Watermelon Rind Pickles upcycle the unused rind of ripe summer melon into deliciously sweet and tangy pickles.
Watermelon Rind Pickles
By Sue Lau | Palatable Pastime
Watermelon Rind Pickles is my recipe of the day for the blogging event Farmer’s Market Week. A ton of food bloggers will be doing joint postings all week long so be sure to stay tuned.
So far this week I have shared my recipes for Dill Vinegar and Pickled Sport Peppers. But today I am sharing my recipe for watermelon rind pickles or preserves.
Watermelon rind pickles taste almost exactly like sweet gherkins made from cucumbers. And are an excellent way to be frugal with your food. It upcycles the unused portion of the watermelons you serve.
Here’s more Farmer’s Market Week Recipes
Breakfast Recipes
- Glazed Peach Scones by Our Good Life
- Peach Pancakes by Life Love and Good Food
Starters and Sauce Recipes
- Air Fried Zucchini Fries by West Via Midwest
- Bacon Wrapped Pickles by Take Two Tapas
- Chilled Cucumber Melon Soup by Cookaholic Wife
- Easy Refrigerator Dill Pickles by Cheese Curd In Paradise
- Raspberry Lemonade Limoncello Cocktail by Books n’ Cooks
- Strawberry Pesto Brie Bites by Kate’s Recipe Box
- Watermelon Rind Pickles by Palatable Pastime
- Zucchini Nachos by Magical Ingredients
Side Dishes Recipes
- Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts by Devour Dinner
- Diner-Style Breakfast Potatoes and Onions by Family Around the Table
- Honeyed Carrots with Citrus Basil Gremolata by Jolene’s Recipe Journal
- Southwestern Potato Salad by The Freshman Cook
- Twice Baked Potatoes by Hostess At Heart
- Zucchini Corn Fritter by The Fresh Cooky
Main Dish Recipes
- Eggplant and Chickpea Fritters w/ Herb Yogurt Sauce by Savory Moments
- Philly Style Pepper Steak by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
- Sheet Pan Lemon Garlic Shrimp with Asparagus by Blogghetti
- Steak and Bell Pepper Salad by The Redhead Baker
Dessert Recipes
- Apple Squash Quick Bread by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
- Corn Ice Cream by House of Nash Eats
- Homemade Peach Ice cream by SueBee Homemaker
- Peach Pie with Bourbon Caramel Sauce by Lemon Blossoms
Farmer’s Market Week is always the first week in August. Whether you have a great local farm stand or market, are a member of a CSA or purchase your fruits and vegetables at the supermarket, follow our Pinterest board, for great recipes including those for appetizers, drinks, breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert and more.
It’s the perfect time of year for watermelon. Using this recipe you can make as little or as much pickle as you like by increasing the amounts of syrup and brine.
Take advantage of the bounty of summer to preserve some watermelon today!
Watermelon Rind Pickles
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Refrigerator Pickles: Sweets, Dills and Jalapeno Slices is three easy recipes to make in small batches with no canning!
Watermelon Rind Pickles
Watermelon Rind Pickles
Equipment
- Water bath canner
- canning jars, unused lids and bands
Ingredients
Melon:
- 2 pounds watermelon rind
Overnight brine:
- 6 cups water
- 6 tablespoons pickling salt
Syrup:
- 4 cups water
- 1 tablespoon coarse salt
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup cider vinegar
- 3 thick slices of fresh ginger root
- 2 finger length cinnamon sticks
- 1 tablespoon allspice berries
- 1 preserved lemon (sliced)
Instructions
- Use watermelon rind in which almost all the red fruit has been removed. A little bit left on there is fine, and in fact, adds a little blush color to the pickle.
- I used a birds beak knife to pare off the dark green outer rind of a quarter melon (about 1-1/2 pounds).
- To the trimmed down rind, you can cut it into chunks or little spears, whichever you prefer (and consider how they fit into your jars as well).
- Mix up the brine, enough to cover the prepped rind and place that in a food safe container with something to weight down the rind. I used a plate that was a little smaller than my container.
- Put this in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, drain then rinse and drain the rind, discarding the brine.
- Combine syrup ingredients and bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves, about five minutes.
- Add the rind and continue to cook over low heat, stirring, until rind is tender and somewhat translucent, about thirty minutes.
- Pack rind into sterile jars and cover with hot syrup, adding spices to jars if desired or discard for milder flavor. Discard any excess syrup.
- Remove air bubbles and leave a half inch headspace.
- Wipe rims. Cover jars with sterile lids and gently tighten bands.
- Place jars into canner with simmering water, ensuring that they are completely covered with water.
- Process using USDA water bath canning methods for ten minutes processing time listed at altitudes of 1,000 feet or less. For altitudes up to 3,000 feet, add 5 minutes; 6,000 feet, add 10 minutes; 8,000 feet, add 15 minutes; 10,000 feet, add 20 minutes.
- Otherwise simply refrigerate without canning. Refrigerate any jars that do not seal.
Notes
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I love this no-waste recipe! My grandmother used to talk about watermelon rind pickles, but I have never seen a recipe for them. Thanks for sharing!
I made watermelon rind pickles years ago when my children were young and ate a lot of watermelon. As I recall, one of the items used was alum which made the pickles nice and crisp. I don’t know whatever happened to the recipe but after reading your recipe, I need to collect some watermelon rind using your recipe.
I refrigerated mine so they stay pretty firm. The water bath tends to over soften pickles since they cook in the bath. The alum is pretty much the same as “Pickle Crisp” which you can use in water bath, but otherwise I would skip that part.
Thanks Sue, we used to make this when we were kids, so glad to have come across your recipe!
I’ve really enjoyed dipping into the retro canning recipes this week. It’s been a joy.