Watermelon, Part 4

I remember seeing jars and jars labeled "Watermelon Pickles" stacked against my grandmother's canning wall, but after making them for the first time myself, I'm not sure I ever tasted hers. I certainly don't remember ever seeing such beautiful chartreuse pickles tinged with pink.

I don't know the history here, but surely this is a dish born out of the Depression—a way to make food out of something normally thrown away: the rind of a watermelon. The resulting food is a nice surprise: beautiful to look at and a piquant taste on the tongue. They're wonderful chopped up in salads, or served as a side dish to meats, or with cheese and crackers.

These are refrigerator pickles that last about a month, so there's no need for sterilized jars and paraffin and whatever other equipment you need to put up pickles for the long haul (although you certainly could). I adapted the recipe based on what I had on hand, so I didn't buy pickling spice and subbed three kinds of vinegars for most of the cider vinegar. According to what I've read since, it may be the white vinegar that preserves the color so well.

The flavor is sharp and the texture was wonderfully crisp—the trick there is not not overcook the rind in the initial boil. If I make these again I will likely play with the balance of vinegar to make them a little less strong; or I might just make smaller pickles.

All in all, a fun project with big payoff, especially since it's using food you would ordinarily discard—no small matter in this economy.

Watermelon Pickles
Adapted from Epicurious

4 cups watermelon rind, sliced into 1 x 1/2 pieces and skinned
8 cups water
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons coarse salt
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 cup white vinegar
8 whole cloves
8 whole black peppercorns
2 cinnamon sticks
1/4 teaspoon each black mustard seeds, fennel seeds, whole coriander
2 bay leaves
1 star anise
Pinch red pepper flakes

Cut watermelon pulp from rind, leaving thin layer of pink on rind. 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, vinegars and spices in a 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 glass containers or jars.)

More watermelon recipes:

• Watermelon Gazpacho
• Watermelon-Caprese Salad
• Watermelon-Basil Margaritas
• Tomato-Watermelon Soup
• Watermelon Gelée