TUTTI FRUTTI FROM WATERMELON RIND

Tutti frutti is a colourful candied fruit dessert accompaniment mostly used in cake decorations, falooda, custards and ice creams. Mostly tutti frutti is made from raw papaya but I have made them with waste water melon peels. This colourful tutti-frutti can be made easily and stored for long time.

Ingredients:

· Watermelon rind - 1 & ½ cups (chopped)

· Sugar – ½ cup

· Water - 1 & ½ cups

· Food colours - few drops

Method:

· Use a knife or peeler to peel and discard the green part of the watermelon rinds. Scrape off any red portion (fruit) that is still clinging onto the rinds.

· Chop the white portion only into small cubes.

· Take a saucepan and add the chopped cubes along with water. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook the pieces for few minutes or until the pieces begin to look translucent. Do not overcook them or soften them till they turn mushy.

· Drain off the water and keep aside till required.

· To make the sugar syrup, add the sugar and the water into the same pan and let the mixture come to a boil.

· Add the boiled & drained pieces and give it a good mix. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer gently for 4-5 minutes.

· Then simmer gently until the syrup thickens and you get a 1-2 string consistency. This will take a few minutes

· Now, divide the mixture & the syrup equally into different bowls depending on how many colours you want to use.

· Add the food colours into the bowl and add the sugar-coated pieces, give a good mix.

· Transfer the tutti frutti and spread it on a plate. Let it dry, you can also keep it under sunlight to dry it.

· Store these coloured tutti frutti in a glass jar and use it as and when required.