Sugar Melon

Sugar Melon

　　　“Sticky Sugar Melon” refers to the old custom on the 23rd day of the lunar month’s twelfth month, when people would offer sacrifices to the Kitchen God. They would buy sacrificial candies made of maltose, such as sugar melons and Guandong candy, to place before him. These offerings served a dual purpose: to ask the Kitchen God to put in a good word for them when he ascended to report to the Jade Emperor, and to use the sticky candy to keep his mouth shut so he wouldn’t say too much. There’s a Beijing saying: “The Kitchen God ascends to heaven — expect lots of good words.”

　　“The 23rd, sticky sugar melon.” By the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, every household gets bustling with activity. Each day from the 23rd onward has its own saying: 23rd, sticky sugar melon; 24th, sweep the house; 25th, paste the windows; 26th, stew the meat; 27th, slaughter the rooster; 28th, let the dough rise; 29th, steam the mantou; 30th, stay up all night; New Year’s Day, dance and celebrate.

　　Production Method

　　1. The main ingredients are winter melon or watermelon. Peel off the outer skin and remove the pulp.

　　2. Cut horizontally into 4 cm-wide melon rings, wash, then cut vertically into 4 cm long and 1 cm wide strips, setting aside 35 kilograms for later use.

　　3. Take 5.5 kilograms of white sugar and 15 kilograms of water, heat and dissolve into a sugar solution. Separately, use 3 kilograms of sugar with a small amount of water, heat and dissolve, then grind finely in a container. Also, take 500 grams of lime and mix with 20 kilograms of water to make lime water. Place the cut melon strips into the lime water, sprinkle 150–200 grams of lime powder on top, press the melon strips down with bamboo strips or wooden boards to fully submerge them, and soak for about 10 hours until the strips are completely calcified and have no soft core. If the soaking time is short, add more lime.

　　4. Remove the lime-soaked melon strips, rinse with water to remove the lime, then soak again, changing the water every 2 hours, typically 4 times, until the lime is thoroughly removed, avoiding any yellow core.

　　5. Place the lime-free and drained melon strips into boiling water, adding sodium bisulfite and alum to the water. Continuously stir the melon strips with a strainer for about 15 minutes, then remove and cool. Soak in clean water until fully cooled, then transfer to a basket.

　　6. After draining, place the melon strips into the prepared sugar syrup, soaking for 8–12 hours. Add the ground white sugar to the syrup to increase its concentration to 40 degrees Brix. Soak for another 8–12 hours, then heat and boil for 20 minutes. The syrup thickens and permeates the melon strips. Once the syrup concentration reaches 78–80%, remove from heat to allow sugar crystallization. Once the syrup is fully adhered to the melon strips and the surface is slightly dry, spread them out to cool. The melon strips become coated in a layer of sugar, becoming sugar melon strips.