Watermelon Rinds

[Doe]

Everyone did such a good job with orange peels. Now the watermelon rinds are piling up. What to do?

1. As long as it's fresh and watery, eat the green part right to the skin. They are firmer than the red part and not sweet with a definite watermelon taste.

2. Peel only the skin and juice all the flesh.

3. Make pickles

4. Candy them

5. In the garden: move the mulch aside, set the rind soft side down on the bare ground, and cover with the mulch. In a week or so all that's left is a dried up brown leaf like skin.

Add more?

Teri

[sport]

If they are organic it is a shame to do anything other than juice them skin and all because the skin of watermelon is very hign in menerals and vitimins ans is a great clenser if you drink it first thing in the morning

[sweetgoddess]

and start a compost pile!

[tracyinfo]

How would you picke them? Salt, vinegar and water?

How would you candy the watermelon rinds? Slice thinly, drizzle honey and then dehydrate?

Thanks

[Doe]

Sport, yes it’s great. I eat watermelon first thing everyday. As long as it’s in season here. At the moment it’s my greatest pleasure. I actually look forward to mornings when I can have some more watermelon. The one this morning was perfect ripe. (((moaning just thinking about it))) On the fringes of the season when they aren’t all that good I juice them. Then I have to live without. Never heard of juicing the skin. Thanks for posting this.

SweetG, that’s a good one. Or even a worm box. Guess a person would have to have a pile where it freezes, or for container gardens.

For me it is soooo much easier to compost things straight into the garden, as long as it's directly on the soil and under the mulch. The next day’s additions go beside rather than on top of the previous scatterings. It disintegrates just fine, and muuuch more quickly than in a heap. No smells or unwanted creatures. The soil critters help too. Feeds the worms. We have lots of worms in the garden. I’m spoiled in this warm climate.

Tracy, use any raw pickle recipe substituting watermelon rind for the cucumbers. This is big in my area, cooked of course. Women sigh with relief when the melon patch is finished. I would use brine. I don't like vinegar. Hubby loves it. Maybe I could make 2 kinds. Just saw Victoria Boutenko’s recipe here somewhere. Problem is I don't care much for salt anymore either.

The cooked world candies fruits, flowers, and what-have-you by coating it with white sugar. It draws the moisture out the same as salt does. Raw, maybe submerge it in honey or agave? I know an old-time cure was to cover sliced onions in honey. It drew something from the onions into the honey, and that was what was used for the cure. Don't remember for what. At any rate honey will draw moisture. Will have to save tomorrows rind and try this. It might be good in fruitcake. If it works we can candy other fruits for fruitcake. Cherries, peaches, and grapes, oh my! Will definitely try this. Candied pineapple!

Watermelon rind chips! Like banana chips. Might work.

OK, so that’s eat fresh, juice, compost, pickle, candy, and chips. Anyone have another use or idea?

Teri

[Doe]

I was concerned about what I perceived to be such a great waste. ½ watermelon per day is 3 ½ a week, 15 a month, 75 between May and September. Don’t like pickles anymore, the thought of that much candied fruit is nauseating, rarely eat dried foods, guess what I don’t eat fresh can continue being fed to the worms and soil critters. Maybe it’s not as big a waste as I was originally thinking. If there’s nothing else anyone can suggest doing with it that might sound better to me, that’s the decision I've made.

Note for those with small children. My grandma used to take a piece of rind and make large false teeth for whatever kid was around. We loved them. Of course, that was a simpler time back then. We also made Indian headdresses from palmetto fronds, made sand castles in the middle of the road, and spent our days exploring the surrounding woods. Never a concern for our safety until dark, then we could hear mothers hollering their children’s names, calling us home for a much needed bath and bed. With fresh food and plenty of fresh air, sun, and exercise, it was a good time to grow up in.

Teri

[NoGMO!]

Everyone did such a good job with orange peels. Now the watermelon rinds are piling up. What to do?

4.Candy them


I tried this yesterday when I also dehydrated a bit of candied raw ginger. I cut the leftover rinds into strips and soaked in agave. both ginger and watermelon candy tasted great! :p

[SedonaSun]

Here's another suggestion...
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-6/750995/AbbyMelon2.jpg
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-6/750995/BubbaMelon.jpg

[Doe]

Now that's a smart dog.

Glad the watermelon candy turned out good.

Another thought would be to chop it up and add honey for preserves. Or even watermelon rind pie, kinda like apple pie.

Teri S

[tvillemom]

I had no idea you could eat the rind! I think I actually tried to do that as a kid....I don't particularly like melons, but liked the taste of the rind (guess it was stronger?) and I was told NOT to eat it, it would make me sick! HUM.....watermelon candy....sounds devine.
Wendi

[sport]

I juice it and drink it before I eat the flesh first thing in the morning. It grows on you and is a good detox.

[NoGMO!]

I had no idea you could eat the rind! I was told NOT to eat it, it would make me sick!

that's funny - I was told the same thing as a child! I was also told to to stop attempting to eat the pretty parsley garnish, as it would make me sick and was only on the plate as a decoration... And to finish all the meat so I could have some sugary dessert! SAD! :(

[Doe]

If the melon is fresh the green part will taste very similar to the red part but not sweet. I’ve come to the conclusion that most melons bought in the store must be a month or more past being harvested. If the green part is dry or pithy from being old I would not recommend eating it, or for that matter any other fruit in that condition. Maybe that is why you were told that.

Teri S

[SwishTN]

I may have missed this already, but do some of you juice the skin as well? And, some of you will juice the rind, and eat the melon?

I am thinking of going on a watermelon fast.....

Lauri

[NoGMO!]

I am making an effort to sometimes eat the peels of organic citrus and peeled rinds of watermelon because I am under the impression that - that part of the fruit in particular contains lots of B vitamins - is that right??? ... and also I waste less food and funds. (1 org. watermelon was $8 bucks!!) :eek:

[sport]

I start the day by taking a quarter of a watermelon and removing the skin and a little of the flesh and juicing that and then eat the rest of the flesh. There is a lot of vitimins in the outer skin and I get 2 good sized glasses of juice. Regarding eating the skin of citrus I know that there is one that you are not supposed to eat and I am pretty sure that it is grapefruit but I will check it up (it may be orange).

[SwishTN]

thanks, Sport!

Have you ever done a watermelon fast?

Also, I don't think it would be the orange rind that you can't eat, b/c isn't marmelade made from that?

Lauri

[sport]

You must be correct about the orange. It was something that I picked up at a lecture and dont know if I took notes.
I have never did any fast and do not know that I will. I am not yet convinced that my body needs it. I do the watermelon in the morning because it is good for flushing out the system.