The 'How to Cook' Blog

So, as I keep eating watermelon, I keep on thinking about stories my mom has of my grandparents making watermelon rind pickles.

Although I’ve never made them myself, nor eaten them, I want to try them.

I asked my mother how she liked them when her parents made them and she said she never really liked them because they were too vinegar-y and that’s why she has never made them at home.

Doing a little pondering, this is the recipe I came up with to overcome what mom doesn’t like about the watermelon rind pickles she’s had in the past, but accomplish the actual process of pickling them.

I’ve added a bunch of great spices in combination, as well as cucumbers, lemons and ginger that will be pickled with the watermelon rinds.

If this works, it’s a quick way to make pickles, is very inexpensive and easy to do. Also, as summertime approaches, we will all be happy to use those watermelon rinds instead of “chunking” them in the garbage.

Type: Snack Recipe
Serve With: meals, sandwiches, chopped into relish or into a cool tartar sauce
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 8 mins
Soak Time: 12 hrs/overnight
Yield: Two 1 qt mason jars

The ingredients & instructions are listed below the video for measurements & directions. Please enjoy the video below.

• rind of 1 baby watermelon – minus skin & flesh
• 1/2 cucumber – thinly sliced
• 1 lemon – thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup fresh ginger – thinly sliced
• 4 cups vinegar
• 2 cups water
• 1/3 cup maraschino cherry juice
• 6 maraschino cherries – halved
• 1 3/4 cups brown sugar
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 4 cinnamon sticks
• 1 tsp allspice berries
• 1 tsp peppercorns
• 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
• 1/4 tsp chili flakes
• 1 tsp whole cloves
• 1 tbsp cardamom pods
• 1 pinch salt

Instructions:

1. Wash and cut baby watermelon into quarters. Peel skin with a vegetable peeler, and remove pink flesh from the watermelon rind.
2. Slice watermelon rind into 1/2″ matchstick strips.
3. Wash and slice lemon, cucumber and ginger.
4. Arrange watermelon rind, cucumber slices, lemon slices and ginger slices in clean mason jars with a few pinches of each spice, and half the maraschino cherries in each jar, in the bottom of the jars.
5. In a large saucepan, add vinegar, water, maraschino cherry juice, salt and remaining spices over medium heat and bring to a boil. Allow to reduce for 5 mins.
6. Pour over ingredients in mason jars and seal with clean lids, and allow to cool before putting into refrigerator.
7. Allow to sit overnight in refrigerator and enjoy.

Chop up and put into relishes, chutneys, tartar sauce, eat by themselves or on sandwiches…anything you would do with pickles normally.

For other ideas on what to do with watermelon rinds, check out my post: How to Use Watermelon Rinds

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I hope you enjoy this How to Cook Video on Cooking with Kimberly. Until next time…

Eat Deliciously!

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