The watermelon harvest is practically whispering to me not to waste time and make preserves for the winter. My mother preserved them in slices in three-liter jars, and my grandmother pickled them in wooden tubs. I ate them as a child, but now I don't like them—I don't understand that sweet and sour taste, and straight from the tub they're full of gas! As my dad says, they're perfect for winter dinner with moonshine, and non-drinkers won't understand. He's joking, of course.
I decided to take things a step further and try making watermelon jam. Not even from watermelons, but from the scraps—the rinds. To do this, I trimmed off the green peel and smoothed out the edge on the flesh side. I cut the rinds into 0.5 cm thick strips.
Approximate cutting of watermelon rind for jam
I placed the pieces in an enamel saucepan and sprinkled them with sugar in a 1:1 ratio. Over low heat, I brought the jam to a boil and simmered for another 20 minutes.
By this time, the peels had released their juices, and their consistency had changed to a liquid. The bars themselves had become a translucent golden color. They seemed to be floating in honey.
The next day, I simmered the jam again, this time for about an hour. Finally, I added citric acid to taste. I think it would have been better to add some lemon slices, but I didn't have any at the time.
I poured the mixture into small jars.
Watermelon jam
I wrapped the preserves in a blanket, and once they were completely cool, I put them in the refrigerator. One jar was half full, so I couldn't resist trying the jam.
The consistency is reminiscent of liquid honey, and it looks so beautiful and appetizing! Place it in a pretty vase and surprise your guests! It's a feast for the eyes.
But the taste is unusual. I can't say I'm thrilled with it, but I don't regret the ingredients or the time spent. The kids happily ate the cottage cheese with jam and dipped their pancakes in it. They loved it! They said they need to make more jars. So that's what we'll do—it'll be a little piece of summer in the winter.
I'll try a few variations: with a cinnamon stick, with lemon, and I also want to add walnuts. It'll be delicious!