How To Make Watermelon Pickles
If you’ve ever wondered how to make watermelon pickles, you’ve come to the right place. These homemade pickles are sweet, tart, crunchy – and have a nice bite to them. This is the recipe my family has loved for decades!
If you thought watermelon was a treat, wait until you try watermelon pickles!
Every few years, my mom makes a batch of watermelon pickles. In recent years, I’ve started making them too.
Watermelon pickles are made out of watermelon rind. They’re sweet, zesty, and addictive. While they go perfectly with sloppy joes and salty meats, I like eating them straight out of the jar.
Another reason to consider making watermelon pickles? Reducing food waste.
Did you know that every part of the watermelon is edible? Additionally, watermelon rind is healthy, containing ample amounts of vitamins B and C, and citrulline.
Watermelon rind can be stir-fried. You can even juice it! With these ideas in your back pocket, you’ll never throw watermelon rind away again.
View this post on Instagram
What Do Watermelon Pickles Taste Like?
Watermelon pickles are sweet and tangy. Pickling spices are added to give them traditional sweet pickle flavor. The actual watermelon rind adds very mild flavor.
The texture of the watermelon rind is somewhere between crunchy and chewy. Once the rind is cooked in the pickling liquid, it softens it up and begins to turn translucent.
These pickles are cooked for about 30 minutes – the perfect amount of time to soften them up, but not too much!
How To Make Watermelon Rind Pickles
Scroll down for the complete watermelon pickle recipe. Here are step-by-step photos to guide you through the process.
Step 1: Once you’re done eating the pink watermelon fruit, save the rind. Cut and peel the watermelon rind. You’ll take off most of the remaining pink flesh.
Tip: Peeling watermelon rind can be time-consuming. I find it easiest to cut the rind into long, narrow pieces (see below) and using a paring knife (not a vegetable peeler) to peel off the green rind.
Step 2: After you have peeled the watermelon rind, cut it into bite-sized pieces. 
This size is preferable because they’re easy to fit into the jar, but some people cut them smaller, some cut them into long spears, etc. Any way will work.
Step 3: Soak the watermelon rinds in salt water. Make sure you use pickling salt, as it doesn’t have any additives that could make the pickle brine cloudy.
Step 4: Cook in a brine of vinegar, sugar, and pickling spices for 30 minutes.
Step 5: Proceed with the canning process: Boil jars and lids, pour in hot liquid and watermelon rinds, screw on lids, and put in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.
Are Watermelon Pickles Difficult To Make?
I wouldn’t say watermelon pickles are difficult to make – but they are time-consuming.
If you’ve canned before – or if you’re generally familiar with the canning process – this recipe should give you no problems.
If this is your first time canning, read the recipe through a few times and consider watching a intro video that explains the hot water bath canning process.
How To Serve Watermelon Pickles
These sweet pickles go great with salty meats and sandwiches such as:
- Oven-baked sloppy joes
- Black bean sloppy joes
- Grilled club sandwiches
- Ham salad (made with leftover ham)
They’re also great right out of the jar. Think of these as glorified sweet pickles.
Now that you know how to make watermelon rind pickles – go buy a watermelon and get started!
Watermelon Pickles
I used rind from a small watermelon, which equaled about 9 cups of cut watermelon rind. If you use rind from a large watermelon, you may want to double the ingredients for the brine.
Ingredients
- 8 to 9 cups of peeled and cut watermelon rind (from one small watermelon)
- 1/2 cup pickling salt
- 4 cups granulated sugar
- 2 1/2 cups white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons pickling spice
Instructions
- Cut watermelon rind into long, thin sections. Scrape off most of the pink flesh. Use a paring knife to peel off the outer green skin of the watermelon.
- Cut peeled watermelon into bite-sized pieces.
- Place watermelon pieces in a large bowl. Fill with enough water to cover the watermelon, and stir in pickling salt to dissolve. Soak overnight or for several hours.
- Drain and rinse well.
- Place watermelon rind, vinegar, sugar, and pickling spices in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook for approximately 30 minutes, until the watermelon rind begins to soften and some areas turn translucent.
- Although this recipe makes about 3 pints of watermelon pickles, prepare 4 pint jars and lids just in case.
- Bring a large stockpot of water to a boil with the jars and lids inside. Keep this simmering while the pickles are cooking.
- Once the pickles are done cooking and jars have been in simmering water, carefully ladle in pickles and brine into hot jars - within 1/2 inch of the top. Screw on lids. Repeat with remaining jars/pickles.
- Place lidded jars in the simmering water and boil for 10 minutes. Carefully remove from water and set on the counter to cool. Lids should seal (pop) as they cool down.
I simply LOVE watermelon pickles. Your pictures make me hungry for them.
And I’ve just been composting them. I totally need to try this instead!!!
They are such a treat! A little time-intensive but so worth it.
I love watermelon rind pickles. Grandma G. Made them when I was growing up. I am now 75 and my hands are not as strong as they once were. Soooo, I peel them after the first cooking process. When the rinds are softer, it’s much easier to remove the green skin. I like a sweet hot pickle, so I use ground red pepper, star anise, cloves, cinnamon stick, nutmeg seeds, allspice berries, and fresh sliced lemon. WOW!
I love watermelon rind pickles. Grandma G. Made them when I was growing up. I am now 75 and my hands are not as strong as they once were. Soooo, I peel them after the first cooking process. When the rinds are softer, it’s much easier to remove the green skin. I like a sweet hot pickle, so I use ground red pepper, star anise, cloves, cinnamon stick, nutmeg seeds, allspice berries, and fresh sliced lemon. WOW!
That’s a great idea – to peel the watermelon rinds after cooking. I’m going to try that next time!
I made these and they were delicious! Plan to make more to last through the winter.
Awesome! Glad to hear you liked them. Thanks for your comment.
Can I use apple cider vinegar instead? I don’t personally like white vinegar.
I imagine that would work – but I can’t guarantee it. Let me know if you try and what the results are!