Preserve It! Summer With Watermelon!
by UCCE Master Food Preserver Laurie Lewis
Nothing quenches thirst in the heat of the summer as a sweet watermelon can. Who else has childhood memories holding a generous slice in your hands, biting into the fruit as the juice ran down both arms?
Watermelon Rinds are Edible
July is National Watermelon Month. With over 400 miles of rich, loamy soil, California’s Central Valley is perfect for growing crops, making California one of the top producers of watermelon. Did you know this entire fruit is edible? Have you tried pickled watermelon rinds? National Center for Home Food Preservation has an excellent recipe to try: nchfp.uga.edu/how/pickle/fruit-pickles/watermelon-rind-pickles/
Not into pickled products or just don’t have the time? Make some fresh watermelon rind coleslaw: watermelon.org/recipes/watermelon-rind-coleslaw/
Watermelon Can Be Canned
How about saving some of that summer vibe in a pretty pink jelly for the long winter nights? Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving, 2024, has the following recipe just right for capturing that summer taste.
Zesty Watermelon Jelly Recipe
Makes about five 8-ounce jars
6 cups chopped watermelon, rind removed
½ cup (at least 5% acidic) vinegar—white balsamic, white wine, OR apple cider
4 Tbsp bottled lemon juice
5 cups granulated sugar
1 stem lemongrass, chopped
6 oz. liquid pectin
In a large stainless-steel saucepan, crush watermelon with a potato masher. Cover and heat gently over medium-low heat for five minutes. Remove from heat and crush thoroughly.
Transfer to a dampened jelly gab or a strainer lined with several layers of dampened cheesecloth set over a deep bowl. Let drip, undisturbed, for two hours. Measure two cups watermelon juice. If you do not have the required amount, crush more watermelon or add up to one-quarter cup unsweetened white grape juice.
Meanwhile, prepare boiling-water canner or atmospheric steam canner. Heat cleaned jars in canner until ready to use, do not boil (simmering water at 180 degrees F). Wash lids in warm soapy water and set aside with bands.
Transfer watermelon juice to a clean large, deep stainless-steel saucepan. Stir in vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, and lemongrass. Over high heat, stirring constantly, bring to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down. Stir in liquid pectin. Boil hard, stirring constantly, for one minute. Remove from heat and quickly skim off foam, if necessary.
Ladle hot jelly into a hot jar, leaving one-quarter-inch headspace. Adjust for headspace, if necessary. Clean jar rim. Center lid on jar. Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip tight. Place jar in canner. Repeat until all jars are filled.
Water must cover jars by one inch in boiling water canner or come to the base of the rack in a steam canner. Adjust heat to medium-high, cover canner, and bring water to a rolling boil in a boiling-water canner or until there’s a steady stream of steam coming from the steam canner. Start timing and process half-pint jars: 10 minutes at 0 – 1,000 feet elevation, 15 minutes at 1,001 – 3,000 feet, 20 minutes 3,001 – 6,000 feet, 25 minutes 6,001 – 8,000 feet.
Turn off heat. For boiling water canner, remove lid and let jars stand five minutes. For atmospheric steam canner, let canner sit undisturbed for three to five minutes, then remove lid. Remove jars and cool on a toweled surface 12-24 hours. Check lids for seal (they should not flex when center is pressed). Label, date, and store in a cool dark place.
Enjoy your watermelon!
The UC Master Food Preservers of El Dorado County are a great resource for answers to your food safety and preserving questions. Email us at edmfp@ucanr.edu. For more information about our program, events, and recipes, visit our website at ucanr.edu/sites/mfp_of_cs/. Find us on Facebook, too (UCCE Master Food Preservers of El Dorado County)!
This article first appeared in Village Life in June 2025.