Pickles and preserves
Watermelon rind pickles are made by cutting the white layer between the green skin and red flesh into cubes, soaking them overnight in salted water, then simmering them in a spiced vinegar syrup until translucent. They are crisp and sweet-and-sour, fragrant with cinnamon and ginger, and pair well with meat and cheese. A part of the watermelon that often goes to waste becomes a jar of pickles.
Scrape away the red flesh, leaving only a thin pink line. Peel off the dark green outer skin with a vegetable peeler or knife, then cut the remaining white rind into 2 cm cubes.
Dissolve the salt in 1 liter of cold water. Add the cubes and keep them submerged with a plate.
Drain the soaked cubes and rinse them thoroughly with cold water. Boil them in fresh water for 10 minutes, until a knife tip slides in easily, then drain.
Bring the vinegar, 250 ml water, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger to a boil. Add the cubes and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes, until they turn translucent. Keep the ratio of vinegar to water in the syrup at 2:1; do not add more water.
While the syrup cooks, boil the jars and lids in water for 10 minutes. Pack the cubes into hot jars and cover them with syrup, leaving 1 cm of headspace. Wipe the rims with a clean, damp cloth and seal. Process the jars in a boiling-water bath for 10 minutes.
Before cooking, soak the rind cubes in salted water overnight (8–12 hours); this resting time is not included in the recipe time and helps keep the cubes crisp. Jars processed in a boiling-water bath keep for 1 year in a cool place; refrigerate after opening.
No one has commented on this recipe yet. Write the first comment.
Recipes tried by those who liked this one, fitting the same table.
Suggestions, complaints or questions — we read them all.
Your message has been saved. Our team will read it; if you left an email address, we will reply there when needed.