Best Watermelon Pickles Recipes

WATERMELON RIND PICKLES

Steps:

• Place rind in a large nonreactive bowl; stir in water and salt. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Rinse and drain well., In a Dutch oven, mix sugar, vinegar, 2 cinnamon sticks, cloves and peppercorns. Bring to a boil. Add rinds; return to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes or until tender. Discard cinnamon sticks., Carefully ladle hot mixture into 4 hot 1-pint jars, leaving 1/2-in. headspace. Add a remaining cinnamon stick to each jar. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding hot mixture. Wipe rims. Center lids on jars; screw on bands until fingertip tight. , Place jars into canner with simmering water, ensuring that they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil; process for 10 minutes. Remove jars and cool.

WATERMELON PICKLES

Steps:

• Stir canning salt into 1 gallon water in a large container until dissolved; add watermelon rind. Cover the container with plastic wrap or a lid and let sit 12 hours. Drain and rinse completely.
• Combine drained watermelon rind and 1 gallon water in a stock pot. Bring the water to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until the rind is tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour; drain and set aside.
• Put cinnamon sticks, allspice, and cloves in cheesecloth or spice bag. Combine vinegar, sugar, spice bag, maraschino cherries, and lemon slices in the stock pot; stir until sugar is dissolved. Add watermelon rind to the pot; bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until the rind is transparent, about 5-10 minutes. Remove the spice bag and set aside.
• Sterilize the jars and lids in boiling water for at least 5 minutes. Put one whole clove into each jar. Break cinnamon sticks into pieces and put 1 piece into each jar.
• Pack the watermelon rind with the vinegar mixture into the hot, sterilized jars, filling the jars to within 1/4 inch of the top. Run a knife or a thin spatula around the insides of the jars after they have been filled to remove any air bubbles. Wipe the rims of the jars with a moist paper towel to remove any food residue. Top with lids and screw on rings.
• Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill halfway with water. Bring to a boil and lower jars into the boiling water using a holder. Leave a 2-inch space between the jars. Pour in more boiling water if necessary to bring the water level to at least 1 inch above the tops of the jars. Bring the water to a rolling boil, cover the pot, and process for 10 minutes.
• Remove the jars from the stockpot and place onto a cloth-covered or wood surface, several inches apart, until cool. Once cool, press the top of each lid with a finger, ensuring that the seal is tight (lid does not move up or down at all). Store in a cool, dark area.

WATERMELON RIND PICKLES (REFRIGERATOR METHOD)

Steps:

• Bring all ingredients (except food coloring) to a rapid boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook until pickles are tender and somewhat translucent. Add green food coloring if desired. Transfer pickles, juice and cinnamon sticks to a covered glass bowl and store in the refrigerator after cooling. Discard the pickling spices.
• Wait at least 12-24 hours to serve so that all the flavors have been absorbed.

WATERMELON RIND PICKLES (CRISP VERSION)

Steps:

• To prepare watermelon rind: Trim dark skin and pink flesh from thick watermelon rind; cut in 1-inch pieces or as wanted.
• Dissolve lime in 2 quarts water, pour over rind.
• If needed, add more water to cover rind.
• Let stand 2 hours.
• Drain: rinse and cover rind with cold water.
• Cook until just tender; drain.
• Tie spices in a cheesecloth bag.
• Combine spices with remaining ingredients and simmer 10 minutes.
• Add watermelon rind and simmer until clear.
• Add boiling water if syrup becomes too thick before rind is clear.
• Remove spice bag.
• Pack, boiling hot, into sterilized mason jars, leaving 1/8-inch head space.
• Adjust caps and allow to seal.

WATERMELON PICKLES

Steps:

• Slice the outer green and inner pink part of the rind.
• Place in a large glass bowl and cover with a brine made from the 3/4 cup salt and 3 quarts water.
• Cover with ice and let stand 6-7 hours.
• Drain, rinse and drain again.
• In a large pot add the rind and just cover with cold water.
• Cook until JUST tender-around 10 minutes.
• Dont overcook.
• Drain.
• Tie spices in a spice bag.
• Combine sugar, vinegar, 3 cups water and spice bag and boil 5 minutes.
• Remove spice bag-reserve.
• Pour syrup over rinds and add lemon slices.
• Let stand overnight at room temp.
• Heat rind and lemon in syrup and boil.
• Cook until rind is translucent-around 10 minutes.
• Pack hot into clean hot jars.
• Add 1 piece of cinnamon from the spice bag to each jar.
• Cover with boiling syrup leaving 1/2 inch head space.
• Process in a boiling water bath at altitudes up to 1000 feet.

WATERMELON RIND PICKLES

Steps:

• Cut watermelon pulp from rind, leaving thin layer of pink on rind (reserve pulp for another use). Cut green outer skin from rind; discard. Cut enough rind into 1 x 1/2-inch pieces to measure 4 cups. Combine 8 cups water and 2 tablespoons salt in large pot; bring to boil. Add rind pieces and boil until tender, about 5 minutes. Strain. Transfer rinds to large metal bowl.
• Combine remaining 2 teaspoons salt, sugar and next 7 ingredients in heavy large saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Pour over watermelon rinds in bowl. Place plate atop rinds to keep rinds submerged in pickling liquid. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.
• Strain liquid from rinds into saucepan; bring to boil. Pour over rinds. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Repeat straining and boiling of liquid and pour over rinds 1 more time. (Can be made 2 weeks ahead. Chill in covered jars.)

WATERMELON RIND PICKLES

Steps:

• Pare watermelon rind and remove all pink portions.
• Cut rind into 1 x 2 inch pieces about 1 inch thick or into 3/4 by 1 inch cubes.
• Weigh.
• Soak rind overnight in brine made by dissolving 1/4 cup salt in each quart of water (make enough brine to cover).
• Drain rind, wash in fresh water and drain.
• Combine remaining ingredients and boil together 5 minutes.
• Add rind a few at a time and cook until rind is clear.(simmer about 30 Min.).
• Pack rind in hot sterilized jars.
• Cover with boiling syrup and seal.
• Spices may be tied in cheesecloth bag if desired.
• Cantaloupe rind, pumpkin or winter squash rind may be cut into pieces and pickled in the same way.

FANTABULOUSLY EASY YUMMY CRISPY WATERMELON PICKLES

Steps:

• ZAAR would not let me enter the watermelon rind no matter how I tried so it is the rind of two ten to twelve pound seedless watermelons. Ugh I am so frustrated!
• DAY ONE: Wash and carve watermelon and cut rind into one inch squares. Make sure you peel the rind carefully with a veggie peeler because there is nothing nastier than choking on an unpeeled piece of rind. Mix salt into the water in a large non-reactive pot and add the watermelon rind. Cover and let stand 24 hours.
• DAY TWO: Drain watermelon rind and rinse well. Wash the pot and add the watermelon rind and a gallon of filtered water and lots of ice, at least 4 cups and let stand for two hours. Drain again and pick out the ice. Return the watermelon rind to the pot and cover with boiling water and cook until tender enough to pierce with a wooden skewer, about ten to 12 minutes and then drain well. While the rind is draining wash the pot and prepare the syrup. Put the spices in a spice bag or tea infuser or else you will have to fish all of it out later on. In your rinsed pot, combine the vinegar, sugar, spice bag, juice and rind of the lemon and bring to a boil. Add the rind to the syrup and cook ON LOW until the rind is transparent. This can take a while so keep checking for that transparency. When the rind looks transparent put the lid on the pot and take off the heat. Don't touch it for 24 hours. If you like less spice you can remove the spice bag at this time. I leave it in for the full 24 hours.
• DAY THREE: Remove the pickles and let them drain back into the pot. Reserve the syrup and bring to a boil. Pack the pickles into (about) 6 sterile pint jars and pour the boiling syrup over the pickles, evenly between the six jars to about 1/4 inch from the top. Cap and adjust bands and process in a hot water bath for 5 minutes from the time the water returns to the boil. Ball Blue Book suggests ten minutes but my old recipe was 5 minutes. I think the 5 minute bath is a crispier pickle and I have to tell you I have never, in the past 35 years, had a jar explode in the pantry, but use the processing time you feel comfy with.
• DAY SIXTY: Pickles are ready. OK, I start eating them as soon as I hit day three -- So these pickles are made all summer long and enjoyed all year round.
• REALLY EASY METHOD: If you are not a canner you can cool the pickles on your counter and put the jars in your refrigerator and they will last one month.

WATERMELON RIND BREAD AND BUTTER PICKLES

Steps:

• To prepare the melon, use a spoon to scrape away all the pink.
• Cut away the rind with a knife (this is fastest if you cut the melon into 3-inch squares).
• Cut rind into strips, cubes, or chunks.
• Layer the MELON and onion with salt in a large bowl; cover with ice cubes.
• Let stand 1 1/2 hours.
• Drain and rinse.
• Combine remaining ingredients in a large pan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
• Add the MELON and onions and return to a boil.
• Pack hot PICKLES into hot, sterile jars, leaving 1/4-inch head space.
• Fit with lids.
• Process in boiling water for 10 minutes.

SUSAN'S PINK WATERMELON PICKLES (NOT RIND)

Steps:

• Bring mixture to a boil.
• Meanwhile, in a mason jar, put a few sprigs of dill and fill jar the rest of the way with bite sized pink watermelon pieces. Then put a few more sprigs of dill on top.
• Pour hot, boiled mixture over the watermelons and seal steam.
• Before eating be sure to refrigerate overnight, and eat cold.

WATERMELON PICKLES

Steps:

• Trim the green skin and any pink flesh from the rind. Cut enough rind into 1-inch cubes to measure 7 cups and place in a nonreactive bowl. Dissolve the salt in 4 cups cold water, and pour over the rind to cover. (If more brine is needed, use the same proportion of salt to water.) Submerge the rind with a heavy plate and soak it overnight in the refrigerator.
• Drain and rinse rind well with cold water. Place it in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Cook just until tender when pierced with a fork, about 10 minutes. Do not overcook. Drain.
• Combine the sugar, vinegar and spices with 1 cup water in a 2-quart saucepan and heat to boiling. Simmer for 10 minutes and strain into a 6- or 8-quart nonreactive pan. Add the rind, lemon slices and cherries and simmer until rind is translucent, about 10 minutes (do not overcook).
• Have several hot, sterilized 12-ounce or pint-size canning jars and their lids and a hot-water bath ready. Fill the jars with the rind and their syrup, leaving a 1/2-inch head space. Seal the lids and process according to the jar manufacturer's directions.

WATERMELON RIND PICKLES

Steps:

• Day 1. Prepare the rind:
• Cut the watermelon into 3/4-inch slices. Trim the rind away from the pink flesh; make sure no pink is left on the rind. Trim away the outer skin. Cut the rind into approximately 3/4-inch cubes. Toss with the pickling salt in a large bowl and refrigerate overnight.
• Day 2. Prepare the jars and lids:
• Wash all jars and lids thoroughly with soap and water and rinse well. Fill your canner with enough water to cover the jars by at least 1 inch and bring to a simmer. Using a pair of canning tongs, lower the jars in gently, tilting them to fill with the hot water. In a small saucepan, keep some water warm but not boiling; place the lids in the water. Have an additional kettle of water on to boil.
• Pickle the rind:
• Rinse the rind thoroughly and drain, twice. In a large stockpot, combine the vinegar, sugar and cloves, and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the rind to the brine, bring back to the boil, reduce to a low boil and cook uncovered until the rind is translucent, about 20 minutes.
• Fill and close the jars:
• Using canning tongs, remove the jars from the canner, carefully pouring the water back into the canner. Set next to the stockpot with the pickled rind. Turn the heat under the canner to high. Use a ladle to pour the pickled rind into the jars through a canning funnel, leaving 1/2-inch headspace at the top. Run a clean chopstick around the inside of the jar to dislodge any trapped air. Wipe the rims of the jars with a damp paper towel. Place the lids on, and screw on the rings until just finger-tight.
• Seal the jars:
• Using canning tongs, gently transfer the jars to the canner, taking care to keep them vertical. When all the jars are in the canner, there should be at least 1 inch water covering them; if you need more, add water from the kettle until the jars are sufficiently covered. Bring the water to a full rolling boil, and process for 5 minutes.
• Remove and cool:
• Using canning tongs, gently remove the jars from the canner and transfer them to a kitchen towel or cooling rack, again keeping them vertical. Do not set hot jars directly on to cool counter surfaces. Leave to cool, undisturbed, for at least 12 hours. If any of the jars do not seal when cool, reprocess using the method above, or refrigerate and use immediately.
• Label and store:
• Add a label to the lid or side of your jar, noting the date it was canned. Remove the rings and store jars in a cool, dark place for 3 weeks before opening. Jars can be stored for up to a year. Refrigerate after opening.

CANDIED WATERMELON PICKLES

Steps:

• 1. Trim dark green and pink parts of rind; cut rind in 1-inch cubes, Soak overnight in salt water-1/4 c. salt to 1 qt. water; drain ;rinse and cover with cold water.
• 2. Cook just tender; drain. Combine sugar, vinegar, water, lemon and spices tied in a bag. Simmer 10 minutes. Remove spice bag; add watermelon pieces. Simmer until clear. Fill hot, sterilized jars to 1/2 inch from top. Seal.
• 3. boiling water bath for 15 minutes
• 4. NOTE: Instead of 4 c. sugar I used: 1 1/4c. corn syrup and 2 3/4 c.sugar

WATERMELON RIND BREAD AND BUTTER PICKLES

Steps:

• To prepare the melon, use a spoon to scrape away all the pink.
• Cut away the rind with a knife (this is fastest if you cut the melon into 3-inch squares).
• Cut rind into strips, cubes, or chunks.
• Layer the MELON and onion with salt in a large bowl; cover with ice cubes.
• Let stand 1 1/2 hours.
• Drain and rinse.
• Combine remaining ingredients in a large pan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
• Add the MELON and onions and return to a boil.
• Pack hot PICKLES into hot, sterile jars, leaving 1/4-inch head space.
• Fit with lids.
• Process in boiling water for 10 minutes.

WATERMELON PICKLES

Steps:

• 1. Trim dark green and pink parts of rind; cut rind in 1-inch cubes. Soak overnight in salt water-1/4 cup coarse-medium l to 1 quart water; rrn; rinse and cover with cold water. Cook just tender; drain.
• 2. Combine sugar, vinegar, water, lemon, and spices tied in a gab. Simmer 10 minutes.
• 3. Remove spice bag; add watermelon rind. Simmer until clear. Fill hot sterilized jars to to 1/2 inch from top. Seal. (This means hot water bath, for approximately 15 minutes)

WATERMELON RIND PICKLES

Steps:

• 1. In a large pot, bring water and salt to a boil over medium high heat. Add the watermelon rind and boil until tender, about 5 minutes or so. Strain & place the rinds in a large stainless steel bowl.
• 2. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, cider vinegar, peppercorns, cloves, pickling spice and ginger root; stir to blend. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Once the mixture comes to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, until it's slightly reduced. Pour over watermelon rinds in bowl. Place a plate over the top to keep the rinds submerged in the liquid. Cover and refrigerate for one day. Transfer to a glass jar and store the sealed jar in the refrigerator. These will keep for up to 2 weeks.