Pickled Watermelon Rinds Recipe

Pickled Watermelon Rinds

Jassy Davis

40 mins

4-8 people

Ingredients

Rind of 1 mini watermelon, approximately 750g
4 tbsp sea salt
300ml white wine vinegar
300g raw cane sugar
2 tsp black peppercorns
1 cinnamon stick
25g ginger, thinly sliced
1-2 green chillies, thinly sliced

Prep: 20 mins + cooling | Cook 15-20 mins

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Method

1. Quarter the mini watermelon and slice out the flesh, leaving a thin layer on the rind. Use a vegetable peeler to peel off the hard green skin, then slice the rind into strips around 1cm thick.

2. Fill a large, non-reactive pan with 2 ltrs water and add 4 tbsp salt. Add the watermelon rind and bring the pan to the boil. Turn the heat down and simmer for 5 mins. Set a colander over a large bowl and strain the watermelon rind through it, collecting the water in the bowl. Rinse the pan clean.

3. Measure out 775ml of the water and pour that back into the pan. Add the white wine vinegar and raw cane sugar. Drop in the black peppercorns, cinnamon stick and ginger. Bring to the boil, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar, then add the watermelon rind. Turn the heat down a little and bring the pan to a bubbling simmer. Simmer for 10 mins. Take the pan off the heat and set aside for 30 mins to cool.

4. Sterlise a large jar. Add the watermelon rind to the jar (use tongs to lift them out of the brine), adding sliced chillies to the jar as you go so they are layered with the rind. Add the ginger and cinnamon stick as you go, too. Pour over enough of the pickling liquid to cover the rind, then seal and set aside to cool. Store in the fridge.

5. These pickles are ready to eat the next day, but they're best left for 2-3 days. Eat within 1 month, keeping them in the fridge. They're a great side dish to have with barbecues or cheeseboards.