Spoon sweets

Γλυκό καρπούζι. <br/> Πηγή: Βαρβάρα Γιάγκου.

Seasonal spoon sweet prepared in Summer from the peel of watermelon, a particularly popular and refreshing fruit.

Name - Recipe

Cypriot name of dish

Γλυκό παττίχα (καρπούζι). Glykó karpoúzi.

Greek name - description

Γλυκό του κουταλιού καρπούζι.

Ingredients

Version A
1 kg of thick watermelon rind
2 kg of sugar
2 glasses of water
1/2 glass of lime
1 cup of lemon juice (for the lemonade)
Vanilla or rose geranium
2 tbsp lemon juice

Version B
20 pieces of watermelon rinds
½ kg of sugar
Vanilla
A little lemon
A little lime

Version C
About 1 kg of thick watermelon rind (30-40 pieces)
2 kg of sugar
1 glass of lime
1 cup of lemon
2 sachets of vanilla

Method

Version A:
Peel the green part of the rind thinly and remove the red flesh from the inside so that only the white part remains. Cut the rinds into squares or balls. In a basin, dissolve the lime with enough water to cover the rinds and leave them to soak for 4-5 hours. Rinse them very well and boil them for about 10 minutes. Change the water and continue boiling until they are cooked. Drop the rinds in ice water with lemon juice (lemonade) for 2 hours to make them crispy. Drain them and put them in a pot, adding the sugar and water on top for 3-4 hours until the sugar melts. Boil the sweet for about 10 minutes and leave it for the following day. On the following day, boil the sweet along with the rose geranium until the syrup thickens. Just before the syrup is ready add the lemon juice and bring to a boil for 1-2 more minutes. Fill the jars, cap them and turn them upside down for 3 minutes. (MANRE 2009, 12)

Version B
Peel the pieces so that only the rind (white part) of the watermelon remains. Cut into small pieces. Put them in a basin with lime and water and leave them for an hour. Wash them well, put them in a pot with water and boil them until they are cooked. The, drain the water and add the sugar to the pot. Allow 2-3 hours for the sugar to melt. Place the pot over heat until the syrup thickens. Just before the syrup is ready add the lemon and vanilla. (Eleftheria Valanidou, 48 years old, Agridia)

Version C
Finely peel the green part of the rind and cut the rind into squares or any other shape you wish. Wash the rinds well and cover them with water. Pour in the lemon. Leave them in the lemon juice for half an hour to an hour. Drain them, put them in a pot and pour the sugar, a cup of water and a spoonful of lemon over them. Allow the sugar to melt for 5-6 hours. Boil the sweet until the syrup is ready. Skim off the foam when it is ready. Add the vanilla and another spoonful of lemon. Serve chilled. (Charalambous 2006, 303)

Cooking method

Boiling.
Boiling in syrup.

Comments

How do we know when the syrup is ready: Place some syrup in a spoon and let it drip away in the pot. When the syrup flows away easily, it means it is still watery and not ready. Keep on boiling for a few minutes and test again until the flow separates into drops. When a final drop remains hanging from the spoon, it means that the density is right and the syrup is ready. If not, that means that the syrup is not ready and needs a bit more boiling. Repeat the testing procedure again until the syrup has the right consistency.

If the syrup is properly thickened, then the spoon sweet can be preserved for a very long period of time in a cool, dry place without having to be kept in a refrigerator. (MANRE, 2009)

Additional information and bibliography

Time period

19th - 21st c.

Βibliography

Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment, Department of Agriculture (2009). Traditional spoon sweets and jams, Press and Information Office, Nicosia.

Charalambous, P. (2006). Eptakomi: from ancient times to the present day, Larnaca.

Oral testimony: Eleftheria Valanidou, 48 years old, Agridia (see. Kourri, P. and Lazarou, S. (eds.) (2007). Traditional recipes of the village of Kyperounda, unpublished data).

Researcher / Recorder

Varvara Yangou, Stalo Lazarou

Photos