It doesn't matter whether youMake your own watermelon ice cream, grill or simply enjoy on its own – watermelons are a must in summer! The sweet, juicy fruit provides wonderful refreshment in the heat and is also full of vitamins and nutrients that are good for our health. But watermelon is not just about the wonderfully delicious flesh. There is one part that most of us probably ignore and most of the time a big pile of melon rinds end up straight in the trash. But that doesn't have to be the case, because there are actually many great ways you can use watermelon peels! Whether as fertilizer in the garden, in a smoothie as a power snack or as watermelon rind jam for the perfect breakfast - the mildly sweet rind is a real all-rounder! To convince you of this, we have put together 8 ideas of what you could do with it!
Is watermelon rind edible?
Who would have thought - the watermelon peel is not only edible, but also very healthy. The green and white peel actually contains most of the nutrients found in the fruit and has an even higher concentration of certain antioxidants. The fiber and amino acids it contains ensure that you feel full for longer and support, among other things, muscle building. In addition, white peel is considered one of the best sources of citrulline - an amino acid that promotes fat burning and improves blood flow. The high lysopine content also protects the body from free radicals and, according to studies, can reduce the risk of prostate cancer by as much as 30 percent. But in order to benefit from all these benefits of watermelon peels, you should make sure that the fruit is organically grown.
Watermelon peel jam recipe
Crispy rolls with jam are probably the ultimate breakfast classic. How about surprising your family with something completely new next time? Delightfully sweet and incredibly aromatic – this watermelon rind jam will instantly take your Sunday breakfast to the next level! And here comes the recipe for around 6 jam jars with a capacity of 250 milliliters.
Ingredients:
- 1 kilogram of watermelon peels
- 2 liters of water
- 200 ml apple cider vinegar
- 1 kilogram of preserving sugar
- 1 pack of vanilla sugar
- The juice of 1 lemon
Watermelon peel jam Preparation:
- Cut the watermelon into eighths and remove the red flesh, leaving some on the rind.
- Remove the dark green, bitter outer skin with a sharp knife and cut the peel into bite-sized pieces.
- Put 1.5 liters of water and the apple cider vinegar in a large pot and bring to the boil.
- Add the watermelon peels, reduce the heat and let everything cook at medium temperature for 2 hours.
- Drain the shells after cooking and rinse immediately with cold water.
- Now put the bark back in the pot.
- Add the remaining water, lemon juice, preserving sugar and vanilla sugar and cook everything over medium heat until the mixture has thickened.
- Finely puree the mixture either partially or completely with the hand blender.
- Pour the watermelon rind jam into the jars and close tightly. Turn it upside down for 5-10 minutes, then wrap it in a kitchen towel and let it rest for 1 day.
It's that easy to candied watermelon peel
Sweet and sour and really tasty – who doesn’t love candied fruit? The good news? You can actually use up the watermelon rinds and turn them into a delicious and refreshing snack! And it's that easy!
Ingredients:
- 300 grams of watermelon peel
- 150 ml water
- 260 grams of sugar
Candied watermelon rind:
- Remove the green skin from the watermelon rinds using either a vegetable peeler or a sharp knife and rinse.
- Now slice the bark very thinly or cut it into small pieces, depending on your preference.
- Place in a sieve and let stand for about 30 minutes so that the excess liquid drains away.
- In the meantime prepare the syrup. To do this, put the water and sugar in a large pot and bring to the boil, stirring constantly.
- Add the watermelon peels and cook over high heat for about 10-15 minutes.
- Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring constantly, until the syrup has almost completely evaporated.
- Remove from heat and continue stirring for 2-3 minutes.
- Let cool to room temperature and enjoy!
- You should store the candied watermelon rinds in an airtight container.
Watermelon rind chutney
Chutneysare hot, sweet and sour sauces at the same time and are prepared based on seasonal fruits or vegetables. They originally come from India, but are becoming increasingly popular here too. Due to the complex aromas and flavor combinations, chutneys go perfectly as a side dish with fish, meat or curry and dals. If you like experimenting in the kitchen, then you should definitely try this recipe for watermelon rind chutney!
Ingredients:
- 250 grams of watermelon peels
- 2 shallots, diced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- A small piece of ginger, chopped finely
- 150 ml orange juice, freshly squeezed
- 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 EL Balsamic Essig
- 1 tbsp yellow mustard seeds
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
- Remove the dark green skin of the watermelon with a knife and cut the rind into small cubes.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add shallots, ginger, mustard and cumin seeds and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the watermelon rinds to the pan and sauté for another 2-3 minutes.
- Deglaze with apple cider vinegar and balsamic and let everything simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Then add the orange juice, season with salt and pepper and let the mixture boil down. It's so easy to use watermelon peels and make chutney out of them!
Insert watermelon peels
Fermented and pickled vegetables are healthy and are often used as a side dish when grilling and with meat dishes.Pickled zucchiniand we all know cucumbers, but what about pickled watermelon rinds? The delicacy also tastes slightly sweet and sour, but has a more fruity note and is ideal for summer. So that you really blow your guests away at the next garden party, we will explain below how you can use the watermelon peels and transform them into this delicacy!
Ingredients:
- 1 medium watermelon
- 600 ml water
- 350 ml white wine vinegar
- 150 ml white port wine
- 200 grams of sugar
- 2 tbsp salt
- 8 cloves
- 8 allspice seeds
- 1 Zimtstange
- A small piece of fresh ginger
- 1 lemon
Pickled watermelon peels Preparation:
- Cut the watermelon into eighths and cut out almost all of the flesh.
- Remove the outermost green layer and cut the peel into bite-sized pieces.
- Mix the watermelon peels with the lemon juice and salt and leave to steep overnight under a kitchen towel.
- Now rinse the peel, put it in a large pot and cover with water.
- Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes.
- Strain the peels and collect the water.
- Next, add water, vinegar, sugar, cinnamon stick, cloves, allspice and ginger to a pot and bring to a boil.
- Add the watermelon peels and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, for about 40 minutes until the rind becomes transparent.
- Remove the cinnamon, cloves and allspice and pour the pickled watermelon peels into glasses and pour over the liquid.
- Store in the refrigerator.
Make stir-fry from watermelon peels
Quick to whip up and full of flavor and aroma, stir frys are the ultimate dish for a quick yet super delicious dinner! And yes, watermelon peels can also be used for this and provide a refreshing, fruity note. The most beautiful thing? You can change the recipe according to your preferences, for example adding meat or other vegetables.
Ingredients for 3 servings:
- 350 grams of watermelon peels
- 60 grams of broccoli, cut into small pieces
- 1 red pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 onion, sliced
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 small piece of fresh ginger, chopped finely
- 2 eggs, lightly broken
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp Reisessig
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 EL Sriracha Sauce
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Fry the garlic, onion and ginger for 1-2 minutes until golden brown and remove from the pan.
- Add the eggs to the pan, let them rest for about 20 seconds and then stir gently with a wooden spoon. Remove from pan and add to onion mixture.
- Heat the remaining olive oil in the pan.
- Cook the peppers, broccoli and watermelon rinds for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add soy sauce, rice vinegar, Sriracha, sugar, salt and pepper and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
- Add eggs and onions, stir well and remove from heat.
- Garnish with sesame seeds if desired and serve immediately.
Quick watermelon rind curry
Fry watermelon rinds and use them to make a curry? This may sound a bit strange at first glance, but trust us - after the first bite you are guaranteed to fall in love with this dish!
Ingredients for 3 servings:
- 600 grams of watermelon peels
- 1 red onion, finely chopped
- 1 pepper, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 400 ml vegetable broth
- 1 Tbsp Olive oil or Ghee
- 1 tablespoon each of curry and paprika powder
- 1/2 teaspoon each of turmeric and coriander
- 1 tsp cumin
- A pinch of garam masala spice mix
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
- Completely remove the green layer of the peel and cut the rind into bite-sized pieces.
- Heat olive oil or ghee in a large skillet over medium heat and sauté onions and garlic.
- Add all spices to the pan and stir for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the watermelon peels and vegetable broth and simmer for 20-30 minutes.
- Add the peppers to the pan and simmer for another 15 minutes.
- Garnish with rice or potatoes and serve.
Watermelon peel salad or as a smoothie
Also as an addition to a smoothie orSalatWatermelon peels can be used. Whether with strawberries, bananas or peaches – the rind actually goes well with any fruit. So add some variety and make yourself a delicious watermelon rind smoothie for breakfast. Or why not simply grate the bark and mix it with the salad? A watermelon peel salad is guaranteed to be the star of your next barbecue and our coleslaw is clear proof of that! Here comes the recipe.
Ingredients for 4 servings:
- 300 grams watermelon rinds, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 100 grams carrots, grated
- 170 grams of pineapple, cut into small pieces
- 70 grams of Greek yogurt
- 70 grams of sour cream
- 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp mustard, medium hot
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
- Mix all the dressing ingredients well and chill for 30 minutes.
- Combine watermelon rinds, carrots, and pineapple in a large bowl.
- Add the dressing and mix everything well.
- Chill for 1 hour or until ready to serve and enjoy!
Use the watermelon peels as fertilizer
None of the above suggestions on how to use watermelon peels appealed to you? No problem, because in this case they don't necessarily have to end up in the trash. How about using the watermelon rinds as fertilizer? Since the nutrients they contain can be found in some fertilizer products on the market, the bark is the ideal natural fertilizer in the garden. They can also improve the compost and leached potting soil.
