Candied watermelon rind

Candied watermelon rind is a fun treat and a terrific way to use some of your food scraps and turn them into something you'd want to eat!

Watermelon rind is edible, though not especially tasty raw. My kids are watermelon monsters, so I buy one almost every week in the summer, leaving us with A LOT of rinds to compost or throw away.

I always enjoy coming up with ways to use up foods that otherwise may be tossed. Things like making pestos from some greens (like the tops of carrots or radishes), eating beet greens, making broths and stocks with the tops of celery and onion peels. These are all great ways to reduce food waste.

The process to candy the rind takes about 4 days, but most of the time is completely hands-off. I scaled up the recipe to make more and I added some drying time in the direct sunlight. 

It's an imperfect process that you have to play by ear; a dehydrator may be helpful here and cut down on drying time, but mine turned out delicious without one!

Candied watermelon rind is similar to other candied rinds like oranges, lemon, and grapefruits. Watermelon rind is bland in flavor - it does not taste like watermelon. The lemon in this recipe adds the flavoring to the end product.

You can use other flavors if you prefer - lime or ginger would be great ones to try in this recipe if you don't want to use lemon, or don't like lemon flavor.

These are a fun and tasty treat to eat out of hand for a few days - they are almost like a fruit snack in a way. Their shape and texture also remind me of a gummy worm - sweet, a little tart, and a touch chewy. We eat them out of hand, but you can use them to decorate the tops of cupcakes or other treats as well. 

When your are planning to make watermelon rind candy, I suggest using rinds from watermelon that you have cut up into a fruit salad or similar. You don't want to collect up ones that people have been touching and eating from with their mouths. Remove the fruit from the rind with a knife and then use that rind for making candy.

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Yield: about 10 servings  
Author: Amy Bartlett (Savory Moments)

Candied Watermelon Rind

Candied watermelon rind is a fun treat and a terrific way to use some of your food scraps and turn them into something you'd want to eat!

Ingredients:

Part 1

• about 6 heaped cups watermelon rind, cut into about 2-inch strips approximately 1/4-inch wide and green portion removed (it's okay to leave some pink, though it takes longer to fully dry)
• 6 cups water
• 1-1/2 tablespoons salt

Part 2

• 3 cups water
• 3 cups sugar
• 1 lemon, sliced

Instructions:

1. Part 1: In a large bowl or container, stir everything together. Cover with plastic wrap/lid and let the rinds soak in the refrigerator overnight. Drain and rinse the rind. Place the rind in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and then reduce and simmer for one hour. Drain again.
2. Part 2: In a saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil. Stir and when the sugar is dissolved, add the watermelon rinds and lemon slices. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain again and then transfer the rinds to a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicon mat. Let dry for about 36-48 hours, turning halfway through (I put mine out into the sun for about 4-5 hours halfway through to help).

Notes:

You can add other flavorings with or without the lemon like ginger or cinnamon as well, if desired. The finished product does not taste like watermelon. It tastes like sweet lemon. Store in an airtight container and snack on as desired.

Created using The Recipes Generator

I hope you give these candied watermelon rinds a try! Let me know in the comments below. 

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Recipe slightly adapted from Sew Historically.

Check out these other recipes for reducing food waste:

Broccoli Stem Slaw w/ Cranberries

How to Freeze Basil in Olive Oil

How to Make Vegetable Scrap Broth in the Slow Cooker 

Carrot Top Hummus