Watermelon Rind Pickles

 

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 When you cut your watermelon, save the rinds, make Pickles!! Sweet and savory.

Ingredients

2 pounds watermelon rind

1/4 cup pickling salt

4 cups water, divided, plus more for boiling

2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup white vinegar

1 tablespoon cinnamon stick, broken up

1 1/2 teaspoons whole cloves

1/2 lemon, thinly sliced

5 maraschino cherries, halved, optional

 

How to Make It

Gather the ingredients.

Trim the dark green and pink parts from the watermelon rind and discard.

Cut rind into 1-inch cubes and measure out 7 cups.

Put the watermelon rind in a large container with the pickling salt and 3 cups of the water. Add more water to cover the rinds, if necessary. Soak overnight.

Drain and rinse watermelon rind.

Cover the rind with cold water in a large saucepan. Simmer just until tender—about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a nonreactive 6- to 8-quart kettle or Dutch oven, combine the sugar, vinegar, cinnamon, whole cloves, and remaining 1 cup water. Simmer the mixture for 10 minutes.

Add the drained watermelon rind, lemon slices, and maraschino cherries, if using to the spiced syrup. Simmer the mixture until the watermelon rind is translucent, about 30 minutes.

Fill half-pint jars with the hot watermelon rind and syrup mixture, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace. Add the lids.

Process in a boiling water bath for 5 minutes and remove jars.​

Let the jars cool on a rack.

Serve and enjoy.

Tips

Although optional, the cherries in this recipe add a little extra color and flavor to these old-fashioned watermelon rind pickles.

You do need to plan ahead with this recipe because the rinds have to soak overnight in the brine.

How to Store

Properly canned, watermelon pickles will keep in a cool, dark, dry place for at least a year.

If your jars didn't seal properly or you don't want to process them in boiling water, they will still keep for about a month in the refrigerator.

Opened jars will keep for a few weeks in the fridge.

What Part Is the Watermelon Rind?

Watermelon rind is the section of crunchy, white flesh in between the thin, green peel and the juicy, red flesh that's typically eaten. Much of the time, the rind and the peel are discarded; however, the rind is edible. It can be chopped and added to dishes for a crunch or made into delicious, crisp pickles.

What Do Watermelon Rind Pickles Taste Like?

The flavor of watermelon rind pickles will depend on the recipe, but most are tangy, sweet, and salty. They tend to be sweeter than most other pickles, but still have a tang from the vinegar and a salty bite.