Last Updated on October 12, 2021 by Anne-Marie
Make this crisp pickled watermelon rind recipe with leftover watermelon rinds. This pickled watermelon rind recipe is easy to make.
Why this recipe works
If you've ever wondered what to do with leftover watermelon rinds, you should pickle them!
I first tried watermelon rind pickles when we first moved to Georgia.
We spent the day in Atlanta and ended up at a touristy restaurant that served classic Southern fair like greens, grits, and fried green tomatoes.
One thing that stood out were the watermelon pickles. They were so tasty! As soon as I could, I learned how to make them at home.
Making watermelon rind pickles is easy
Making pickled watermelon rind is a easy way to preserve summer. It's also a thrifty way to use up leftover watermelon rinds.
No need to panic about learning how to can. You’re just boiling the watermelon rinds to “pickle” them. Then they cool on the countertop and go straight to your refrigerator.
What equipment do I need?
There’s probably no need to buy anything special like big stockpots or canning equipment. If you like to cook or craft, you probably have most of available already for this easy recipe:
● a few 32-ounce Mason jars or some pint jars
● a Y-shaped vegetable peeler to peel the watermelon
● a sharp knife
● a large saucepan
● a medium saucepan
● a colander
How to make this simple pickled watermelon rind recipe
1. Prepare the watermelon by peeling the green skin off the watermelon rind. Leave little of the red flesh. Then cut into 1x1 inch pieces.
2. In a large saucepan over high heat, bring cold water and pickling salt to a boil. Add watermelon rind and boil for 5 minutes until tender.
3. Strain watermelon rinds in a colander. Keep watermelon rind pieces in the colander so any remaining saltwater drains off. No need to rinse rinds.
4. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, rice vinegar, black peppercorns, cloves, pickling spice, sliced ginger, star anise, and habanero peppers. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir with a slotted spoon until sugar dissolves. Simmer for 15 minutes, until slightly reduced.
5. Place watermelon rinds in a large mason jar (or two smaller mason jars if that’s all you have). Pour liquid over rinds and let cool on countertop until liquid is at room temperature.
If you stick the hot jars in the refrigerator, the sugar in the liquid may crystalize.
6. After the liquid has cooled, screw on the lids and refrigerate. Pickles can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
A warning when making watermelon rind pickles
I’ve found that many watermelon pickles recipes, including those that feature spicy ingredients like peppers and ginger, include pink peppercorns. Or they use rainbow medley peppercorns which may have pink peppercorns in the mix.
If you are allergic to nuts or have a nut allergic child, you should avoid pink peppercorns.
Pink peppercorns are related to cashews and pistachios and can cause an anaphylactic reaction in those who are allergic to these nuts.
You can read about this in a synopsis of the paper, A Rare Case of Food-induced Anaphylaxis to Pink Peppercorns.
Since my daughter has a nut allergy, I only used black peppercorns.
How to peel watermelon
When peeling the outer green skin off the watermelon, I found that it’s easiest to do it before cutting up the entire watermelon.
In addition, you may find that your vegetable peeler won’t work depending on how it’s shaped, the length of the blade, and how big your watermelon is.
I find that a Y-shaped vegetable peeler works best to peel the green outer rind of any watermelon.
More tips when pickling watermelon rinds
Peppers: When handling habanero peppers, be careful not to touch the seeds. Also, make sure wash the cutting board, knife and your hands thoroughly after handling the peppers.
Vinegar: Since these are refrigerator pickles, you can use rice vinegar, white vinegar, or apple cider vinegar. The amount of acid in the vinegar doesn’t matter since you aren’t canning the pickles.
Can I use a spice bag? Sure. Placing the spices in a cheesecloth bag when cooking up pickling liquid saves you the bother of straining it. I find that whole spices like cloves and black peppercorns are pretty, so you might want to add a few back to the jar for decorative purposes.
Can I add other spices and flavorings?
Of course! Here are some suggestions for the next time you make these pickles:
- whole sticks cinnamon
- red pepper flakes
- whole allspice
- garlic cloves
- bay leaf
- mustard seed
- dash soy sauce
- dash hot sauce
- a teaspoon of lemon or lime juice
How to serve watermelon pickles
Chop up the spicy watermelon pickles to make a relish. It’s a versatile condiment for burgers, hot dogs, and even in egg salad sandwiches.
I like using it instead of sweet relish in my Seafood Pasta and Easy Chicken Salad recipes.
Or turn the best watermelon pickles you’ve ever tried into a chutney for grilled chicken and Easy Crockpot Spiral Ham Recipe.
Had fun making watermelon pickles? Make this Refrigerator Pickled Okra recipe.
More terrific watermelon recipes
If you love watermelon, then check out these recipes:
This Watermelon Pizza Recipe is a crowd pleaser! It’s super pretty and fun to make.
Asian Watermelon Fruit Salad is a variation on the traditional basil and feta watermelon salad.
This Fruit Stand Watermelon Cocktail and Sparkling Savannah Vodka Watermelon Cocktail recipes are fun ways to drink your watermelon.
Yes, you can make ice pops with watermelon. Try this Avocado & Watermelon Ice Pops Recipe!
Crisp Pickled Watermelon Rind Recipe
Make this crisp pickled watermelon rind recipe with leftover watermelon rinds. This pickled watermelon rind recipe is easy to make.
Ingredients
- 8 cups water
- 2 tablespoons pickling salt or Kosher salt
- 5 cups peeled watermelon rind (leave a thin layer of pink), cut into 1 x 1 inch pieces
- 1 cup organic sugar
- 1 cup rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 12 whole cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon pickling spice
- 1 1-inch piece fresh ginger, sliced thinly
- 2 star anise pods
- 1/4 to 1/2 habanero pepper, seeded and sliced into thin strips
Instructions
- In a large saucepan over high heat, bring water and pickling salt to a boil. Add watermelon rind and boil for 5 minutes until tender.
- Strain in a colander. Keep watermelon rind pieces in the colander so any remaining saltwater will drain off.
- In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, rice vinegar, black peppercorns, cloves, pickling spice, sliced ginger, star anise, and habanero peppers. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir with a slotted spoon until sugar dissolves. Simmer for 15 minutes, until slightly reduced.
- Place watermelon rinds in a large mason jar (or two smaller mason jars if that’s all you have). Pour liquid over rinds and let cool on countertop until liquid is at room temperature. (If you stick the hot jars in the refrigerator, the sugar in the liquid may crystalize.)
- After the liquid has cooled, screw on the lids and refrigerate. Pickles can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 67Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 79mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 0gSugar: 16gProtein: 0g
Nutritional information is automatically calculated per the ingredients list. Serving size may not be accurate. Please double-check with your preferred nutritional app for the most accurate information.
Originally posted on September 15, 2014. Updated with new pictures and information.
The recipe never says what to do with the habanero pepper. I put the pepper slices in with watermelon rind and poured the brine over both.
Thanks for pointing that out! Yes, put it in with the watermelon rind. I’ve updated the recipe.
This looks great. Will be trying soon. Something I wanted to add about the pink peppercorns is that I have these growing in my yard. They are not really a peppercorn but a berry, anyway the nursery warned me that they are related to poison ivy and if someone is allergic to poison ivy that they should avoid these.
Can you use organic coconut or maple sugar?
You can use any type of sugar or sweetener like maple syrup when making crispy watermelon rind pickles. Just make sure it dissolves during the boil.
The instructions don’t say when to add the star anise. I put them in the mason jar at the end. Was I suppose to simmer the anise with the other pickling ingredients?
You put it in during the simmer. I’ve rewritten the directions to make that clearer. Thanks for pointing it out!
Can this be made w stevia instead of sugar?
You could try stevia or powdered monk fruit sweetener. I think it would work out just fine. Good luck!
I wish I saw this earlier. We went through tons of watermelons and I would have loved to have done something with all the rinds we tossed out. I’ve included this in a watermelon round-up..hope that’s ok. Pinned.
Thanks for letting me know about the roundup! Will go find it to give you a pin!
Wow I would never ever have thought to make pickles out of watermelon rind before – I always just throw it out!!! What a fantastic idea!