How to make delicious watermelon jam for the winter

Watermelon jam is tasty, healthy, unusual, and most importantly, extremely simple. If you have never tried to cook it, then this summer you simply must not miss the watermelon season. If you have already tried to prepare such a dish, we will help you diversify the recipe.

After reading, you will learn how to make thick jam, like jam, with gelatin, jam from watermelon rinds, with mint, citrus fruits, rosemary and spices. It is almost impossible to spoil watermelon jam if you follow all the advice we give in the article.

Selection and preparation of watermelons for making jam

Choose a medium-sized watermelon. If you cut it and see that the pulp is overripe and loose, then it’s better to make jam from watermelon rinds. In such berries, they are most amenable to cooking, quickly become soft, but do not become overcooked.

If the watermelon, on the contrary, turns out to be too unripe, then double the amount of sugar and do not add citrus fruits.

As for preparation, then the watermelon just needs to be washed and dried with a towel. Both the pulp and the rinds are cut into small pieces.

The best watermelon jam recipes for the winter

We present to your attention a real haven for housewives. Ten of the best recipes with a minimum of ingredients and maximum taste and aroma.

Classic recipe for watermelon pulp

Ingredients:

• 2.5 kg watermelon;
• 2.5 kg of sugar;
• 0.5 tsp. vanilla (optional).

Cooking method:

1. Rinse the watermelon thoroughly.
2. Cut it in half and then into large slices.
3. Remove the seeds.
4. Peel the watermelon using a sharp knife.
5. Cut the watermelon pulp into small pieces.
6. Place them in a bowl.
7. Add 1.5 kg of sugar to the watermelon slices.
8. Leave for 3-4 hours, but no more.
9. After three hours, juice will form; pour it into a stove-top container.
10. Pour the remaining portion of sugar and vanillin into the juice.
11. Place on the stove over high heat. Stir constantly.
12. As soon as you feel that the mixture has become much thicker, add watermelon pulp to the juice. Mix thoroughly.
13. Cook over medium heat for 25 minutes.
14. Turn off the stove.
15. Cover the basin with gauze or light paper napkins.
16. After a couple of hours, spread the watermelon jam into jars and seal. Turn over and wrap for 48 hours.

Note! Do not cover the finished jam with a tight lid or cutting board. Vanillin can be omitted from the recipe; it only adds a spicy aroma.

Watermelon rind jam

Don’t rush to throw away watermelon rinds; you can use them to make aromatic jam for the winter, which will leave the table in no time during the winter cold.

Ingredients:

• 2 kg of watermelon rinds;
• 2 kg sugar.

Cooking method:

1. Rinse the watermelon rinds and remove all excess with a knife. Leave a thin layer of red pulp for a richer flavor.
2. Cut the dry watermelon rinds into pieces of a size that will be convenient to eat from a teaspoon.
3. Weigh the chopped crusts. Measure out the same amount of sugar.
4. Place the crusts in a bowl and cover with sugar. Mix gently so that the sugar evenly coats all the pieces.
5. Leave for three hours.
6. Without draining the juice, put on fire.
7. Make sure that the sugar does not burn. If it still starts to burn, reduce the heat and stir continuously.
8. After boiling, skim off any foam that has formed.
9. Boil for five minutes.
10. Turn off the fire.
11. Cover the bowl with jam with gauze and put it in a cool place for a day.
12. After 24 hours, bring the jam to a boil again and cook for five minutes.
13. At the same time, sterilize the jars.
14. Place the slightly cooled jam into jars and seal the lids.

If you are unsure about the required amount of sugar, then it’s better to put it a little more. The lack of sugar in this recipe is not welcome.

Take note:

How to prepare delicious watermelons with aspirin in jars

Original recipes for delicious pickled watermelons with honey

How to cook tasty and healthy watermelon compote

Watermelon jam in a slow cooker

Ingredients:

• 1 kg of watermelon pulp;
• 1 kg sugar;
• 1 whole lemon;
• 0.5 tsp. cinnamon (optional).

Cooking method:

1. Wash the watermelon thoroughly.
2. Cut it so that it is convenient to remove the seeds.
3. Remove the seeds and cut off the crusts.
4. Cut the pulp into cubes.
5. Mix the pulp with sugar and leave for 3 hours. This time is necessary for the juice to release.
6. Transfer the entire mass into the multicooker bowl and set the “Stew” mode. Cooking time – 20-30 minutes. After half an hour, leave the multicooker in the “Keep warm” mode.
7. Squeeze the juice out of the lemon.
8. Add lemon juice to the multicooker bowl. Stir. If desired, add cinnamon as well. If you don’t like the smell of this spice, then you don’t have to add it. An alternative to cinnamon is vanillin.
9. Turn on the “Extinguishing” mode again for the same time.
10. Remove the mixture after 20-30 minutes, use a blender to make the mixture smooth.
11. Place the mixture back into the multicooker bowl. Set the “Cooking” mode for 10 minutes.
12. Sterilize the jars.
13. Transfer the hot jam into jars and seal with boiled lids.
14. Be sure to wrap the jars and store upside down until the contents have cooled.

Important! Focus on the power of your multicooker. Depending on this indicator, stewing watermelon pulp varies from 20 to 30 minutes. During the “Cooking” mode, periodically open the lid and stir the dish so that it does not stick to the edges and bottom.

Recipe with gelatin

Required:

• 800 g watermelon pulp;
• 700 g sugar;
• 15 g gelatin;
• 1 tsp. citric acid;
• 0.5 tbsp. cold water.

Cooking method:

1. Cut the watermelon into slices, remove the seeds and cut off the hard rind.
2. Cut the pulp into cubes.
3. Transfer the watermelon to a separate container and cover with sand on top. Leave for 3-4 hours.
4. Use a blender to obtain a homogeneous mass.
5. Put it on fire, but not strong. It is better to turn on medium power.
6. After 20 minutes, add citric acid and mix the mixture well.
7. Turn off the heat and cover the jam with gauze.
8. Add gelatin to the cooled jam and immediately pour in cold water.
9. Mix thoroughly. Leave for 30 minutes. The gelatin will swell, this is normal.
10. After half an hour, put the watermelon mass on the fire, bring to a boil and turn off.
11. Sterilize the jars and fill them with watermelon jam.

The jam prepared according to this recipe is more like thick jam or marmalade. Children will surely love him.

Watermelon jam with lemon

You will need:

• 1 kg of watermelon pulp;
• 1.5 kg sugar;
• 1 tsp. vanillin;
• juice of one lemon;
• zest of one lemon.

Cooking method:

1. Slice the watermelon, cut out all the seeds, cut off the rind, leaving only the pulp.
2. Cut the pulp into square pieces.
3. Mix sugar and watermelon pieces in an enamel bowl. It is better to sprinkle watermelon with sugar.
4. After three hours, boil the mixture and cook for 10 minutes.
5. Turn off the stove and cool the jam.
6. Sterilize the jars.
7. Grate the lemon zest on a fine grater.
8. Boil again for 10 minutes and cool.
9. Finally, bring the jam to a boil, add lemon juice, lemon zest and vanillin. Mix thoroughly.
10. Place the jam in jars and roll up. Turn it upside down and wrap it in thick material until it cools completely.

Recipe with mint

Ingredients:

• 1 kg of watermelon pulp;
• 30 mint leaves;
• 1 tbsp. l. ginger;
• 1.5 kg of sugar.

Cooking method:

1. Separate the watermelon pulp from the rinds. Remove the seeds.
2. Cut the watermelon into pieces.
3. Finely chop the mint leaves.
4. Sprinkle the watermelon pulp with sugar and leave for three hours.
5. After three hours, grind the candied watermelon slices with mint in a blender.
6. Put it on fire.
7. Stir continuously so that the sugar does not stick to the walls and bottom of the container.
8. Eight minutes after boiling, add ginger.
9. Cook for another three minutes.
10. Cool the jam for an hour, covering the bowl with gauze.
11. Fill sterilized jars with hot jam and screw on the lids.

note. Do not add whole mint; it is intended not only for aroma, but also for taste. Therefore, the mass must be homogeneous. Ginger is added as desired; it can be excluded from the recipe. But it will enhance the tart aroma and rich taste.

With lime

Ingredients:

• 1 kg of watermelon rinds;
• 2 limes;
• 1.5 kg of sugar.

Cooking method:

1. Rinse the watermelon rinds.
2. Cut them into small cubes.
3. Wipe the lime with a brush to remove any dirt.
4. Cut the lime into oblong wedges.
5. Mix citrus with watermelon peels.Sprinkle the mixture with sugar.
6. Leave for two hours at room temperature.
7. Next, put the container in the refrigerator overnight.
8. After 8-10 hours, remove the container and leave at room temperature for about an hour.
9. Then put it on fire. Bring to a boil, cook for half an hour.
10. Turn off the stove.
11. Leave to cool for three hours, then turn on the heat again to maximum and cook for 15 minutes.
12. Sterilize the jars.
13. Place the jam in the jars and screw on the lids.

Important! Be sure to skim the foam from the jam.

Watermelon jam with rosemary

Ingredients:

• 1 kg of watermelon pulp;
• 1 kg sugar;
• 3 tsp. dried rosemary.

Cooking method:

1. Cut a clean watermelon into slices with a sharp knife.
2. Cut off the peel.
3. Remove the seeds.
4. Cut the pulp into cubes.
5. Add sugar.
6. Wait four hours for the watermelon to release its juice.
7. After four hours, use a blender to turn the pulp into puree.
8. Put it on fire.
9. Bring to a boil and add rosemary. Mix well.
10. Cook for 15 minutes.
11. Turn off the heat, wait 30 minutes.
12. Bring to a boil again, skimming off any foam.
13. After seven minutes, turn off the heat.
14. Let the jam cool at room temperature for an hour and a half.
15. After an hour, start sterilizing the jars and boiling the lids.
16. Pour the jam into jars and roll up the lids.
17. Turn over and cover with towels until completely cool.

Advice. You can add lemon zest to the recipe. It must be grated on a medium grater and added to the watermelon along with rosemary. The jam will taste fresher.

Watermelon jam with spices

Ingredients:

• 1 kg of watermelon pulp;
• 1 kg sugar;
• 1 tsp. citric acid;
• 0.5 tsp. vanillin;
• 0.5 tsp. cinnamon;
• 1 tsp. dried barberry (optional)

Cooking method:

1. Slice the watermelon as you would normally serve it.
2. Remove all seeds.
3. Trim off the tough skin and green flesh.
4. Cut the ripe red pulp into cubes.
5. Add sugar. Leave for a couple of hours.
6. If the watermelon has given little juice in two hours, wait another hour and a half.
7. Put it on fire.
8. After boiling, cook for 25 minutes.
9. Finally add all the spices. Mix well.
10. Turn off the fire.
11. After four hours, transfer to sterilized jars and seal tightly.

Note! Cool the jam covered, but do not use the lid. Paper towels, napkins or gauze are better options.

With apple

Ingredients:

• 1.5 kg of watermelon rinds;
• 1.5 kg sugar;
• 500 g apples;
• 1 tsp. citric acid.

Cooking method:

1. Rinse the watermelon rinds well.
2. Cut into pieces.
3. Boil the water.
4. Place the watermelon rinds in boiling water for five minutes.
5. Prepare a container of cold water.
6. After five minutes, transfer the crusts from boiling water to cold water.
7. Dissolve sugar in a saucepan with water and turn on the heat.
8. Boil for five minutes.
9. After five minutes, add the watermelon rinds to the sweet syrup.
10. Cook for 20 minutes. The crusts should become transparent.
11. Remove from heat; let the crusts sit for eight hours.
12. After the time has passed, cut the apples into small slices, similar in size to watermelon slices.
13. Add them to the watermelon rinds and cook for 30 minutes.
14. Cool for three hours and cook again for 30 minutes. Repeat one more time.
15. Sterilize the jars.
16. Transfer the prepared aromatic jam into jars and seal.
17. Wrap it upside down for two days.

The rinds take much longer to cook than the watermelon pulp.. Therefore, the cooking procedure must be repeated several times, only in this way the jam will turn out soft and aromatic.

Read also:

How to germinate watermelon seeds correctly

How to choose a ripe and sweet watermelon

Tips and tricks

Expert advice will also be useful for experienced housewives, and for those who are making watermelon jam for the first time:

1. The watermelon must be clean. Even if you only use the pulp, rinse the vegetable well.
2. Blanching watermelon rinds before cooking will soften them and remove bitterness.
3. Watermelon goes best with any citrus fruits and spices, worst of all with raspberries and currants.
4. Do not put jam that has just been removed from the stove into jars. It should cool slightly, but remain hot.
5. Be sure to skim off any foam at any stage of cooking.
6. When making jam from watermelon rinds, you can leave a small thin layer of red pulp for a beautiful color and sweeter taste.
7. The amount of sugar should be equal to the amount of watermelon or exceed its weight by 0.5 kg.

Let's sum it up

Watermelon jam is made from medium-sized, mid-ripening fruits. The watermelon must be washed and the jars sterilized. The seeds are removed from the watermelon before cutting into pieces. Watermelon rinds take longer to cook than the pulp, so making jam will take much longer.

Before putting the container with the slices on the fire, you need to cover the watermelon with sugar for several hours, it will give juice, which will allow you to not add water. Combine watermelon with rosemary, lemon, lime, orange, and spices. Cook jam on the stove or in a slow cooker, surprise your loved ones with your culinary talents!