Watermelon rind chutney
Here’s something different to pair with your mini poppadums.
Following the success of its Pickled Watermelon, Sysco-brand Fresh Direct has launched a chutney that uses the surplus watermelon rind that would otherwise have been wasted.
Based on Indian chutneys and sambals, the pickle teams a punch of spices – mustard seeds, cumin, turmeric, chilli, garlic and ginger – with plump sultanas, lemon and onions. The result is a vibrant, fragrant and mildly spicy chutney that works brilliantly as an accompaniment to poppadoms and curries as well as strong cheeses and cured meats.
“One of the challenges we set our development chefs is to focus on minimal waste cooking with customers, helping them to reduce waste by maximising the use of every part of the fruit or the vegetable” said head of food development Ian Nottage.
“Rather than treat the rind of the watermelon as a waste product, we’ve taken it and turned a potential negative into a delicious product.
“The Watermelon Chutney has only recently been developed and it is already receiving rave reviews. And, based on our estimates, we anticipate that, over the course of a year, we can turn 10 tonnes of potential waste into tasty products that chefs across the country can be proud to serve.”
The Watermelon Rind Chutney joins the Fresh Director portfolio, which is targeted towards foodservice and hospitality channels in the UK. Sysco has 8,000 colleagues servicing more than 20,000 customers from 30 distribution centres across Great Britain. Specialist convenience supplier, Country Choice, completes the group and is Britain’s leading supplier of instore bakery and retail foodservice products.