Watermelon Rind Pickles
Looking for a tasty way to reduce food waste? Try making this overnight watermelon rind pickles! This step-by-step recipe transforms the typically inedible part of the fruit into a sour, sweet, spicy, and refreshing treat.
Equipment
- Measuring spoons
- Vegetable peeler
- knife and cutting board
- Chopsticks
Ingredients
- ½ small to medium watermelon (rind only) (or ¼ of a large watermelon)
- ½ tbsp kosher salt (Can also use regular salt)
- 4 garlic cloves (peeled and sliced)
- 2 dried chili peppers (break into small pieces) (Can also use 1 chopped fresh Thai chili pepper or ½ tsp of red pepper flakes or chili oil as a substitute. Skip if you don't like spicy food.)
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsps light soy sauce
- 2 tbsps rice vinegar (Can be substituted with apple cider vinegar. Using both rice vinegar and apple cider vinegar provides a richer flavor, but if you only have one, feel free to use what you have at home.)
- 2 tbsps apple cider vinegar (Can be substituted with rice vinegar. Using both rice vinegar and apple cider vinegar provides a richer flavor, but if you only have one, feel free to use what you have at home.)
- 1 tsp sesame oil
Instructions
- Peel the outer green skin from the rind using a vegetable peeler or a sharp knife.
- Cut the watermelon into quarters. Cut the flesh from the rind, leaving a small amount of red flesh attached. (Note: This recipe uses half the rind from a small to medium watermelon. If you want to use all the rind, double the other ingredients accordingly.)
- Cut the rind into 1-inch bite size pieces. Or you can cut the rind into ½ x 1 x 2 inch strips, and then cut them into the shape of spiral cucumber: Cut one side of the rind strip at a 45° angle, almost all the way through but not quite, then flip and make straight cuts across. You can put one chopstick on each side to help guide the knife.
- Place the sliced rinds in a bowl and add ½ tbsp of kosher salt. Toss or stir to coat the rinds evenly with the salt. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- After 1 hour, drain the released juice. Rinse the watermelon rinds with clean water to remove the salt. Using clean hands, squeeze out the remaining water from the rinds so they can better absorb the sauce later.
- Add sliced garlic, dried chili pepper, sugar, light soy sauce, rice vinegar, apple cider vinegar, and sesame oil over the cucumber and mix well.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or place the watermelon rinds in an airtight container. Let sit for at least 2 hours (ideally overnight) in the refrigerator. Serve chilled as a side dish.