Pickled watermelon is truly delicious and I do not mean just watermelon rind pickle, I mean the whole thing, the rind and the flesh of the watermelon. Simply sliced and put in a jar for pickling. It's divine and best served with ... almost anything apart from soups and desserts. Haha, just try me.
The texture of this pickled watermelon is something you will definitely enjoy and the reason for that is because it is so unique! The flavor too! Just try it and if you are a pickle-head like myself, you will definitely enjoy this with any pilaf or any fried meat or BBQ.
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🧐Does pickling always mean adding vinegar?
No, pickling has not always involved adding vinegar. Historically, pickling was primarily done through fermentation, with no use of vinegar. Vinegar was not even available initially so people used salt and brine (salt water solution) to pickle. The salt in the brine helps with creating an environment that inhibits the growth of harmful bacteria and supports the growth of beneficial bacteria. These beneficial bacteria convert the natural sugars in the food into lactic acid through the process of lacto-fermentation and it is what is giving the pickles their tangy flavor. Yummy!
🧂Fermented food
Eastern Europeans (Russian, Romanians, and all the Slavic countries) love their pickles. Fermented foods can aid digestion and help with good gut bacteria, particularly good when eating rich and hearty foods to complement staple bland foods like bread, rice, and potatoes.
Like many great culinary traditions, pickling practice and preserving were a necessity. The fresh fruit and vegetable season is relatively short-lived so preserving as much as possible produce (pickles, jams, casseroles (like 'zacusca') became essential to preserve freshly harvested produce for the dark, ugly, and cold winter season.
Historically, most food preservation was made using salt to pickle using a natural fermentation process as opposed to vinegar-based pickling resulting in pickles that were less sour or acidic.
You may also want to try my raw sauerkraut with turmeric recipe, a phenomenally beneficial recipe.
📖 Pickled watermelon origins
Pickled watermelon is pretty unique and has a distinctive flavor. Historically was a winter season product made by German immigrants in Russia. They used to pickle whole watermelons in wooden barrels. When the jars were invented, they were pickling just the red part (the flesh) of the watermelon which is quite different from other ethnic groups who were and still are just pickling the rind. Pickled watermelon rind is, therefore, more common, especially in Asia.
During the late 1800s and early 1900s, European Jews introduced dill pickles to America when they started to arrive in New York but I am not sure whether pickled watermelon is a thing in the US at all. One more reason why this should become famous.
I am unsure how you feel about it but I definitely cannot live without pickles. I particularly like and prefer the salt pickles over the vinegar ones for three reasons:
1) health benefits (I will tell you a little later all about this);
2) they are pleasant and a lot tastier than any vinegar-pickled stuff;
3) they are so easy to prepare - when I say easy, trust me I mean that!
🍉What are the health benefits of salt pickling?
Pickling is a very old food preservation technique. People can make pickles from almost any food but, for many, pickles mean just pickled cucumbers. Where I come from, this is definitely not the case and pickles mean a general word for everything that is salt pickled.
Salt pickles, unlike vinegar pickles, are a strong probiotic source. Probably the cheapest too. They make a superb source of natural supplements protecting our body’s microbiome (gut environment) and supporting the growth of healthful bacteria in the gut.
Salt pickles, in general, need to be consumed in moderation by those that have cardiovascular issues due to the higher salt content. However, my recipe only uses 1 tablespoon of salt for each liter of water which is higher but not that high compared with some recipes that I have seen posted.
🥘 Ingredients
Not many, as you can see you will only need 6 main ingredients apart from salt and water. Here is the list of what you need:
- watermelon - the best ones are the smaller ones and particularly the ones that are not overripe or the ones that you buy and aren't the sweetest/tastiest
- carrots - it is not a must to add carrots but I love pickled carrots and they look nice too
- dill seeds - these are great flavor enhancers but if you do not have seeds you may use dried dill branches - they are as good. I do not recommend using fresh dill as this will get mushy.
- celery - is an important ingredient for flavor but also helps pickles remain firm
- garlic - use nice organic garlic - no need to crush it - you may even leave it unpeeled
- horseradish root - helps pickles stay firm
- salt - the salt type you add to pickles is crucial. It must be untreated salt type - cave or kosher salt is the best choice. In some places, it is known as pickling salt.
- water - measure it before so you know how much salt to add so you are not left with any salty water that you may have to throw away.
📌Tips
Measure the water for pickles correctly by arranging the ingredients in the jars. Add the water to each jar and then pour it all out in a measuring jug so you add the correct amount of salt. More salt will mean your pickles will end up too salty which is totally unnecessary.
💭 Recipe FAQs:
Pickling watermelon does not take long at all. It can take from 3-5 days depending on the ambient and the temperatures. During summer, it will take approximately 3 days whereas during winter will take longer. It also depends on how sour you like them, meaning that the sourer you'd want them, the longer you will need to let them pickle.
During the pickling process, you will need to keep them out at room temperature (sitting in the sun for a few hours a day will speed up the pickling process.
Once you are happy with the level of sourness, store them in the refrigerator in the original jar (lid on) for up to 2-3 months (if they will last). They will never last this long in my household, but I make one small-medium melon at one time and I make it throughout the year.
The salt you use and the amount are paramount in this recipe and any salt pickles recipe.
Using the correct salt amount is very important as this will make or break the recipe. If you use regular processed salt, your pickled watermelon will get mushy and the brine will be slimy. Just make sure you have the correct salt type before you get started with any salt pickles.
The salt amount is also important in this salt-pickled watermelon recipe as too much salt is not pleasant nor healthy and insufficient salt amount will have an impact on texture and definitely the quality.
You will need to up the amount of salt if you wish to make this recipe for a longer period of time.
🤹What else could be salt pickled?
I pickle almost everything - see this pickled garlic recipe and I do this several times per year. Salt pickles or brine pickles are a fantastic source of probiotics. I use all sorts of fruits (yes, fruits like apples, and quince) and vegetables to pickle (see a whole list of what I dare to pickle) - almost anything you can think of, haha.
I grew up knowing eating pickled watermelon - it was done as a whole in a large barrel. Sometimes it was just watermelons, sometimes mixed with green tomatoes, carrots, celeriac, and other fruits (apples or vegetables. My mum also used to pickle whole cabbage too.
I now pickle in small quantities and thus the watermelon gets chopped and I love adding courgette (zucchini) chunks, carrots, celeriac, and any root veggies that you may fancy.
Other fruit and veggies that we could salt pickle:
- green beans (blanched to preserve a nice vibrant color);
- cauliflower;
- courgettes/zucchinis;
- garlic;
- red onion /brown onion;
- swede;
- peppers;
- chilies;
- cabbage (red or white) - chopped or whole
- cucumbers (whole baby ones, slices, or chunks)
- green mirabelle plums
Here is an example of mixed pickled watermelon, celeriac, courgette, or zucchini and carrot)
🍽️ Pickled watermelon goes well with
- Kidney and Pinto Bean Hummus
- Smoked pork joint, sausages and butter beans stew
- Best ever quail eggs, potato and mushrooms brunch
- Easy Spanish Omelette (Spanish Tortilla)
- English breakfast in a flash
- Delightful breakfast stack
- Healthy Potato Salad
- Giant Potato And Cauliflower Filo Samosa
👩🏻🍳More ways to eat watermelon
- Watermelon and feta salad
- Three ways to eat watermelon by Watermelon.org
Let's get a few jars out and get on with some easy pickling!!
Have you made this salt-pickled watermelon recipe?
Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page. Thanks for stopping by!
Pickled Watermelon Recipe
Equipment
- jars
- chopping board
- knife
- pot
- measuring jug
Ingredients
- 1 medium watermelon
- 3 stalks celery with leaves (optional)
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon dill seeds dried or fresh dill plant
- 1 litre water
- 1 tablespoon salt non-iodized or kosher or Celtic salt
- 2 medium zucchinis/ courgettes cut into 4 chunks/halves/quarters
- 4 medium carrots organic
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients and prepare them by washing, chopping, cutting, peeling, or whatever is needed. Have the jars ready too. No need to sterilize these but just give them a good rinse with hot water (from a kettle or a hot water tap).
- Place a few celery stalks with leaves (if you choose to add these) at the bottom of each jar. Add one garlic clove per jar. More if you wish. Arrange the best you can the melon slices into the prepared jars, and push in between the melon slices some zucchini chunks and a few carrot chunks or sticks. Do this until all melon has been jarred.
- Fill up all jars with water and then pour the water back out into a measuring jug. Hold the top watermelon pieces so that they do not fall out. We do this to know exactly how much water your batch needs and how much salt you need to add.
- Once you know the water amount, add 1 tablespoon (25g /0.89oz) salt for each litre of water (see notes for more quantities) and mix until the salt has dissolved. Warm up the water if you wish the watermelon to pickle super fast.
- Pour the water and salt back into the jars over the melon, add the remaining ingredients into each jar place the lid, and give each jar a little shake.
- Place one jar into a nice and bright spot (into the sun) and the other(s) into a shadowy corner so they will get to pickle a little later. Remember to give these a shake once or twice a day making sure the lid is nice and tight and open the jars twice a day or leave the lid placed on top without tightening it. So, tighten the lid - shake 2-3 times - open it - place the lid back and leave it loose.
- Check every day to see when you like them - the longer they will stay the more fermented and sour they will be. When it reaches the desired level of sourness, refrigerate and serve with your favorite dishes.
Notes
- The number of jars needed depends very much on the jar's sizes and the size of the melon.
- You will only need one or two small cloves of garlic per jar (for a 500 ml jar)
- Add more carrot and zucchini to the last jar if you have less melon for it just to get it filled up.
- Salt amount:
- for 2 liters (67.63 fl.oz.) of water - 50g (1.77 oz) salt
- for 1.5 liters (50.72 fl.oz.) of water - 37g (1.31 oz) salt
- for 1 liter (33.81 fl.oz.) of water - 25.0g (0.89 oz) salt
- for 0.5 liter (16.90 fl.oz.) of water - 12.5g (0.46 oz) salt
- for 0.25 liter (8.45 fl.oz.) of water - 7g (0.22 oz) salt
Kris king says
Hello can I add chili flake or fresh chili to this recipe. I am using an underripe melon
Ramona says
Hi Kris
Both fresh chili and chili flakes will work very very well. Underripe melon will work fantastically well. Let me know How it all went.
Lin says
oh, wow! I have never thought watermelon could be pickled this way - so glad there is no vinegar involved as I am not sure I would have given this a go. I did want to give this fermented version a go. An aunt used to pickle the rind but I never considered doing it myself. I am here now, put the watermelon slices in a jar, followed the recipe to the letter and about 7 days later I have tased the most amazing fermented pickle I could have imagined. I was skeptical at the beginning and said to myself, nah, the flesh would not make it without going funny but it worked! WOw again, so glad to have found this recipe by chance as I was looking for something to do with an extra watermelon I had before wasting it. This is a repeat. Thank you , thank you , and thaks again !!
Ramona says
thank you so much Lin!!
Genevieve says
Oh, pickled watermelon sounds delicious! Such a refreshing recipe for summer and so east to do!
Amy says
Was so yum! I would never have thought to pickle watermelon but I was gifted 2 big ones and I was looking for recipes to use them up. Will definitely make again.
swathi says
This is a wonderful recipe, My family enjoyed it. I have tried this now my another way to use up watermelon.
Juyali says
WOW! What an innovative recipe for watermelon! 5 stars for ingenuity and flavor. So good.
Thank you!
Ramona says
Thanks soo much dear Juyali!
Oscar says
I tried pickled watermelon, and it was unexpectedly delightful! Pickling the entire fruit, from rind to flesh, brought out a divine flavor that complements a wide range of dishes.
Claudia Kovtun says
like the recipe. You didn't mention garlick i think it must
Ramona says
Hey Claudia,
Thanks you for your comment and time to write to me. I have had a look and I know what you mean, I have indeed not clearly mentioned the garlic and when to add this. I have now updated the recipe with the garlic and when this should be added. Thank you once again.
Caroline Ladner Straub says
Hello, Ramona. My heritage is German from Russia and I pickled watermelon as a teenager growing up in Eureka, SD with my mom in the kitchen supervising. Researching recipes on line, I found yours and am definitely planning to put up some more pickles. I had forgotten the horseradish root, so thank you for the reminder.
Ramona says
Thank you so much Caroline for stopping by and sharing your childhood experience. Like yourself, I used to help my mum every autumn preparing all the pickles. What an experience! I can still remember that smell and the crispy air in my cellar and how I used to fight with my twin brother about whose' turn was to go and air the pickles (not sure this is the word for it) where we had to take the brine out with the help of a flexible hose into a bucket and pour it back in. This process was a must in order for the pickles to remain good and avoid going off.
The horseradish is a must in all pickles for me as it helps with flavor and also pickles remain firm and not mush but of course salt amount also plays a huge part.
Thanks you again.
Geoffrey says
This is something I never thought of pickling watermelon but boy! I have made this fermented/pickled watermelon last week and did the first tasting today and it was so good! I did have it with a chicken pilaf as suggested. Wow! It will definitely be a regular now no matter whether it is summer or winter. Thanks for this wonderful recipe.
Ramona says
He he , thanks you soo much dear Geoffrey!
silvia says
How interesting. I love fresh watermelon so much that I have never thought about having it any other way. I would have never thought about pickled it. On the other hand, I love pickled veggies, so I'm intrigued by how the watermelon would taste. I'll give it a try.
Brianna says
This pickled watermelon is delightful! Sweet, tangy and the perfect addition to my summer salads.
Marie says
This is such an intriguing recipe! I'd never thought of using watermelon in a savory context, but now I can totally see it. The juiciness of melon must be so delightful combined with the pickling brine and flavors you recommend using! I can't wait to give this a try.
Loreto and Nicoletta says
I have definitely kearned something new today. I never would have thought to pickle watermelon. Rind and all. But it makes perfect sense. It would have a very unique flavor. I did see lately some one made a soup using the rind of the watermelon. Genious! Thanks for enlightening me!
Cheers!
Naiby says
Wow! I didn't know you can have pickled watermelon. The taste definitely intrigues me. It's a great way to add something unique to the table.
Farrukh Aziz says
I had never heard of this before, but it was absolutely delicious! The flavors, the texture, EVERYTHING was awesome! Thanks!
Melanie says
Wow, I have never tried pickled watermelon, this is such a great idea! Totally saving this to try later! Thank you so much!
Natalie says
I never tried pickled watermelon. I think I never even heard of this recipe before. But you got me interested. It costs me nothing to try, right?! I love watermelon and pickled veggies. I'm going to give this a try.
veenaazmanov says
Your recipe is unique and I am definitely checking this out soon. Never imagined something like this existed.
Kathryn says
This is the perfect recipe for summer! I love pickles and watermelon so I loved this recipe. So refreshing, easy and flavorful. Delicious!