Pickled Watermelon Rind
4.2
(5)
Ingredients
Makes about 1 quart
Preparation
Step 1
Using a vegetable peeler, remove tough green rind from watermelon; discard.
Step 2
Slice watermelon 1" thick. Cut away all but 1/4" flesh from each slice; reserve flesh for another use. Cut rind into 1" pieces. (You should have about 4 cups.)
Step 3
Bring chile, ginger, star anise, salt, peppercorns, sugar, vinegar, and 1/2 cup water to a boil in a large saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar and salt. Add watermelon rind and return to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until just tender, about 5 minutes.
Step 4
Remove from heat and let cool, setting a small lid or plate directly on top of rind to keep submerged in brine, if needed.
Step 5
Transfer rind and liquid to an airtight container; cover and chill at least 12 hours.
Step 6
Do ahead: Watermelon rind can be pickled 2 weeks ahead. Keep chilled.
Leave a Review
Reviews (5)
Back to TopI use this recipe all summer long! It works great with other types of melon as well. The one thing I gotta tell people is though, it is a HUGE chore to try and peel the melon. I use a very sharp knife and cut it off, as you actually need to remove a decent amount of the skin, otherwise you get stiff pieces.
jeri_l
Brooklyn, NY
7/18/2016
One other thing: The combination of the chops, salad, and pickled rind makes the meal. I had leftover chops without the salad and pickled rind and it wasn't nearly as good.
jbbobbitt
NorCal
7/30/2015
'k, I learned a lot about peeling a watermelon. First, I got a melon about the size of a volley ball. It produced about 12 cups of rind, so I tripled the recipe. Like the previous poster I cut the poles off, then sliced it in half the long way. Then I proceeded to break 3 potato peelers without making any headway. I finally went and got a "Y-peeler" from a kitchen store ($3.89). Made by Swissmar. It worked incredibly well, I had the whole melon peeled in 5 minutes. I found the star anise a little too strong, will use less next time.
jbbobbitt
NorCal
7/27/2015
This was easier than I expected. I cut the pole ends off the melon for stability before attacking it with my vegetable peeler, and the dark green rind came off easily. It took 15 minutes, not five, of simmering before the rind became tender. Also, if I do this again, I'll tie the pickling spices in a piece of cheesecloth. As it was, it was a bit of a pain picking off the peppercorns, etc., from the finished rind before adding it to the arugula salad to go with the pork chops. The end product was worth the effort though, as it added a zing to the overall recipe.
Anonymous
nowhere in particular
8/10/2014
Seriously addicting. I love these pickles. Recipe is perfect as-is, for me. I don’t really “peel” the watermelon. I lay a small wedge on its side (fruit removed and set aside) and then just sort of slice the skin off. It’s still a small chore but no worse than supreming an orange, or peeling a potato.
Ulu
Kamuela, HI
3/15/2024
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