Watermelon Rind Preserves Are Even Better Than Watermelon

I love watermelon peels even more than watermelon. I went to a Catholic school from my first grade to my senior year of high school, which explains a few things about me: my fetishistic attitude toward plaid skirts, my panicked reaction to small lock-up booths, my chronically inflamed guilt gland. But perhaps most important of all is my deep-seated aversion to empty food. Not only did my grandmother directly attribute the blame for the "starving Armenians" to my inability to swallow the last two bites of liver and Lima beans, but our school's principal, Sister Mary Thomas, walked around the cafeteria every day, waving a crooked index finger at anyone who messed around with their "sloppy joe." She said it was a sin to waste food, and I believed her. I still like it. So I eat watermelon peels.Isn't it? They're deliciously crisp and cool, don't slow down much, and won't run sticky down your chin, staining your white Oxford uniform and drawing the nuns ' ire again. But even if you've been celibate, they're still delicious. Watermelon rinds are traditionally prepared as marinades, but the cookbook's co-authors and Southern Uncovered hosts Matt Lee and Ted Lee (a.k. a. B.), who use them to make marinades...."Watermelon crusts".aka The Lee Bros.) developed a recipe for watermelon peel jams that highlights their fruity flavor with hints of ginger and lemon, and also gives a little lagnappe in the form of syrup, which makes a quick cocktail, just add bourbon. No waste, no guilt — none at all.Lee Bros. Watermelon rind jam on buttered cookies or toast is one of our favorite breakfasts, and these days watermelons are available almost all year round. Until recently, the time-consuming recipe for watermelon rind jam did not allow us to cook it at all. A typical recipe calls for one (if not two, then even three) soaking overnight in lime and / or salted brine; scraping the watermelon pulp until it is snow-white; and ensuring that the rind is just right (it varies from melon to melon). We took the traditional recipe back to the drawing board and came up with a faster, easier and tastier watermelon peel jam than any we've made before. One more thing: don't waste precious cooking time scraping off the pink flesh until the skin is bone-white. A few millimeters of pale pink watermelon stuck to the skin makes the jam absolutely gorgeous, like rose quartz. A 6 ¼ - pound slice of large, whole melon with a medium-thick sliced peel should take 8 cups of peeled peels and make 2 pints of jam. We usually have more ginger and lemon syrup left over than we need. We bottle them and use them for frosting on baked ham. We also replace syrup in drink recipes that use simple syrup; it gives a glass of sweet tea an unearthly sweetness, and you can use it as inspiration for your next breakfast cocktail. Recipe from The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook: Stories and Recipes for Southerners and Future Southerners used with permission from The Lee Bros.
Pour into a 3-quart saucepan three-quarters full of water and bring to a boil. Using tongs, carefully turn the jars, along with the lids and a long-handled metal spoon and skimmer, into boiling water for sterilization. Cook for 15 minutes, then remove from the water with tongs or a can lift and set aside.Remove the pulp from the watermelon and leave it for another use. Use a peeler or knife to peel the thick green peel from the watermelon rind and discard. Cut the rind into approximately 1/2-inch thick cubes. You should get about 8 cups.Place the diced peels in a 3-quart saucepan and add the lemon juice, water, sugar, ginger, and lemon zest. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring several times so that the ingredients are evenly distributed and the sugar is dissolved. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, over medium-low heat for 40 minutes or until the watermelon rind is translucent.Use a slotted spoon to transfer the peel pieces to the jars and leave the syrup to simmer and thicken for another 10 minutes. Carefully pour the syrup into the jars (using a funnel if necessary) until it is 1/2 inch from the edge. Close the jars with lids, seal and set aside to cool. Place in the refrigerator for 2 days before use. In the refrigerator, the jam will be stored for about 4 weeks.