Watermelon Rind Pickles

An easy and refreshing no-waste summer snack, watermelon rind pickles are the finest thing you can do with a watermelon besides greasing it up and chasing it around the pool.

Crystallized ginger, allspice berries and apple cider vinegar keep these things from becoming overly sweet or tart. Great as a side with grilled dishes or as a salad tossed with crispy, crumbled bacon and served over greens.

This recipe first appeared on altonbrown.com.

Watermelon rind pickles in a jar with pickling spices

ACTIVE TIME: 25

TOTAL TIME: 10 25

Yield: pound

Software

2 pounds watermelon rind, from a roughly 5-pound watermelon
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup chopped candied or crystallized ginger nibs
4 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon red pepper flake
1 teaspoon allspice berries
1 star anise pod

Specialized Hardware

Canning funnel

Procedure

Using a sharp peeler, remove and discard the exterior green portion of the watermelon rind. You should now have rind that is mostly white, with a little bit of pink and/or red on one side. Cut into 1-inch cubes.
Add the apple cider vinegar, water, sugar, ginger, salt, and spices to a 2-quart saucepan set over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and hold for 1 minute, then carefully add the watermelon. Return to a boil and turn off the heat. Remove the pan from heat and cool for 30 minutes.
Move the pickles to a 2-quart jar using a canning funnel and ladle. Pour on as much of the pickling juice as possible. Cover the jar and leave at room temperature for another 1 1/2 hours.
Refrigerate overnight and consume within a month. These pickles must be refrigerated.

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