Peel the winter melon, remove the seeds, and cut it into strips about the size of a pinky finger. Rinse thoroughly.

If you use lime water: dissolve 20g of slaked lime in 3L of water, let it settle, and use only the clear water on top (for best results, let it sit overnight). If you use rice rinsing water, skip this step.

Soak the melon pieces in the lime water for about 8 hours or overnight to firm up the texture. Ensure the melon is fully submerged in the lime water/ rice rinsing water.

After soaking, remove the melon, rinse multiple times with clean water, and drain.

Boil 1.5L of water. When the water reaches a rolling boil, blanch the winter melon pieces for 1-2 minutes (photo 1). Immediately transfer the blanched melon to a bowl of cold water (photo 2), then let it air dry for 2-3 hours in a well-ventilated place.

Step 3. Marinating the Melon with Sugar

Mix the winter melon pieces with granulated sugar and let them sit for 4 hours, stirring occasionally to ensure even absorption.

Use a deep, thick-bottomed pan to prevent burning. Heat the pan, then add both the winter melon and the sugar syrup. Once the mixture starts boiling, reduce to low heat and stir occasionally.

As the syrup thickens, the mixture will become heavier to stir. Keep stirring continuously to prevent the pieces from sticking together. When the sugar crystallizes and coats the melon pieces in a white layer, add vanilla extract and continue stirring. Once the sugar has fully crystallized, turn off the heat.

Spread the candied winter melon on a tray, let it dry, and then sun-dry it for 2-3 hours to remove excess moisture.