This recipe is really young for the Think Tasty archives, but I like it so much for summer cooking that I decided to republish it now. The one thing I noted while rereading it was that I never talked about the cheese in the photos. The. Cheese. Is. Blue. It also is delicious. If you’re wondering, it’s a goat cheese with lavender. Near the end of the article, there’s a link to it, if you’re curious.
The original post from July 2023
Summer is when I eat the greatest amount of watermelon. I don’t assume I am alone in that fact. Watermelon brings me back to being a kid and eating a slice of watermelon off the rind- outdoors, of course. Watermelon juice dripping all over was usually followed by a run through the sprinklers. Of course, now when I eat watermelon, I usually remove the remind and eat it with a fork, but it still is in the heat of summer that I most want this fruit.
As I worked on recipe planning, I thought about watermelon. What could I create with it that would be new and different for me? That’s when I thought about pickling it, or the rind anyway. Not only does summer lend itself to watermelon, it also is the time of year that I want pickled items more frequently. There is something about their sour notes that pairs well with heat and humidity. It could be the fact that they’re chilled, as well.
Finding the right brine for quick pickled watermelon rind
I have quick pickled a number of items, including zucchini and peaches. Watermelon rind falls somewhere in between. Yes, it is the rind of a fruit, which made me think about the pickled peaches, but rind is also much less sweet the fruit itself. I decided to make a brine that would be a hybrid of sorts.
Because I did want these pickles to have some sweetness, I included sugar in the brine. I also used whole cloves and a cinnamon stick to give it notes of baking spice. However, I also wanted them to embrace their savory nature, and for that, I added black peppercorns and a greater amount of cider vinegar.
Trial and error
Once I had the brine’s flavor to my liking, I needed to work on the rind itself. First was the prepping of the rind. Based on some reading, I thought I would be able to remove the green with a vegetable peeler. The answer is that you can, but my peeler had difficulty removing it. Although you need to be quite careful, a paring knife is my tool of choice. Yes, it removed more than the peeler did, but that helped with texture. It also made it a faster process than peeling.
Next, I needed to work on the size of my watermelon rind pickles. I initially made 1-inch cubes, but I found that for most of my uses, I wanted smaller pieces. There is a lot of flavor in each pickle; smaller bites worked better for me.
Now, with a good brine and workable techniques, I had a finished recipe. I let the watermelon rind pickles sit in the refrigerator for a few days and then served them with some cheese and crackers. The slightly sweet pickled nature of the rind was a nice balance to the richness of the cheese. They also are delicious on their own. When you buy watermelon this summer, don’t just discard the rind. Give these pickles a try!
Quick Pickled Watermelon Rind with Baking Spice
Ingredients
- 2 cups watermelon rind
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 teaspoon whole cloves
Instructions
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To get 2 cups of watermelon rind, you need 1/4 of a small watermelon.
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Cut out the watermelon flesh, and save for another use.
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Using a paring knife, remove all of the green skin from the watermelon rind.
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Cut the rind into small, bite-size pieces, about 1/2-inch cubes.
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In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar, water, sugar, salt, peppercorns, cinnamon stick, and cloves.
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Bring to a boil over high heat.
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Once it begins boiling, stir occasionally until the sugar and salt are dissolved.
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Add watermelon rind cubes, and lower to a simmer.
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Cook, stirring occasionally, until watermelon cubes are fork tender, about 8 minutes.
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Transfer rind to either 1 pint jar or 2 half-pint jar.
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Top with brining liquid.
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Allow to cool for an hour before sealing with lids.
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Refrigerate for at least 24 hours before serving.
