Watermelon is both a fruit and a vegetable. It is classified as part of a botanical family of gourds that includes other vegetables like cucumber, squash, and pumpkin.
Watermelon has wonderful properties for your health as it is high in vitamin A, a good source of fiber and it has more lycopene than any other fruit or vegetable. Lycopene, being a powerful antioxidant reduces inflammation and destroys free radicals.
If you are throwing away the watermelon rinds you are actually throwing away 40% of the watermelon’s weight! The rind, meaning the white part between the pink flesh and the tough green skin, is perfectly edible. It is a great source of nutrients. The rind is lower in sugar content than the flesh and higher in potassium and dietary fiber. It contains significant levels of the amino acid citrulline that improves blood flow, decreases blood pressure and improves cardiovascular health.
The next time you eat your watermelon flesh, don't throw away the rinds. Try my 'dulse de karpuz', watermelon rind jam.
WATERMELON RIND JAM
1 watermelon
Sugar (see instructions for the amount)
Juice of 1 lemon
A few cloves
White wine vinegar (optional)
1-2 pieces of grounded mastic (optional)
Peel the watermelon, remove the green skin and use only the white rind of the peel. You can either grate them or cut them into 2-3 cm pieces.
Heat some water in a pan, add the peels (and some white wine vinegar) and boil them. Strain them. Let it drain. Weigh the drained watermelon rinds. The recipe calls for 1 to 1 ratio sugar and water but you can use a little less sugar. Put 250-300 ml water in a pot, place the sugar. When the syrup comes to a boil, add the watermelon rinds, a few cloves and the juice of one lemon. Cook until a light syrup forms, about 30-40 minutes. Put the jam in sterilized jars and refrigerate.
CHEF'S NOTES:
-My grandmother Elisa used to put some mastic gum into this jam. Chewy and fragrant mastic gum adds a wonderful flavor; it transforms the jam to a whole new level.
Mastic (or mastica) gum is a resin obtained from the mastic tree being traditionally produced on the Greek island of Chios. Mastic is excreted and dries into pieces of translucent resin "tears" or droplets. When chewed, the resin softens and becomes a bright white and opaque gum. The flavor is bitter at first, but after some chewing, it releases a refreshing flavor similar to pine and cedar. Mastic gum is sold as hard small pieces and it melts in hot liquid while making desserts or jams. It can also be grounded with mortar and pestle. As it has a strong flavor, using only one or two small drops is enough.
-Use mint and pecan nuts for an alternative touch.
-Don’t throw away the watermelon seeds, they are also edible. Roast them and turn them into a delicious snack.
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