If you’ve never tried pickled watermelon rind, it doesn’t taste like a sweet piece of fruit, nor is it quite as tart as a dill cucumber pickle. It sits comfortably in the middle, resembling a syrupy, spiced, snappy bread-and-butter pickle with a clean, light finish. We keep the skin on for an extra bite you just don’t get if you remove it.
This traditional multi-day Scandinavian family recipe is infused with warm cinnamon and cloves, and require just 20 minutes of active prep time as they slowly steep to sweet-and-tangy, crunchy perfection over a couple of days. Naturally vegan and gluten-free, they offer a sweet balance to traditional sour torshi and fresh sabzi khordan on a summer dinner table.
This annual ritual comes directly from my partner’s mom and her sister, who learned this recipe from their own mother, and has now been passed on to me. The warm spices, the crisp texture, and the care that goes into preparing the rind in this recipe remains exactly how their family has done it for generations.
🥗 How We Like to Serve It
While it’s wonderful enjoyed straight from the jar, it works best anywhere you want a bright, acidic bite to balance out rich flavors at BBQs, on cheese boards, or on a relish plate on the side of any meal:
Storage & Shelf Life
Candice Recommends
Keep your jar stored in the refrigerator. Because this relies on a quick refrigerator method rather than traditional long-term canning, the rinds will stay remarkably crisp and flavorful for up to a month in the fridge. Although I almost never can these, you can process them in a water bath on a rack after they’re jarred for 10 minutes. Cool overnight on towels to room temperature.
Our Family’s Pickled Watermelon Rind (Skin on)
Ingredients
- 1 watermelon rind only, peeled and cut into desired lengths*
- 6 cups water or more
- 3 tablespoons salt or more
- 3.5 cups sugar
- 1 cups vinegar
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Submerge the prepped rind in the salted water and let sit overnight at room temperature. Use 1 tablespoons of salt for every 2 cups of water, making sure the rind is completely submerged. I usually use about 6 cups of water and 3 tablespoons of salt, but it depends on the size of your watermelon.
- The next day, bring the rind and salt water to a boil. Simmer for 10–15 minutes until the rind can be easily pierced with a fork. Drain well.
- In a saucepan, bring the sugar, vinegar, cloves, and cinnamon to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Pour the hot syrup over the drained rind. Cover and let stand overnight. To make sure it's submerged, you can cover it with a sterilized weight.
- Drain the liquid back into your saucepan, reserving the rind. Bring the syrup to a boil again, then pour back over the rind. Cover and let stand overnight once more.
- On the third day, pour both the rind and syrup into the pot together. Bring to a full boil.
- Transfer the hot rind and syrup into sterilized canning jars (leaving ½-inch headspace). Cool and store in the fridge. Or, seal and process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.**
