Pickled Watermelon Rind

May 27, 2021

Pickled watermelon rind could very well be the most interesting pickle out there!

Yes, you heard that right! Just think of the conversations this pickle will start!

Summer is the season of watermelon, and now we have access to beautiful watermelons in the market. Back in the day, we would have been eating seasonal, without access to watermelons in winter. That sure would have made us appreciate the access to watermelon during season a bit more than we do today. So we definitely would not have let any part of it go to waste, and as historic cuisines go, everything is made use of, so we would have made use of the rind one way or the other. That is definitely what happened! To our ancestors, watermelon rind was not to go to waste and so people pickled them and used them in flavoring stews too. Here, I am exploring with you the old recipe of watermelon rind and will leave the stew bit for. later discussion..

High in fiber with fabulous texture and colour, absolutely delicious and appetising. This pickle is great next to all grilled foods especially grilled chicken. Works especially well with smoked foods, think smoked brisket sandwich. Otherwise can be chopped finely and mixed into a green leafy salad along smoked crispy bacon.

Ingredients

4.5 Kg watermelon

6 cups water

1/3 cup DS Himalayan Pink Salt

3 ½ cups sugar

1 ½ cups organic apple vinegar

1 ½ cups water

2 large sticks of cinnamon

2 tsp whole cloves

Cut the rind from the watermelon (you might get around 2 kg rind off a 4.5 kg fruit), make sure to keep about 1 inch of the fruit attached to the rind. Peel off the green part leaving only the white part of the rind.

Cut the rind into approximately 1 inch squares. Place in a large (non-metal) container.

In a separate large non-metal container, combine 6 cups water and salt. Mix well to dissolve the salt.

Pour over the rind in the large container making sure the water completely covers the rind.

Cover the bowl and leave to stand at room temperature overnight.

The next day, drain the rind in a colander and rinse thoroughly with cold water. Drain well.

Transfer into a large pot. Add enough water to cover all the rind and bring to a boiling; reduce the heat and simmer covered for 25 minutes (until the rind is tender).

Drain.

In a separate nonreactive pot combine sugar, vinegar, and 1 ½ cups water, as well as the cinnamon and the cloves. Bring the mixture to the boiling, stirring in order to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.

Discard the spices and use only the liquid, adding the cooked watermelon rind to it and bringing it back to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered for 30 minutes (the rind will become translucent).

Pack hot in the sterilized jars and cover.

Store in a cool dark place up to 6 months.

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