Simple and quick recipes for making candied fruits from watermelon peels at home
Candied fruits are a well-known delicacy that is prepared by cooking fruits or their crusts in sugar syrup. They act as a separate dessert, and are used to decorate confectionery. They contain a fairly large amount of sugar, but at the same time retain the beneficial properties of the fruits from which they are made. We present several recipes for making candied fruits from ripe watermelon peels.
What you need to know about candied watermelon rinds?
The rind of a watermelon is rich in nutrients, like its pulp, it has its own indistinguishable aroma and, if properly processed, may well become a delicious dessert. In particular, you can cook candied fruits. So it is not always worth throwing watermelon peels in the trash can, you can be patient and get original sweets that you are unlikely to find on sale. It should be understood that watermelon should be grown without adding a large amount of harmful substances, which tend to accumulate in the peel.
Selection and preparation of the main ingredient
It is better to take a watermelon with a thick crust as a basis. The top green layer is cut from the rind and the remaining pulp is removed. Raw materials are thoroughly washed in water and dried with a napkin. Then it is cut into cubes or shaped pieces (if there is 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 fruits from watermelon peels
The cooking procedure for any candied fruit is usually standard and consists of several stages. Recipes for cooking candied fruits from watermelon peels differ only in the composition and amount 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 moment, but for ideal candied watermelon fruits, 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 a sugar taste, as well as acquire a glossy appearance and a pleasant texture. Water is mixed with sugar and sugar syrup is prepared on the stove (it should be thick enough), after which watermelon rinds are placed in it and boiled for 5-10 minutes. Then you need to let it cool and infuse in the syrup for several hours, and then turn it on again and boil it.This process must be repeated until the pieces are transparent and have a pleasant yellowish tint. Usually they cost 6-10 brews, but the process can be accelerated if you are satisfied with the appearance and quality of the candied fruits obtained.
- filtering the syrup through a colander to rid the treat of water residues;
- 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 must be dry on the outside and firm on the inside.
Drying is allowed simply in a dry, warm, closed room for several days. In the oven, the time takes 1-2 hours.
Recipes for candied watermelon peels
The easiest recipe for the winter
To remind yourself of the summer and aroma of watermelon in winter, while feasting on candied fruits, use a quick recipe for making a dessert from watermelon peels at home.
Composition:
- water - 0.5 liters;
- sugar - 1.2 kg;
- watermelon peel - 1 kg;
- icing sugar - 50 gr.
To speed up the preparation of candied fruits, you can omit the soaking step of the crusts and immediately prepare the sweet syrup. You can cook in this solution for a longer time - 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, spread on a baking sheet so that the pieces do not stick to each other. Send candied watermelon fruits for drying in the oven or dryer for 1-1.5 hours, the temperature regime is around +50 C. Cover with sweet powder and store in an airtight dry container or serve for tea.
With lemon
In this recipe, to add sourness to candied fruits, you can use not only lemon juice, but also lime, citric acid.
Composition:
- watermelon peel - 1.5 kg;
- granulated sugar - 1.8 kg;
- water - 3 glasses;
- 1 Lemon or 5 g of citric acid.
How to make candied watermelon with lemon? The procedure is the same as above. If time permits, you can use a multi-stage process with soaking and several days of boiling, so the candied fruits will become rich and beautiful. The only difference is that acid is added to the syrup during cooking (it 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 oranges are orange in color and have a bright orange flavor.
Composition:
- orange - 2 large fruits;
- watermelon crusts - 1 kg;
- granulated sugar - 1.2 kg;
- water - 2.5 cups;
- icing sugar - 50 gr.
Boil the peels with the addition of orange peel and squeezed orange juice. We repeat the standard soaking steps, filter, dry. Wonderful orange candies are ready! Enjoy your meal!
With soda
Baking soda is used in any of the recipes to soften watermelon rinds before boiling them. Thanks to the action of this substance, the candied fruit pulp becomes as tender as possible. One teaspoon should be diluted in 3-4 glasses of hot water and pour the sliced watermelon rind with this raster. Let it brew for 2-3 hours. Then rinse thoroughly with water and can be sent to the fire in sweet syrup. Next - cook according to the described scheme.
With ginger
Candied ginger fruits are a reminder of oriental sweets. In addition to ginger, you can add other spices and spices to candied fruits, to your taste. It can be Indian masala, cloves, vanilla, cardamom and even hot red peppers!
Ingredients:
- ground ginger - 1 teaspoon;
- peeled watermelon peels - 1 kg;
- sugar - 1 kg;
- lemon or orange zest - 1 tsp;
- water - 3 glasses.
Soak the sliced watermelon rinds in the sugar syrup, zest and ginger for several hours. Put the whole mixture on fire and boil for 10-15 minutes. Allow to cool.Do this procedure several times, then strain and dry at a temperature of 40 to 60 degrees. The delicacy is obtained with a rich ginger taste and aroma.
In a multicooker
Household appliances speed up and facilitate the process of cooking candied fruit.
Composition:
- watermelon peels - 1.5 kg;
- water - 1.5 l;
- sugar - 2 kg;
- icing sugar for dusting.
Cooking steps:
- Soaking in ordinary water - 3-5 days, in the refrigerator, the water must be changed regularly;
- Rinsing in running water;
- We select the "Steam cooking" mode in a multicooker, the crusts should be covered with water - 20 minutes;
- strain;
- We dilute the sugar with water, put it with the crusts in a multicooker, turn on the "Pilaf" mode until an 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 cook candied fruits much faster than the standard way.
- Place watermelon crusts covered in sugar in a marinator for several cycles;
- then cook in boiling sweet syrup until transparent;
- strain through a colander or cheesecloth;
- put candied peels from watermelon peels in an electric dryer and bring to readiness;
- sprinkle with icing sugar and store in a dry, sealed container.
To get multi-colored candied fruits, when cooking, you can use food colors and syrups of bright berries (blueberries, sea buckthorn, cherries or black currants). Children will love it!
Storage
Ready-made candied peels 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.
