This pickled watermelon rind recipe is easy and helps to use up more of the fruit! I love utilizing as much as I can in my kitchen to reduce food waste as well as learn new skills. Fermented watermelon rind pickles are a delicious snack, enjoy!
Cut your watermelon into circles. Cut the fruit off of the rind. Optional: Leave a small amount of the fruit on the rind for added flavor.
Using your knife or a vegetable peeler, remove the outer layer of skin on the rind. (The dark green part.)
Cut your watermelon rinds to size. You can choose to cut them into small chunks or you can cut them a little longer in a typical “pickle” shape.
Fill the bottom of your jar with your cinnamon sticks and whole cloves.
Cover the aromatics with your cut watermelon rinds.
In a small pot, bring your water to a boil. Add in the vinegar and kosher salt. Stir until the salt is fully dissolved.
Pour the brine over the watermelon rinds.
Place the lid on the jar and gently shake to ensure there are no air bubbles between the ingredients.
Remove the lid and place your fermenting weight on top or use the top piece of the watermelon cut to size to act as a weight. Place the lid back on the jar.
Allow it to cool completely and then transfer it to the fridge. Enjoy after 3-4 days!
Notes
You can cut your watermelon rind into small chunks like I did or you can choose to make them longer to be more "pickle" shaped!
You can use a fermenting weight instead of the top of the watermelon to keep the rinds fully submerged in the brine.
Enjoy after 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
Store for up to 3 months.
Note: This is not a canning recipe! Please, use a canning-specific recipe for canning.