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!

How to make homemade watermelon pickles out of watermelon rinds.

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.

 
 
 
 
 
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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.

How to make watermelon rind pickles: Cut and peel the watermelon rind.

Step 2: After you have peeled the watermelon rind, cut it into bite-sized pieces.  How to make watermelon pickles: Cut peeled watermelon rind 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.

Making watermelon pickles: Cut into bite-sized pieces.

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.

Soak watermelon rinds in salt water overnight (or for several hours). Click through to learn how to make watermelon pickles.

Step 4: Cook in a brine of vinegar, sugar, and pickling spices for 30 minutes.

How to make watermelon rind pickles: Cook the rinds in the pickling brine.

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:

They’re also great right out of the jar. Think of these as glorified sweet pickles.

If you like making sweet pickles, consider making a batch of red-hued Christmas pickles, flavored with cinnamon Red Hots.

Now that you know how to make watermelon rind pickles – go buy a watermelon and get started!

Homemade watermelon pickles: Learn how to make these addictive pickles out of watermelon rind.

 

How to make homemade watermelon pickles out of watermelon rinds.

Watermelon Pickles

Yield: 3 pints
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Additional Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes

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

  1. 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.
  2. Cut peeled watermelon into bite-sized pieces.
  3. 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.
  4. Drain and rinse well.
  5. 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.
  6. Although this recipe makes about 3 pints of watermelon pickles, prepare 4 pint jars and lids just in case.
  7. Bring a large stockpot of water to a boil with the jars and lids inside. Keep this simmering while the pickles are cooking.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.

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