Here’s what to do with your old watermelon skins, turn them into a watermelon preserve
In South Africa, Waatlemoen konfyt is as normal to them as Branston Pickle is to us. I first came across this preserve in the Ken Forrester vineyard restaurant, 96 Winery Road, in Stellenbosch outside Cape Town. It was served with cheese and it was a completely new experience to me.
Following on from last week’s iced watermelon soup, this preserve is a great way to use up the skin as watermelons are big old things. You will get a good litre kilner jar’s worth of peel from one watermelon, or two, depending on its size. I’ve used it for various things; I’ve put it on a cocktail stick with cheese as an interesting take on the classic cheese and pineapple canape, or just in a bowl on the table as a chocolate truffle alternative.
Recipe: How to make a watermelon preserve
- The skin of a watermelon, leaving half a centimetre or so of the red flesh on
- 1kg granulated sugar per 1kg melon peel
- The juice of 1 lemon
- 40g root ginger, thinly sliced
- A couple of whole red chillies
Method
- Cut the watermelon skin into rough 2cm chunks, then put them into a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil, simmer for two minutes then drain and repeat the process with fresh water another two times.
- Put the watermelon in a pan with the sugar, lemon, ginger and chilli. Bring to the boil then turn the heat down and cook on a medium heat for 45 minutes to an hour or until the melon is tender and the liquid is thick and just coating the pieces of melon. The water may need topping up during cooking and the temperature adjusting, test them with a skewer or the point of a knife. Once cooked pack the melon into sterilised preserving jars, cover with the liquid and seal immediately. Allow to cool and store in a cupboard or in the fridge.