Pickled Watermelon rind?

16 years ago

I made some today, its my first in many, many, many years. I don't know if I did something wrong or not. Are they supposed to age, sit a while, like weeks before you eat them?

Will they be crisp like a pickle or a bit soft?

I tasted one before putting it in the jar and it was salty, will that go away after aging? I looked for other recipes and it didn't say. Do you have a T&T recipe you know tastes good?

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Comments (11)

sheilajoyce_gw
16 years ago
I never made any, but ate my aunt's recipe often. They are not salty. They are a little crunchy. She made them sweet, and she often would throw in a handful of red hot cinnamon candy, and they would turn red.

She canned them, so we were able to have them year round, but I see no need to "age" them. You may need a better recipe.
joan_mn
16 years ago
When my mom made them, they were sweet. She only used the white part of the rind. I used to see them in stores, but can't find them any more.
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monica_pa Grieves
16 years ago
Yup....they should be sweet. I love a strip of bacon wrapped around a piece of watermelon rind, and cooked on the grill or in the oven until the bacon is cooked...yummy
User
Original Author
16 years ago
I just saw a recipe like mine that says to let them sit for 2-3 weeks in a cool, dark place. I hope they will be good then.
donna_loomis
16 years ago
"Yup....they should be sweet."

Not necessarily. Just sayin'.

The only way my family likes them is dilled. And I use the same recipe for watermelon, cucumbers, okra, and a few other things.

WATERMELON/OKRA/CUCUMBER PICKLES

Pack quart jars with washed watermelon/okra/cucumbers - whatever. To each jar add:

2 tsp. dill seed
1 small clove garlic
1/8-1/4 tsp. dried crushed red pepper
1 slice onion

In a large pot, bring the following to a boil: 1 quart white vinegar
2 quarts water
1/2 cup salt

Pour into jars. Seal.

If I remember correctly, the liquid will fill (after packing with produce and other ingredients) about 3 or 4 quart jars. And they are ready to eat in about 3 days. I use the same recipe for my dill pickles and my pickled watermelon rind (we like them dill instead of sweet).
User
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks Donna, that sounds really easy, I'm gonna try it.
donna_loomis
16 years ago
And when I'm only making a few jars, I will put the open jar packed with produce into the microwave to heat it good. That way it is sure to seal when the boiling liquid is poured into the jar.
susanjf_gw
16 years ago
just did a search and found this recipe which would account for the sweetness...

Cherries add a little extra color to these watermelon pickles.
Ingredients:
2 pounds watermelon rind
1/4 cup pickling salt
4 cups water
2 cups sugar
1 cup white vinegar
1 tablespoon broken stick cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons whole cloves
1/2 lemon, thinly sliced
5 maraschino cherries, halved,optional
Preparation:
Trim the dark green and pink parts from watermelon rind. Cut rind in 1-inch cubes and measure 7 cups. Soak watermelon rind overnight in a mixture of the pickling salt and water. If it takes more to cover, use the same proportion salt to water. Drain and rinse watermelon rind. Cover rind with cold water in a large saucepan; cook just until tender.
Meanwhile, in a 6 to 8-quart kettle or Dutch oven, combine sugar, vinegar, cinnamon, whole cloves, and 1 cup water. Simmer mixture 10 minutes, then strain. Add drained watermelon rind, lemon slices, and maraschino cherries, if using. Simmer the mixture until watermelon rind is translucent. Fill hot half-pint jars with watermelon rind and syrup mixture, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Adjust lids. Process in boiling water bath for 5 minutes.
Makes 2 1/2 pints.
User
Original Author
16 years ago
That's almost the same recipe I used except I simmered the melon in the sugar vinegar & spice mixture till the rind was clear. It tasted salty when I took it out but I guess it has to sit in order to get the flavor. It wasn't horrible so may be ok.
donna_loomis
16 years ago
I noticed that the recipe that Susan posted instructed that you should trim the pink part off the rind. When we prep the watermelon for pickling, we try to leave as much of the red/pink on as possible. In fact, I usually trim the rind with at least a half inch of the meat left on the rind and serve the rest to the family. This gives the pickle a tiny section of sweet and sour, if you will, but it's still definitely dill.
tami_ohio
16 years ago
I have no recipe, but we tasted some when we at at the Kings Arms Tavern in Colonial Williamsburg. I was surprised at how good they were. I don't like watermelon. They were slightly sweet, not dill, and crisp.

Tami