Russian Pickled Watermelon Recipes

SWEET-AND-SPICY PICKLED WATERMELON RIND

Steps:

• Trim the green skin off 1/4 small watermelon. Remove all but 1/4 inch red fruit from the rind; cut the rind into 1/2-inch pieces. Pack into a 1-quart jar. Combine 3/4 cup each apple cider vinegar and water, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons kosher salt, 2 teaspoons coriander seeds, 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Pour over the rind; let cool. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours and up to 1 week.

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.

PICKLED WATERMELON RINDS

Steps:

• In a glass bowl, stir together the water and salt until the salt has dissolved. Add the watermelon rinds and any additional water needed to cover them. Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight.
• Drain the watermelon rinds from the salted water, and place into a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Cover with fresh water, then place over high heat and bring to a boil. Boil rinds for 30 minutes, then drain and set aside.
• Meanwhile, tie the cloves, mustard seed, and cinnamon sticks in a piece of cheesecloth. Place into a large saucepan or Dutch oven along with the vinegar and sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat, then remove from the heat and let stand for 15 minutes. Stir in the drained watermelon rind, then return to the stove over high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer until the rind is transparent and the syrup is slightly thickened, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove and discard the spices after 40 minutes. Stir in the food coloring if desired.
• Ladle into hot sterilized 1 pint jars, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Seal jars with new lids and rings, making sure you have cleaned the jar's rims of any residue. Process jars under 1 inch of water in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Let cool overnight, then press down on the lids to make sure they are sealed before storing. Store any unsealed jars in the refrigerator and enjoy those first.

RUSSIAN PICKLED WATERMELON

Steps:

• In a large non reactive bowl stir everything together then add and submerge the watermelon pieces. Wrap with plastic wrap and keep in fridge at least a week, up to 2 weeks.
• Enjoy cold pickled watermelon.

RUSSIAN PICKLED WATERMELON

Steps:

• In a large nonreactive bowl or pot, stir together salt, sugar, pickling spices, cayenne, vinegar, garlic, celery, dill, and 8 cups water until salt and sugar dissolve.
• Submerge the watermelon wedges.
• Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 week and up to 2 weeks before serving.

QUICK-PICKLED WATERMELON

Steps:

• Add the rice wine vinegar, palm sugar, fish sauce and dried chiles to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Place the watermelon into a bowl over an ice bath. Once the liquid comes to a boil, pour over the watermelon and stir to combine until the mixture has cooled.
• Add to a platter of cheeses, meats, crackers, dried fruit, etc.

PICKLED WATERMELON RIND

Steps:

• Place the rind in a large bowl and toss with the salt. Cover with 1 quart cold water. Refrigerate overnight.
• Drain the watermelon. Bring a large kettle 1/4 full of water to a boil and add the rind. Cook until tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, about 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.
• Return kettle to the stove. Add sugar, vinegar, lemon, cinnamon stick, cloves, allspice and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil. Add the rind and simmer until tender and translucent, about 10 minutes.
• Have ready 3 hot, sterilized pint (2-cup) canning jars and lids. Gently pack the hot rind into the jars, leaving 1/4inch of space below the lip. Pour enough liquid into the jars to cover the rind. Wipe rims with a clean, damp towel and screw lids on securely but not too tightly.
• Fill a large kettle fitted with a rack halfway with water and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, bring a teapot full of water to a boil. Place the filled jars on the rack (do not let them touch -- work in batches if necessary) and pour in boiling water from the teapot until jar tops are covered by 2 inches. Bring to a boil and boil 10 minutes.
• Using tongs, remove jars from the kettle. Using potholders, tighten lids. Allow to cool. Store in a cool, dark place.

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.