How to cook jam from unripe watermelon. Candied watermelon rinds

The refreshing taste of watermelon is familiar to everyone, and everyone is looking forward to the ripening season of this berry, but not many melon lovers have tried watermelon jam. This delicacy is prepared in two ways. In the first, the pulp of the berry comes into play, as a result, a homogeneous and tender workpiece is obtained. In the second, watermelon peels act as raw materials. In the finished jam, they turn into fragrant candied fruits or candied slices.

Classic watermelon jam

To prepare a classic thick jam from the pulp of watermelon, which can even become a filling for pies and buns, you need to maintain the following proportions of the ingredients:

• 1000 g of the pulp of a ripe (but not overripe) watermelon, pitted and peeled;
• 800 g of sugar;
• 3 g citric acid or 15 ml lemon juice;
• 3-4 g vanilla powder or equivalent vanilla sugar.

Cooking recipe step by step:

1. Cut the washed watermelon into slices, cut off the peel and remove the seeds. Cut the pulp into random pieces of medium size. Pour in ½ of the sugar and leave for a couple of hours so that the watermelon starts juice.
2. Drain the released liquid into another vessel and put on fire. After bringing to a boil, add the remaining sugar and boil until it is completely dissolved.
3. Pour the pulp with hot syrup and boil it for five minutes after boiling. Then remove from heat and soak overnight in syrup. Although watermelon has juicy pulp, it has veins that can only be softened by keeping a certain number of hours in syrup.
4. Add citric acid (juice) and vanillin to the cooled jam, then boil it to the desired consistency and roll up the lids, pouring into sterile jars.

With spices and liquor

From juicy watermelon, you can make fragrant and thick jam with the addition of spices and liquor, for which are used:

• 1000 g of watermelon pulp;
• 1000 g of crystalline sugar;
• ½ medium sized lemon (juice);
• 2 inflorescences of cloves;
• 10-12 g of ginger;
• 3 g vanilla;
• 20-30 ml of light liquor or rum.

Boiling sequence:

1. Give the chopped pulp of watermelon to extract the juice. To do this, it is cut into pieces, covered with sugar and left for 60 minutes.
2. After that, boil the watermelon in its own juice for 15 minutes after boiling. Remove the slices of pulp, and continue to boil the syrup. It must be boiled down to 1/3 of the original volume.
3. After 20 minutes of boiling the syrup, squeeze lemon juice into it, and after another 10 minutes, send a gauze bag with spices.
4. Return the watermelon to the thick boiled syrup, pour in the liquor. Boil the workpiece for 10 minutes, remove the spices and you can start canning in prepared sterile jars.

Easy Lemon Juice Recipe

For a refreshing watermelon jam with lemon juice, you need to take:

• 400 g diced watermelon pulp;
• 400 g of sugar;
• 250 ml of drinking water;
• 1 lemon.

Steps of cooking:

1. Pour 50 ml of water into a saucepan with watermelon pulp and boil the mass for about thirty minutes after boiling, so that the pulp becomes soft.
2. Mix lemon juice with 200 ml of the remaining water, 200 g of sugar and cook a thick syrup, which should stretch in threads.
3. Pour sugar into the already soft pulp of watermelon and continue to cook, stirring. When all the crystals are dissolved, pour in the prepared syrup and pour in the chopped lemon zest.
4. Boil the jam for another 40 minutes, and then package hot in clean and sterile jars.

Marmalade from watermelon peels

This delicacy is not suitable for long-term storage for the winter, but with the help of this marmalade recipe, it will turn out to be delicious to “utilize” the watermelon peels that remain after making the jam.

For one serving of dessert you will need:

• 500 g of prepared watermelon peels;
• 600 g of granulated sugar;
• 300 ml of drinking water;
• ½ medium lemon (juice and zest)
• 5-7 g of baking soda.

Progress:

1. Peeled from the juicy pulp and hard green shell, cut the peel into small pieces. You can do this beautifully with a curly knife.
2. Soak the raw materials for 5-6 hours in a solution of a liter of water and baking soda. After soaking, rinse thoroughly by substituting a colander with crusts under running water.
3. Put the peels in a thick-walled saucepan, cover with half the prescription amount of sugar and pour in the water. The liquid should only slightly cover the crusts. Boil the contents of the pan for 15 minutes, then soak the crusts in syrup for 12 hours.
4. Repeat boiling and soaking in syrup again. Boil for the third time, adding the remaining sugar, juice and lemon zest. Let it boil for 5-10 minutes, then fold it back and the sieve, and when the syrup drains completely and the marmalade dries a little, roll it in sugar.

Watermelon peels are able to absorb taste, color and aroma like a sponge, so during the last boil, food colors and flavors (vanilla, cinnamon, cardamom, orange peel, and others) can be added to the syrup.

With pectin for the winter

Pectin is a thickener of plant origin, which makes preparations from berries and fruits viscous and dense, turning them into jams and preserves. But watermelon cannot boast of a high content of pectin, so you can cook thick jam by adding a component during cooking.

To cook a thick jam from the pulp of watermelon for the winter with pectin, you need to prepare:

• 500 g of pulp, pitted and peeled;
• 500 g of sugar;
• 3 g vanilla;
• juice of half a lemon;
• 20 g pectin-based jam thickener.

Cooking method:

1. After the pulp of watermelon mixed with sugar releases juice (it will take one to two hours), you can proceed to direct cooking.
2. On low heat, bring the mass to a boil and boil for five to seven minutes. Then cool completely. Repeat the procedure one more time.
3. Add vanilla, pectin thickener, lemon juice to the chilled jam. Mix everything well with a wooden spatula, bring to a boil again. Cook for another five minutes and cork in sterile jars.

Watermelon jam with orange

Orange is often added to various berries, fruits and even vegetables during the preparation of jam. An orange fruit is used, usually with a peel. To make it soft in jam, you need to choose fresh fruits with a thick crust.

For watermelon-orange jam you will need:

• 1500 g of watermelon pulp, pitted and peeled;
• 1000 g of sugar;
• 3 oranges.

Cook jam in the following sequence:

1. Put the watermelon pulp prepared and cut into small cubes into a saucepan. Send crushed oranges to her. They are cut into cubes along with the peel. In the finished jam, it will look like candied fruits.
2. Pour berries and fruits with sugar and leave for a while (enough for half an hour). After that, boil the mixture, let it boil for a quarter of an hour and cool.
3. Repeat the boiling procedure a total of three times and roll the jam into prepared sterile jars for long-term storage.

In a slow cooker

In just a few hours, it will be possible to cook watermelon jam in a modern assistant to every housewife - a slow cooker. It is worth noting that such a preparation is obtained quite liquid (rather it is pulp in syrup) and can be stored for several months.

Product proportions:

• 500 g of watermelon pulp;
• 500 g of granulated sugar;
• 3-4 g of citric acid.

Cooking in a slow cooker:

1. Put the pieces of watermelon pulp in a multi-pan and cover with sugar. Leave for two hours to extract the juice.
2. Then cook, using the "Extinguishing" option, for 60 minutes. 5-10 minutes before the signal about the end of the process, add citric acid.
3. Transfer the finished hot jam to sterile jars, roll up with iron lids and cool, setting upside down.

Watermelon peel jam

Having bought a thick-skinned watermelon on the market, most are disappointed, but this is not a reason to be upset.

The thick peel of a watermelon can become a delicious jam, for which you need to take:

• 1 kg of watermelon peels;
• 1 kg of sugar;
• 7 g of citric acid;
• 540 ml water for syrup.

Cooking technology:

1. Prepare watermelon rinds. Since only their white part will go into the jam, the pulp and green crust must be cut off. Cut the white part of the peel into small cubes and rinse in running water.
2. Boil two liters of water and dissolve 4 g of citric acid in them. In the resulting solution, blanch the crusts for 5-6 minutes, then immediately immerse them in ice water for 2-3 minutes and drain in a colander.
3. Make syrup from water and sugar. While it is hot, put blanched crusts into it and leave for 6-8 hours. After such an exposure, bring the jam to a boil, boil for 3-4 minutes and leave it alone for 6-8 hours.
4. Return the jam to the fire and boil for another 3-4 minutes, but with 3 g of citric acid. This should be followed by a third exposure (again 6-8 hours). After it, the crusts are boiled for 10-15 minutes and sealed in sterile jars. Watermelon peel jam is ready.

Whatever recipe for watermelon jam the hostess decides to cook, you need to remember its obligatory ingredient is citric acid or lemon juice. These products act as natural preservatives and will add a pleasant sourness to the workpiece, removing excess cloying.

Everyone in our family loves watermelon - both adults and children. Therefore, at the end of summer - the beginning of autumn, when everyone has already had enough of this juicy fragrant berry, we try to prepare as much as possible for the winter. These are juices, and syrups, and confitures, and candied fruits from peels, and, of course, jam from the pulp of watermelon. Making such a jam is quite simple, although the process itself takes several hours.

Watermelon for making jam for the winter should be ripe, but not overripe. You will also need sugar and a little citric acid.

Select the bones from the pulp, cut the pulp itself into small pieces. Add granulated sugar, mix everything well, pressing down the watermelon with a spoon, and leave for a couple of hours so that the watermelon gives a lot of juice.

After the specified time, mix the watermelon with sugar again and put on the stove. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, stirring, for 15 minutes. After that, turn off the gas, cover the pan with a lid and wait an hour. Then boil the sweet watermelon pulp again for 15 minutes and let it rest for an hour.

When you cook watermelon for the third time, 10 minutes after the start of cooking, add citric acid and stir, cook for another 5 minutes and turn off.

While the watermelon jam comes to readiness, you can start preparing the jars. Wash them thoroughly and sterilize as you please. Can be done over a pot of boiling water or in the oven. Carefully spoon the hot watermelon jam into the hot jars.

Holding the jar with a towel, carefully tighten the sterile lids, turn over and wrap. For the winter, watermelon pulp jam can be rearranged to a more suitable place for storage.

In winter, watermelon jam can be eaten with tea, and various desserts and cocktails can be prepared with it.

Happy tasting!

Hello!

In one TV show the other day I saw how the cook made jam from watermelon peels. It turned out quite interesting, and the recipe itself struck me, it was so simple. The fact is that we always throw the crusts into a bucket, but you can create culinary masterpieces from them. And you can do it differently each time.

It turns out that you can put any citrus fruits in this delicacy, which will only enhance the taste and aroma. Sometimes, even such a miracle can resemble marmalade if gelatin is added to it. And you can cook even on the stove, even using a slow cooker.

Give yourself and your loved ones an original dessert for tea, you can eat right away or roll it up in jars for the winter. Choose! Whoever has never done it, I recommend that you first make such a jam for a test, and then you definitely won’t resist and start making blanks for the future.

In general, it will be unusual, tasty and most importantly beautiful. By the way, you can cook such a sweetness not only from the crusts, but also using the pulp. It usually comes out amazing jam or confiture. Next time I'll share some of my other work with you.

Now choose any recipe you like, and create in your kitchen. After all, August is already in full swing, which means that this big berry has ripened and is waiting to be eaten or processed.

In this version, pieces, or rather watermelon peels, boiled in sweet syrup remind everyone of candied fruits, only they are not dried, but soft and beautiful in appearance. They have a transparent structure and amber color.

By the way, you can easily add lemon zest or, for example, a sprig of mint, at your discretion.

The first cooking option will be classic without any additives. And then, let's look at other types. This recipe is also considered a quick one, as baking soda is used, which helps the watermelon rinds become soft in a matter of minutes. I hope that you will be happy to please your beloved family with such cool sweets in the winter. But, do not forget about other types of jam, because now is the season, and,

We will need:

• Watermelon peels - 500 g
• Soda - 2 tbsp
• Sugar sand -1 tbsp.
• Water - 0.5 l (for soaking) and 0.5 l for cooking

Stages:

1. Start right away with the most basic. Collect all the crusts and start cutting the watermelon. The crusts that you see will first need to be peeled off from the green thick skin. Leave the white part. If there is a little pulp left, then this is not even bad, it will turn out even cooler. Cut into cubes.

2. Now we conjure, place the pieces in a deep container and fill with soda solution (water + soda). Soak in this liquid for 2 hours. This will help the crusts become softer and cook faster. After that, place the products in a colander, the water will drain, and rinse the crusts themselves with plain running water.

Now place the main ingredients in an enamel bowl or saucepan and cook until boiling. Drain the water afterwards. Again, wash the peels in cold water.

3. Now pour water again, and add sugar to the watermelon cubes. Simmer over low heat for about 1 hour.

4. After a while, you will see an amber color, and the pieces themselves will also become transparent.

5. Distribute the hot mass into a clean glass dish and wrap with a lid. Cool to room temperature and then store in a cool place. Bon appetit!

Watermelon Peel Jam with Lemon

Now I propose another idea, or rather an interpretation of the previous version. You can add a citrus component, such as lemon or its zest, to this jam.

Lemons have a lot of pectin, and this contributes to the fact that the delicacy will turn out to be thick, but also transparent as a glass. Add lemon and you will be delighted with what you see.

You can of course use a substitute, that is, citric acid.

It will turn out a kind of jam or a mass very similar to jam. Outwardly, such a miracle cannot be distinguished from apple confiture, but the taste, of course, is cardinally different. The consistency itself is elastic and is ideal in or you can lubricate biscuit shortcakes and the oven.

We will need:

• Watermelon crusts - 2 kg
• Sugar - 2kg
• Lemon - 1 pc.

Stages:

1. So, take the pieces and separate the pulp from the crusts. You can use what is left after eating. Such is the home production, which turns out to be waste-free. Cut off the hard skin with a sharp, well-sharpened knife. Then crumble each watermelon strip into cube-like pieces. Don't grind them too hard.

Important! In order for all the pieces to cook evenly, they must be cut to the same size. The smaller the slices, the faster they will cook.

2. In order for the crusts to soften and become soft, use the juice of one lemon. Squeeze it right over the berry. Sprinkle with sugar and stir. Leave to stand for 2-3 hours to release a lot of juice.

3. And then cook on a slow cooker mode, if suddenly all the liquid evaporates, and the slices are still solid, then you can safely add a little water to the eye, the main thing is that nothing burns during cooking.

After boiling, such a berry mixture is usually stewed for one hour.

4. Well, after that you can take a blender and beat the mass with it, or you can leave it like that. In any case, transfer the treat to sterile jars and close the metal lids tightly and tightly. Bon appetit! Store in a cellar or refrigerator. The smell is amazing and the taste is great.

How to make watermelon peel jam with orange at home

And now I also want to demonstrate one gourmet, in which I advise you to add another orange fruit, this is an orange. In general, it will be amazing if you add lemon as well. You get such a magical trio.

And to speed up the whole cooking process, you can take a blender and twist all the main components in it. Comes out quickly and instantly. So try to do.

Basically, five-minute recipes are given, I think that you are already familiar with them anyway, but if not, then read the instructions and you will definitely succeed.

To be honest, this charm reminds me of something. After all, it is also unusually beautiful and is usually cooked with citrus fruits.

We will need:

• Watermelon peels - 1 kg
• Sugar - 650 g
• Soda - 1 tsp
• Water - 1 l
• Lemon and orange - 1 pc.

Stages:

1. As in the first recipe, first make a soda solution. Combine soda with water, stir. Put finely chopped pieces of watermelon peel into it. Then be patient, soak them for 2.5 hours. After the solution, drain into the sink, and rinse the pieces under cold water.

2. Sprinkle immediately with granulated sugar and stir. Juice should appear, wait around 1 hour.

3. After the bowl in which to cook, put on the stove and boil the mass. Boil for 5 minutes, then let cool and cook again for 5 minutes.

5. By the way, I also met cooking options with lemon peel, you can add it here too. And boil for a few minutes, and then remove.

6. While hot, pour the delicacy into sterile jars and tighten with clean lids. Store in a closet and where there is no sunlight. Happy discoveries!

Watermelon pulp and rind jam

I think that if you add the pulp of watermelon to the crusts, only in moderation it will come out even more interesting. What do you think, perhaps you are generally accustomed to cooking only from the pulp. Which is also very tasty.

And so that the jam does not turn out too cloying, please add any fruit from the category of citrus fruits, such as lime, lemon or orange. Use the zest and get new shades.

But if you don't want to, you can do without them. This option is somewhat similar to the previous ones, but in this case, additional water is not added to the jam and soda is not used. And the process itself is completely different.

We will need:

• Watermelon peels - 1.5 kg
• Sugar - 1 kg
• Orange - 1 pc. (or without it)

Stages:

1. Take the crusts and process them, cut off the petrified part, the green skin. Leave the white part as well as some pulp. Cut into pieces and put them in a bowl or where you will cook. For a change, you can cut not into cubes, but into cubes.

2. Immediately after cutting, sprinkle the watermelon with sugar and mix. Without waiting for the release of juice, immediately start cooking. Simmer on the smallest fire, stirring constantly. You will see sweet sugar syrup with chunks in it. Once the mixture boils, boil for 5 minutes, turn off the stove and leave to cool to room temperature, covered with a cotton towel.

3. Repeat this procedure 3-4 times, cook for 5 minutes, it turns out in 3-4 calls. This will ensure that the pieces do not boil soft and will be absolutely transparent like a tear.

When you cook for the very last time, add orange zest and a couple of tablespoons of fresh juice to the jam. Stir and continue cooking for about 5 minutes.

4. The finished gourmet looks just great. Perhaps no one will even guess what kind of “fruit” this is and what it is cooked from.

5. Pack the hot mixture into glass bottles and cover with lids, cool upside down under a blanket. Eat with milk and hot bread or

Video on how to cook watermelon peel jam in a slow cooker

Well, in conclusion, as I said at the beginning of this article, that this dish can be prepared easily using a multi-device. After all, you can take it with you directly to the dacha and from your homemade watermelons, after you eat them, cook such a sweet amber miracle.

Well, watch all the detailed description in this video and learn. There is nothing difficult, the main thing is to cut the components correctly and select the desired mode. By the way, bees flock to such a fragrant smell, be prepared for this, treat them too).

This is where I end this post. I hope you liked all the recipes and today you will go to the market, buy a watermelon, and cook such a treat from the waste (crusts) that you always throw into the bucket. After all, it turns out that you can cook from what is at hand, and we do not even suspect it.

Good luck everyone and see you soon! Goodbye!

The juicy and fragrant pulp of the watermelon is eaten, but the rinds remain. Do not rush to throw them away! What seems inedible can be turned into an interesting treat, such as candied watermelon peels, the recipe of which is already on the link, or delicious watermelon jam. In Russian cuisine, preparations from vegetables, fruits and berries for the winter are popular. So why not make watermelon jam? The flesh of the giant berry is too thin, so it is not suitable for making jam, but the crusts will do just fine. Why is peel jam better than candied fruits? Unlike them, lemon zest and juice are added to the jam, which enriches the taste, and it turns out to be pleasantly sweet and not cloying, very tasty and, moreover, healthy! Watermelon peels contain many trace elements, and lemon is a well-known source of vitamin C. While boiling, you can add a couple of sprigs of cloves or a few mint leaves to the watermelon for flavor. Such a delicacy will be very useful for tea on a cold autumn and winter day. Watermelon preparation can be served with pancakes, pancakes, cheesecakes. And how beautifully the jam shimmers in a vase! It is amber, almost transparent, and the aroma is reminiscent of warm summer days. Be sure to try making Watermelon Peel Jam: the recipe is very simple, despite the fact that it takes several days to prepare. Most of the time the crusts need to soak in syrup, and you only need to devote 5-15 minutes a day to jam.

To make jam you will need:

• 1 kg of watermelon peels;
• 1 kg of sugar;
• 500 ml filtered water;
• 1 lemon for about 200 g.

Yield: 2 cans of 0.5 liters are obtained.

Step by step recipe for watermelon rind jam

1. We clean the pulp and green skin from watermelon peels. We wash the crusts under running water and put them in a bowl.

2. Cut the white part of the crusts into rectangles 1-2 cm wide. The size of the slices, like the shape, can be arbitrary. I have a curly knife, but a regular one will do. You can cut the crusts into strips or cubes, as you like. But in order for the jam to boil evenly, slices should be cut in the same way,

3. Put the chopped peels in a basin (pan) and cover with sugar. Now add water. It should cover the pieces a little. We shake the container from side to side so that the watermelon mixes with sugar or distribute the sugar evenly with a wooden or silicone spoon for jam. We put the pan or basin with crusts on the fire. If we are preparing jam in a basin, we set the fire strong so that the flame reaches the sides of the container, it is also very convenient to use a divider. If we use a saucepan for jam, we make the fire medium so that the sugar does not burn to the walls of the dish.

4. In the meantime, the crusts are warming up, we rub the whole lemon zest. White fibers give bitterness, so we do not grind to them, we take the zest only from above.

5. Rubbing the lemon took me 2 minutes, the jam had not even had time to boil yet. Add the zest to the watermelon rinds and stir. If you like, you can add zest at the very end of making the jam, in step 8. Lemon complements the aroma of watermelon rinds very well, adding a slight sourness and citrus flavor, making the jam richer and less cloying. If you add zest at the beginning of cooking, watermelon peels will be saturated with a delicious citrus aroma not only outside, but also inside. In addition, the grated zest will become transparent and elusive in the finished product.

6. Bring to a boil, then put on medium-high heat and wait 5 minutes. We remove the watermelon jam from the heat (I move it to another burner to cool faster). Usually, in order for the jam to turn out transparent and amber, the main ingredient is first poured with hot syrup. Could be so. But since the crusts are hard, they can be boiled immediately, the skins will not boil soft and will not lose their shape. Leave to cool completely, but not more than a day. Looking ahead, I will say that you need to cook jam in 3-4 doses until it becomes transparent and amber. The most convenient option is to start cooking the sutra, then boil it in the evening, then the sutra the next day - and you can roll it up. And if desired, you can boil it again, depending on how well the crusts are soaked. The intervals between cooking should be from 6 to 12 hours. But already after the first time, the crusts begin to change color to golden and will gradually become transparent as they soak with syrup. Don't forget to stir the jam. Because of the sugar, it can easily burn.

7. Cook for the second time after a few hours. Bring the rested jam to a boil and cook over low heat for 20 minutes, remove from heat. Let it cool completely again, it is better to leave it overnight.

8. Boil for the third time. After the third cooking, it became golden and transparent, which means that the jam can be rolled into jars. But if the syrup seems very liquid to you, or the watermelon rinds are not transparent enough, you can boil it 1 more time, maximum 2. If you overdo it, the jam can become sugary. Before putting the jam to cook for the last time, sterilize jars and lids.

9. Pour hot jam into hot sterilized jars. Fill the containers to the very top. It is better to take jars of small volume - 0.5 liters each.

10. Roll up with a sterile lid. If we want to eat jam before the onset of winter, we can not roll up the jars with lids, but cover them with parchment.

11. And the last stage of preparation. We turn the jars of jam with the lid down, after a day we move the rolls into the cabinet.

12. Fragrant watermelon peel jam is ready! As the syrup cools, it will thicken.

And here are the golden transparent watermelon crusts. Bon appetit!

Common watermelon is an annual herbaceous plant with a creeping branching stem 2-3 meters long, a species of the genus Watermelon (Citrullus) of the Cucurbitaceae family.

The fruit of the watermelon is a large spherical false berry with a smooth surface and pink or red juicy sweet pulp. Some varieties have white or yellowish white flesh.
Watermelon is native to South and Central Africa. Watermelon is cultivated in many areas of the Earth with a dry and hot climate. Currently, watermelons are grown in 96 countries in more than 1200 varieties.

The pulp of watermelon contains from 5.5 to 13% sugars (glucose, fructose and some sucrose). By the time of ripening, glucose and fructose predominate, sucrose accumulates during the storage of watermelon. Fructose makes up about half of all sugars and is responsible for the sweetness of watermelon. A fruit weighing 3-4 kg contains up to 150 g of pure fructose.

Watermelon is a source of pectin, fiber, vitamins B1, B2, C, PP, folic acid and provitamin A, as well as salts of manganese, nickel, iron, magnesium and potassium.
The pulp contains: pectin substances - 0.68%, proteins - 0.7%; calcium - 14 mg /%, magnesium - 224 mg /%, sodium - 16 mg /%, potassium - 64 mg /%, phosphorus - 7 mg /%, iron in organic form - 1 mg /%; vitamins - thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, folic acid, carotene - 0.1-0.7 mg /%, ascorbic acid - 0.7-20 mg /%, alkaline substances.

100 grams of the edible part of the fruit contains 38 kilocalories.

Watermelon seeds contain up to 25% fatty oil, similar in physicochemical properties to almond oil and rich in vitamin D.

Watermelons are eaten fresh. The pulp of watermelon quenches thirst well. The fruits of small watermelons are used for pickling and canning.

Evaporating watermelon juice, prepare thick watermelon "honey" (nardek), which contains up to 90% sugars. (Grape "honey" obtained in this way from grape juice is called bekmes or doshab; boiled juices of various fruits, berries and vegetables are also called bekmes)

A delicious jam and candied fruits are prepared from the peel of a watermelon.

Table oil is obtained from the seeds.

Watermelon is good for people of all ages.

Hot appetizer salad with fried watermelon, mint and feta cheese

Fried watermelon - sounds unusual, but in fact - juicy and crispy inside, with smoke and a sweet crust on the outside. Add some salty feta cheese, a dash of lime zest, and a touch of mint freshness. And you have a wonderful salad for a picnic!

Ingredients:
8 slices of pitted and peeled watermelon (each the size of a deck of cards) 2 tablespoons of olive oil 5 teaspoons of lime juice 5 slices of feta cheese (about 120 grams) a handful of fresh mint leaves 3 cups of herbs (arugula, lettuce, watercress) salt , pepper - roasted pumpkin seeds to taste

Cooking:
Preheat the grill. Pat the watermelon pieces dry with paper towels and place them on the grill. Fry on one side only, without flipping, for 2 minutes. Toss the greens with 2 tablespoons lime juice, olive oil and a pinch of salt. Arrange the greens on a large platter, top with grilled watermelon slices, toasted side up. Add Feta and a few fried watermelon pieces. Pour the remaining lime juice over them and sprinkle lightly with salt (pepper to taste). Garnish with mint and pumpkin seeds.

Dessert "Watermelon bunch"

Ingredients:
watermelon - 1 pc. flour - 50 g fresh egg white - 2 pcs. sugar - 1 teaspoon starch - 50 g water - 1/2 cup powdered sugar (for sprinkling)

Cooking:
With a watermelon noisette spoon, cut into balls (in the absence of a noisette, you can cut into cubes).

For batter dilute the starch in water, beat 2 proteins with 1 teaspoon of sugar into a strong foam and mix them gently.

Roll the watermelon balls in flour, then in batter.

Fry quickly in a pre-heated deep-fryer. Then let the balls cool, put on a dish and decorate with powdered sugar.

Summer watermelon salad with mint and feta cheese

Ingredients:
watermelon lime for juice - 2 pcs. feta cheese - 300 g 1 head of red onion olive oil - 100 ml mint leaves ground black pepper salt

Cooking:
Watermelon salad, you need to cook no more than 20-30 minutes before serving. From a pre-chilled watermelon, cut off the rind and cut the flesh into pieces. Put the pieces of watermelon in a colander to drain excess juice. For the sauce in a cup, mix olive oil and lime juice, then add a little salt and black pepper. Put slices of watermelon in a salad bowl and pour over the prepared sauce. Due to the juice released, the amount of sauce will increase - this is quite normal. Sprinkle with chopped mint leaves, grated cheese, mix lightly and serve immediately.

Appetizing watermelon slices with mint and lime

Ingredients:
slices of 1 chilled pitted watermelon; 1/2 bunch fresh mint 4 limes (from 2 - zest, from 2 - juice) 3/4 cup sugar

Cooking:
Cut the chilled watermelon into 4 pieces, then cut into slices about 5 cm thick (see photo). Chop the mint leaves and mix in a bowl with 2 tablespoons of lime zest. Add sugar and mix well. Place the watermelon slices on a large flat dish and pour the lime juice over them. Then sprinkle the pieces with the made mint-lime sugar.

watermelon granite

Ingredients:
1 watermelon, cut into pieces, peeled and pitted Juice 2 limes 1/3 cup sugar 1 tbsp. a spoonful of good cognac or rum

Cooking:
Place half of the watermelon, half of the lemon juice and half of the sugar in a blender, mix thoroughly until smooth and pour into a bowl. Repeat the same with the other half of the ingredients. Add rum to the resulting mass, mix, pour everything into a saucepan and place in the freezer to freeze.
Grated chocolate can be added to the mixture to taste.
We freeze for 2-3 hours, after which the mixture is quickly actively mixed and returned to the freezer. We will repeat this process in a couple of hours. Then again.
Let it completely freeze for another 3-4 hours, divide into portions in pre-chilled glasses and serve.

Note: to separate the seeds, beat the peeled pieces of watermelon for a few seconds in a blender, and then rub through a colander or coarse sieve.

Ingredients:
watermelon (about 2 kg, cut into pieces and de-seeded) 1 tbsp mixed sugar + 1 tsp sugar for decoration juice of 3 limes 3 tbsp rum a pinch of salt 1 tbsp mint leaves mixed + 1 tsp mint leaves For decoration

Cooking:
Pieces of watermelon, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of sugar, lime juice and rum are loaded into a blender and brought to a puree state. Add 1 tbsp. a spoonful of mint and mix until smooth, when the mint leaves are not visible. For greater tenderness of the future ice cream, it is useful to add 3-4 tbsp to the mixture. tablespoons of saturated gelatin solution.

Then the mixture is packed in an airtight container and frozen for several hours. The presence of an ice cream maker greatly facilitates the process. If it is not available, every hour we take the mixture out of the freezer and mix thoroughly with a spoon or mixer, as long as possible. Stirring is necessary so that large ice crystals do not form in the ice cream.

To completely freeze the sherbet, we keep it in the freezer for 6-8 hours (no longer is necessary, otherwise the mixture will freeze).

Serve to the table, lightly sprinkled with sugar and garnished with mint leaves.

Refreshing watermelon water

Ingredients:
half a large watermelon (no rind, cut into large chunks) 4 cups water 8 fresh mint leaves (quantity can be adjusted to taste) juice of half a lime (about 1.5 tablespoons) 3 tablespoons sugar or honey

Cooking:
Place half of the watermelon pulp, half of the water and half of the mint in a blender and turn into a smooth puree. Strain the liquid through a sieve into a pitcher or large bowl. Repeat the procedure with the remaining pieces of watermelon, mint and water. Mix both portions and strain again. Add lime juice, sugar or honey. Refrigerate before serving.

Watermelon rind jam

Ingredients:
watermelon peels - 1 kg juice of 1/2 lemon and zest sugar - 1 kg vanillin - 1/2 teaspoon water - 2 cups

Cooking:
We take out the pulp from the watermelon, remove the thin green upper peel. Cut the remaining white peel into small pieces. We prick each piece in several places and cook in boiling water until soft. Drain the water, and dry the pieces with a napkin and dip in syrup. With short breaks, on a very low heat, cook them until tender.
Before removing from heat, add vanillin, citric acid or finely chopped zest.
You can also add 1-2 tbsp. spoons of cognac or rum and mix quickly.

Pour the finished hot jam without delay into dry, sterilized jars and close the lids.

Candied watermelon rinds

These candied fruits decorate the cake "Fairy Tale"

Ingredients:
- 1 kg of watermelon peels - 1.2 kg of sugar - 3-3.5 cups of water - 1 lemon - a little vanilla or vanilla sugar - cardamom (to taste)

According to tradition, we cut the watermelon peel for these candied fruits into pieces with such a knife with curly edges.

We take a thick-skinned watermelon, carefully cut off the remaining pink pulp from the crusts - you can scrape it white with a spoon. Then we cut the greens from the crusts (it is convenient to do this with a potato peeler) and cut into elongated pieces. We make the pieces small, approximately, so that you need to bite off once.

We prick the pieces with a fork, send them to a soda solution (3 teaspoons per 3 liters of cold water) for 4-6 hours. Then we rinse thoroughly, let it soak a couple of times for 30 minutes in clean water.

From water and half of the sugar, boil the syrup, lower the crusts there, bring to a boil and boil over low heat for about 20 minutes. Turn off and let stand for 8 hours or more. Bring to a boil again, pour in the remaining sugar, boil for 20-30 minutes and leave for another 8 hours. For the third time, boil until translucent, the slices should be easy to bite off, slightly crunchy. If there is little juice left, add about 1 cup of boiling water.

Before the end of the 3rd cooking, you will need to add lemon or orange zest to the candied fruits. We will put it in advance in a paper or gauze bag so that later we do not have to separate the zest from the candied fruits.

Squeeze the juice of one lemon into the finished candied fruit (you can also use 2), add vanilla, let it cool and put it into jars along with the syrup.

It is advisable to store in the refrigerator. To decorate the cake, strain the syrup and let the candied watermelon dry.

These candied fruits (along with syrup) can be served with tea or dry wine.

Watermelon honey (bekmes)

Ingredients:
watermelon - 8 kg sugar - 1 tbsp. l. lemon juice - 1 tsp

Cooking:
It is prepared from ripe sweet watermelons. The pulp is selected, rubbed through a sieve, filtered through two layers of gauze, squeezing well almost to dryness. The resulting juice is brought to a boil, while stirring continuously and removing the reddish foam. Then the juice is filtered again and, stirring, so as not to burn, boil over low heat. "Honey" is ready when the volume decreases by 5-6 times. In this case, the juice will become thick, slightly stretchy. At the very end of cooking, add sugar and pour in lemon juice. Pour honey into glass jars, cool and enjoy. From this amount, 1 small can of goodies is obtained, but the work is worth it.

ATTENTION!
Watermelon "honey" is not recommended for patients with diabetes and obesity, as it contains a lot of sugars - up to 90%. Diabetics should eat watermelon very little, and in small doses it is even useful.
Watermelon is contraindicated in large quantities with flatulence, as it contributes to the formation of gases in the colon.

Bekmes or pekmez (tur. pekmez) - condensed juice (syrup) of fruits, berries and vegetables. Grape is also known as nardek or doshab. The main methods of cooking: - heating on fire (usually in a water bath, in industry - in tinned copper boilers or special bekmesovochny installations) - evaporation in the sun (gives more fragrant and healthy bekmesy, but is possible only in the climatic conditions of Central Asia and similar to them where the air is hot and dry).

They are prepared without adding sugar - which distinguishes bekmes from kiems. The juice squeezed from overripe fruits is brought to a boil, boiled, not allowing to boil, then settled and filtered. After evaporation of a certain part of the volume (depending on the feedstock - from 50 to 80%), the consistency becomes similar to honey. Contains sugar, organic acids and vitamins.

It is used in confectionery and winemaking as well as a nutritious and medicinal product.

In winemaking, it is usually produced by boiling the must, it is used to increase the sugar content of ordinary fortified wines (it is clarified after boiling).

In the confectionery industry - a semi-finished product for the preparation of other types of sweets - jams, sherbets, irchal, figs, for additives in Turkish delight and other products.

WATERMELON - canned, marinated, soaked ...

Canned watermelons

Brine:
salt - 30 g water - 1 l

Cooking:
For such salting, red (but not overripe) and brown thin-skinned or thick-skinned watermelons are suitable, the diameter of which is approximately equal to the diameter of a three-liter jar. Watermelons are washed with cold water, circles are cut to the edible part both from the side of the stalk and from the side of the inflorescence. Banks are thoroughly washed, steam sterilized and cooled.

Watermelons are first cut in circles 15-20 mm thick, and then cut into pieces that are convenient for laying in jars. The filled jar is placed on a kitchen board and boiling water is poured into it. First, a small jet is sent to the center so that the can does not burst. A sterilized lid is placed on the neck of the prepared jar, the jar is wrapped with a towel on top and kept for 8-10 minutes.

Then the water is drained and the watermelons are poured with boiling water again, covered with a towel and after 8-10 minutes the water is drained, and boiling brine is poured. For one jar with a capacity of 3 liters. you need about 1 liter of brine.

The brine is prepared as follows: Pour salt into the water (30 g per 1 liter of water), boil for 8-10 minutes until the salt is completely dissolved, filter through 3-4 layers of gauze, bring the brine to a boil again, add 10-15 ml of 9% vinegar. If the watermelons are brown, then sugar is added to the brine (20 g per 1 liter of water).

The jars filled with boiling brine are hermetically sealed and cooled. Banks with watermelons are stored in a cool room (basement, cellar) at a temperature below +18°C. If they are sterilized at 100 ° C, then such watermelons can be stored under normal conditions.

As experience has shown, the lids of some chilled cans swell, which indicates insufficient heating of the watermelons with boiling water.
You should not wait until the lids are torn off, they need to be removed, drain the brine into a saucepan, heat it to a boil, pour over the jars and hermetically cork with other lids.

Pickled watermelons

Brine for a 3-liter jar:
1.5 liters of water 2 tbsp. l. salt 1 tbsp. l. Sahara

Cooking:
Watermelons are better to take unripe - pink. Cut them into slices, remove the seeds and cut off the peels. Cut into pieces of 3-5 cm, tightly fill the jars and pour boiling brine. Sterilize 10 minutes from the moment of boiling, add 1 tsp before rolling. vinegar essence. Cut into pieces of 3-5 cm, tightly fill the jars and pour boiling brine.

For flavor use: sweet peas, cloves, bay leaves and black peppercorns. Cut into pieces of 3-5 cm, tightly fill the jars and pour boiling brine. This is a recipe that has been tried and tested over the years. During the holidays, these watermelons always enjoy the increased attention of guests. Try to cook, you won't regret it.

Watermelon marinated with spices

For marinade:
water - 1 liter salt - 1 tbsp. l. sugar - 1 tbsp. l. vinegar essence - 2 tsp hot pepper, horseradish, bay leaf, cinnamon, lovage - to taste

Cooking:
You can pickle watermelons ripe and unripe. Watermelon is washed, cut into slices. Crusts and grains can not be removed. The slices are placed in jars. Add hot pepper, horseradish, bay leaf, cinnamon, lovage. Pour in the marinade. Sterilize half-liter jars for 15 minutes, liter - 20 minutes.

pickled watermelon

Ingredients:
800 g of watermelon; 800 ml of water; 2-3 bay leaves; 3-6 peas of allspice; 1.5 tbsp salt; 1.5 st. l. granulated sugar; 2-3 tbsp vinegar 9%; 50 g dill; 2 celery stalks

Cooking:
Cut the watermelon into slices. Separate the pulp from the crusts and cut into small pieces. Cut the stalk of celery into cubes.

Put dill on the bottom of the jar, then a layer of watermelon, a layer of celery, again a layer of watermelon.

For brine in a saucepan, mix water, salt, pepper, vinegar, bay leaf, granulated sugar. Bring to a boil, cool slightly and pour into watermelon jars. Close the lids and store in the refrigerator.

Salted or, as it is also called, soaked watermelon is an excellent appetizer for an aperitif.
We offer a recipe for making an alcoholic drink using fresh ripe watermelon. We tightly wrap the watermelon with wide tape so that it does not burst, and with the help of a large syringe we pump vodka into it. After a couple of weeks, you can get a flavored drink with a strength of 21 ° and higher. The alcohol contained in vodka "eats" the watermelon pulp, turning it into a liquid. We filter the drink through gauze and fill the decanter with pink liqueur. Why immediately in a decanter, and not in a bottle? Yes, because it will not stagnate for a long time ...

(+) Image is clickable

Canned watermelons

For brine in a 3-liter jar:
watermelon sugar - 1 tbsp. l. salt - 1 tbsp. l. aspirin - 2 tablets

Cooking:
Cut the watermelon into circles, then each circle into four parts. Place in a sterilized jar. Add salt, sugar and two aspirin tablets, pour boiling water, roll up. Keep refrigerated.

Tomatoes marinated with watermelon

Ingredients for a 3 liter jar:
1 liter of water 1.5 kg of tomatoes watermelon, peeled and pitted 5-7 cloves of garlic 3-5 sprigs of celery 1 heaping tablespoon of salt 2.5 tablespoons of sugar 1 dessert spoon of vinegar essence

Cooking:
In a 3-liter jar, put a few cloves of garlic, celery sprigs on the bottom, then layers of tomatoes and watermelon cut into large pieces. Top with celery and garlic. Pour two times for 10 minutes with boiling water, the third time on the drained water we will make a marinade: add salt, sugar, vinegar essence. Pour tomatoes with marinade, roll up and wrap for pasteurization.

Soaked watermelons

For brine:
salt - 600-800 g water - 10 l

Cooking:
Wash small and ripe medium-sized watermelons, put in a barrel, pour 6-8% brine (600-800 g of salt per 10 liters of water, depending on the size of the watermelons) and soak for 2 days. Then top up the barrel with the same brine and put it in a cellar or glacier. To speed up fermentation, watermelons are recommended to be pierced in several places with a sharp wooden stick. Small watermelons are pierced with a wooden pin in several places, placed in a barrel or a large enamel pot and poured with brine. Cover with a circle on top and put oppression so that the fruits do not float (the brine should cover them). Fermentation lasts about 1 month. Salted watermelons are used as an appetizer or side dish for meat and fish dishes.

Watermelon-apple confiture

Very beautiful jam with an original taste bouquet. It's worth cooking.

Ingredients:
3 apples 1.5 kg watermelon 2 tsp. lemon zest 6 tbsp. lemon juice a little vanilla or 1/4 tsp. cinnamon - to taste 2 packs of "Confiture" 600 g sugar

Cooking:
We clean the watermelon from the peel and seeds.

Process in a blender into a homogeneous mass.

Peel the apples and seeds, cut into small pieces, sprinkle with lemon juice, add sugar, cinnamon (if we add vanillin instead of cinnamon, then put it at the very end of cooking), zest, a little watermelon mixture and boil for 5-6 minutes.

Add the "jam", the entire watermelon mass and cook for another 5 minutes.

Pour hot into sterilized jars and close tightly with lids. Wrap in a blanket and leave to cool completely.