your health. Therefore, the choice of raw materials for future sweets should be approached very carefully. To make candied fruits, use the peels of only those fruits of which you are completely convinced of the quality and safety.

Introduction to cooking

Most often, candied watermelon rinds are consumed as an independent dessert. They can also be added to muesli, homemade baked goods and dairy products. Another option is to make unique homemade sweets by dipping ready-made candied fruits in melted chocolate or rolling them in sweet powder mixed with coconut flakes.

Recipes for making and storage

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There are a huge number of recipes for making homemade candied fruits from watermelon rinds, so you should focus only on your own taste preferences. Here are just a few of the more common methods for making this popular sweet.

Regular recipe

For one kilogram of watermelon rinds you will need twice as much sugar and 400 ml of water. You can also use orange zest to add flavor to the dessert.

Wash the crusts and carefully cut off the upper greenish part - only the snow-white core will be useful to you. Cut it into slices, add water and boil for 10 minutes. After this, wash the crusts with cool water and drain in a colander.

Prepare sweet syrup - pour sugar into water and cook over low heat until the grains are completely dissolved. By this time, the water should have completely drained from your crusts. Pour them into the syrup, add the orange zest and simmer for 6 minutes. After this, let them sit for 10 hours. Repeat the boiling function 5 more times, each time at ten-hour intervals.

After boiling the candied fruits for the 6th time, tip them into a colander again and wait until the syrup has completely drained. After this, place your candied fruits to dry on a baking sheet previously covered with parchment. Sprinkle the finished treat with sugar.

Candied watermelon rinds with lime

For one kilogram of crusts you will need 1.2 kg of sugar, two limes and 300 ml of water.

Prepare the crusts by cutting off the pink flesh and the greenish outer part. Cut them into slices and simmer over medium heat for 6 minutes.

Prepare the syrup by dissolving sugar in water and boiling for a couple of minutes. Don't forget to remove the foam. When the syrup is ready, pour the preparations for future candied fruits and lime zest into it.

When the candied fruits boil, simmer them over low heat for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and cool the future delicacy to room temperature. After this, bring to a boil again, boil for 5 minutes and cool again. In total, the function must be repeated 10 times, and after the 5th round, pour the juice of 2 limes into the sweet syrup.

After completing the heat treatment, tip the candied fruits into a colander to drain the syrup, and place them to dry on a baking sheet covered with parchment.

Store prepared candied fruits in a tightly closed glass container for no more than 3 months.