
Watermelon Rind Jam
EVENT: SHHH COOKING SECRETLY
THEME: JAMS, JELLIES, RELISHES, CHUTNEYS
RECIPE: WATERMELON RIND JAM
Watermelon Rind Jam is so easy to make, superbly delicious without any preservatives or artificial colouring. It is a fantastic way to use up the white part of the watermelon which in fact is full of healthy nutrients.
Why Is Watermelon Rind Good?
The white part is equally nutritious as the red part of the watermelon if not more. It contains higher concentrations of certain minerals, antioxidants and vitamins. It has high concentrations of Vitamins A,B6 and C. Also is rich in potassium and zinc. Watermelon contains the highest amount of amino acid citrulline which converts to arginine in our bodies.
How To Use Watermelon Rind?
- Add to smoothies and juices. Chop the white part and add to your smoothies and fresh juices.
- I sometimes add them to soups.
- WATERMELON RIND SALADWatermelon Rind Salad is a crunchy, super healthy salad. It is a good way to include the white rind part of the watermelon in your diet as it is very nutritious.Check out this recipe
- I add the grated white part to savoury pancakes, thepla, muthiya. I usually replace the bottle gourd or zucchini with grated watermelon rind.
- Use the white part to make a curry or sabji as Poonam has done.
- Make a delicious chutney as Seema does.
A Bit About The Group:
Shhh Cooking Secretly group is all about like minded food bloggers getting together and cooking dishes according to the theme suggested by members. The only difference is that we pair up participants where they give each two secret ingredients to use in their dishes. This month’s theme Jams, Jellies, Relishes and Chutneys was decided by Preeti who blogs at Cakes And Curries. She has prepared a …
My Partner
This month my partner is Sujata who blogs at Batter Up With Sujata. Lemon Juice and Cardamom are the ingredients she gave me. In return I asked to use use cinnamon and date powder. Using those ingredients she prepared a healthy,tasty and innovative Apple And Grape Jam.
My Watermelon Rind Jam
- What I like about this recipe is that though it is a small quantity recipe, you can easily double or triple the recipe to suit your needs. I personally like to make small batches of jams so that when it is over, it gives me the opportunity to try out another fruit jam.
- Secondly, to get a bit of the reddish pink colour I added a bit of beetroot. Watermelon rind is quite tasteless. To add more flavour I added cardamom powder. One can easily add a flavouring or spice of their choice. Next on the list to try out is Watermelon and Chilli Jam.
- Next time I would chop the watermelon much finer. The larger the pieces the longer it takes to cook. Also you can blend the jam into a smooth paste or leave it a little coarse. I left mine a little coarse. Add sugar according to your taste. I used normal white sugar. If you choose to use coconut sugar, brown sugar, jaggery then obviously the jam will not be red in colour.
- It is important to mix the sugar and chopped watermelon white and red parts. Then allow it to rest for 30 minutes or overnight in the fridge. This way the sugar melts into a liquid which helps in the cooking of the watermelon. If it is not allowed to rest then you would have to add water.
Some Jam Recipes You May Like To Check Out


Ingredients Required For Watermelon Rind Jam
- Watermelon Rind – slice off the red part of the watermelon. Peel off the green part using a sharp knife. Cut the white part into very small pieces or grate it.
- Watermelon – I like to add a bit of the red part of the watermelon too as it adds fibre and natural sweetness.
- Apple – I used a green apple, peeled and chopped. It adds to the bulk and also because of the natural pectin from the apple.
- Sugar – I have used normal white sugar. Add according to your taste.
- Lemon – you need both the juice and the grated rind. I have used the large yellow Eureka one.
- Beetroot – I added a bit of grated raw beetroot for the colour.
- Cardamom Powder – add when the jam is nearly done. Can replace it any spice of your choice. I find that cardamom pairs well with it.
Watch How To Make Watermelon Rind Jam

WATERMELON RIND JAM
Ingredients
- 4 cups white watermelon rind peeled and finely chopped
- 1 cup red watermelon finely chopped
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1-2 tbsp lemon rind grated
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ¼ cup raw beetroot grated
- 1 large green apple peeled and chopped
Instructions
- Slice the watermelon. Chop the red part to make up to at least 1 cup or more.
- Peel off the green part. Finely chop the white part till you have 4 cups full.
- Peel, core and chop the green apple into pieces.
- Add the white and red watermelon along with the apple into a wide pan that you will use for cooking the jam.
- Add lemon juice, lemon rind and sugar to the mixture. Mix well.
- Allow the mixture to rest for 30 minutes. This will allow the sugar to melt and the liquid will help in cooking the watermelon. If you want to, you can put the mixture in the fridge and leave it overnight.
- Heat the mixture over medium to high heat till it comes to a gentle boil.
- Lower the heat and allow the mixture to simmer. You can cover the pot so that the watermelon rind cooks faster.
- In between give the mixture a gentle stir so that it does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
- When the rind appears translucent and soft, add the grated beetroot. This takes about 20-30 minutes over medium heat.
- Blend the mixture with a hand blender. You can blend it to a smooth consistency or a slightly coarse one. I left mine a bit coarse.
- Cook till the water disappears completely and the mixture is thick. Mine took about 20 minutes.
- Add cardamom powder and mix well.
- Spoon the jam into a sterilized jar or bottle. I usually sterilize the bottle in the microwave oven for 2-3 minutes.
Notes
- I don't add the grated beetroot at the beginning because it becomes difficult to know if the watermelon rind has become translucent.
- Add any spice of your choice. Add cardamom at the end as it loses it flavour if cooked with the jam.
- Can sterilize the jar or bottle in the oven or in hot water.
- Apple adds naturally pectin to the jam.
- Add sugar according to your taste.
Pin For Later:
A Little Request:
If you do try this recipe then please either
- add a comment below,
- send a picture to my email mayuri.ajay.patel62@gmail.com
- tag me as #mayuri_jikoni on Instagram
- or tag me on Twitter as #Mayuri1962
28 Comments
Renuy
October 11, 2022 at 7:07 am
We still have watermelon coming in and I love to use every part of the fruit if possible. I would love to try this watermelon rind jam, would be so refreshing and something different to our normal jams.
mayurisjikoni
October 12, 2022 at 5:12 am
Thanks Renu, go ahead and give this jam recipe a try. It is really delicious and different.
Seema Sriram
October 15, 2022 at 5:35 am
Any use for the watermelon rind, I am all in. I love how effortless this jam recipe is and I am sure it tastes phenomenal. I love how you have collected so many recipes to use the rinds and thankyou for adding my chutney recipe too.
mayurisjikoni
October 17, 2022 at 9:24 am
Thanks Seema and you’re welcome. The jam turned out really good. Give it a try.
Preethicuisine Preethicuisine
October 15, 2022 at 6:30 am
Watermelon rind Jam looks irresistible. Have never tried making jam with watermelon rind. Adding beets sounds very innovative. Bookmarking this delicious jam recipe . My boys would love it .
mayurisjikoni
October 17, 2022 at 9:23 am
Thank you so much Preethi. Am sure they will love it. My son and his girlfriend loved it.
Priya Iyer
October 15, 2022 at 7:13 am
What a lovely way to use up watermelon rind! The jam looks fabulous. 😍 Adding beetroot is an interesting idea – it must added such a beautiful flavour and colour to the jam. Thanks for this very innovative recipe!
mayurisjikoni
October 17, 2022 at 9:22 am
Thank you so much Priya, more than the flavour it added the required colour, otherwise the jam was a a dull yellow brownish colour.
Priya Vj
October 15, 2022 at 9:02 am
Yet another wonderful way to use up the watermelon rind. I have tried making tutty fruity using watermelon rind but I think making this yummy jam will be a better option. Use of cardamom powder makes it very refreshing .
mayurisjikoni
October 17, 2022 at 9:22 am
Thanks Priya, I loved the cardamom flavour in the jam. Next on the list is tutti frutti.
Jayashree T.Rao
October 15, 2022 at 10:42 am
I love using watermelon rind and this jam looks delicious. I will make this one once we bring watermelon again.
mayurisjikoni
October 17, 2022 at 9:21 am
Thanks Jayashree, hope the family loves the jam when you make it.
Archana
October 16, 2022 at 6:47 am
This is one delicious and intriguing jam that I will love to make. We will start our watermelon season soon and guess what I am cutting this time so that I can rescue the rind that hubby ruthlessly throws out! Definitely will make this jam. It is yum yum.
mayurisjikoni
October 17, 2022 at 9:19 am
Thanks Archana, give a try, just chop the rind finely or grate it to reduce cooking time.
barbara laborde
August 28, 2023 at 10:26 pm
I have watermelon rind in my sink. I’ve tried making the jelly before and it tasted like pickles. Definitely not what I was looking for. I’m intrigued with this recipe and but more interrested with the name tutti frutti watermelon jam. So, I’m gonna look that up or use your recipe and adapt as necessary. Get back with you soon. Thanks for sharing
mayurisjikoni
August 28, 2023 at 11:48 pm
Waiting for your feedback. You have to allow the rind to cook well.
Preeti Shridhar
October 16, 2022 at 10:38 pm
Although I use watermelon rind in my handvo batter and I also make a sweet and sour sabzi with it, never imagined a jam using these. Would love to try it out sometime. Loved the way you have used apple for pectin.
mayurisjikoni
October 17, 2022 at 9:18 am
Thanks Preeti, I’ve made sabji with it but hubby doesn’t like it too much. I add grated rind to handvo, cheela and muthiya too.
Radha
October 17, 2022 at 12:49 am
I have used watermelon rinds to make dosa, a jam out of this is amazing! I love this unique and flavorful recipe and would love to give a try.
mayurisjikoni
October 17, 2022 at 9:17 am
Thank you so much Radha, I use the rind for cheela and muthiya too.
Rafeeda – The Big Sweet Tooth
October 17, 2022 at 7:29 am
Wow, this is like one of the best recipes I have seen with watermelon rind. The color and the texture of the jam looks absolutely beautiful…
mayurisjikoni
October 17, 2022 at 9:17 am
Thank you so much Rafeeda, adding beetroot made all the difference.
Kalyani
October 18, 2022 at 1:05 am
I love such dishes which constitute sustainable living, the watermelon rind jam is a great way to use up the rind (which I now use only to make dosas), and the addition of beet gives it such a lovely pop of colour !
mayurisjikoni
October 22, 2022 at 1:31 am
Thanks Kalyani.Beetroot for sure adds the required colour without comprising on the taste.
Sujata Roy
October 18, 2022 at 9:05 pm
What a unique recipe Mayuri. I always throw out white part of watermelon. But now after reading your post I will never throw it. Loved the use of beetroot for colour. Jam looks so beautiful and superbly delicious.
mayurisjikoni
October 22, 2022 at 1:30 am
Thank you so much Sujata. I shared a jar of with my son and they loved it too.
Sasmita Sahoo
October 22, 2022 at 3:32 pm
Watermelon Rind Jam seems so easy to make !!!! It is so delicious and loves the fact that it is without any preservatives or artificial coloring.
mayurisjikoni
October 26, 2022 at 2:58 am
Thank you so much Sasmita. It is very easy and delicious. Please try the recipe out. Am sure your kid will love it.