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.
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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.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Are Watermelon Pickles Difficult To Make?
A: Watermelon pickles aren’t 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.
Q: What do watermelon pickles taste like?
A: Watermelon pickles are sweet and tangy with traditional sweet pickle flavor from the pickling spices. The watermelon rind itself has a very mild flavor and adds a texture that’s somewhere between crunchy and chewy. After cooking in the pickling liquid for 30 minutes, the rind softens and becomes slightly translucent while maintaining a pleasant bite.
Q: Do you have to peel watermelon rind for pickles?
A: Yes, you need to peel off the hard green outer skin of the watermelon rind before pickling. The easiest method is to cut the rind into long, narrow strips and use a paring knife (not a vegetable peeler) to remove the green skin. You’ll also scrape off most of the remaining pink flesh, leaving just the white part of the rind.
Q: How long do homemade watermelon pickles last?
A: When properly canned using the hot water bath method, watermelon pickles will last 12-18 months in a cool, dark pantry. Once opened, refrigerate the jar and use within 2-3 months for best quality. The pickles should remain crunchy and flavorful throughout their shelf life.
Q: Can you make watermelon pickles without canning?
A: Yes, you can skip the canning process and simply refrigerate the pickles. After cooking the rinds in the brine, let them cool completely, then transfer to clean jars and refrigerate. Refrigerator watermelon pickles will last 2-3 months. They won’t be shelf-stable like canned pickles, but they’re easier to make if you’re new to canning.
Q: What part of the watermelon do you use for pickles?
A: You use the white rind of the watermelon – the part between the pink flesh and the hard green outer skin. After eating the pink watermelon fruit, peel off the green skin and scrape away most of the remaining pink flesh. Cut the white rind into bite-sized pieces for pickling. One small watermelon yields about 8-9 cups of prepared rind.
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.
If you like making sweet pickles, consider making a batch of red-hued Christmas pickles, flavored with cinnamon Red Hots. This is another family-favorite recipe – that also makes a great food gift.
Another much simpler pickle recipe that tastes great is freezer pickles. No canning required!
Now that you know how to make watermelon rind pickles – go buy a watermelon and get started!
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Watermelon Pickles
I used rind from one 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 rest of 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 rind 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.
- Prepare brine: 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.
- Canning instructions: 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.
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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!
Pickling spices…..could you break this down pls.
Hi Helen – Yes, I just purchased a small jar of pickling spices from the spice section of my grocery store. They are labeled “pickling spices” and contain a blend of different spices that add more flavor to pickles. However, you can also make you own. See: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/231256/homemade-pickling-spice/
We have an old family recipe that took days to make these pickles. I followed the recipe with one exception. Instead of using the pickling spices ours uses 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon oil and oil of cloves. Not always easy to find
How many hours if not overnight in the salt solution?
Hi Jim – Aim for at least 6 hours.