No canning needed! These sweet and spicy watermelon rind pickles are the easiest, no-waste summer snack! Their refreshing, tangy flavor and tender crunch deliver the perfect taste of summer all season long.
Table of Contents
Save this recipe by clicking on the ❤️ heart on the right-hand side of the screen or in the recipe card.
🗝️ Key takeaways
- Pickled watermelon rind is a great way to cut down on food waste... and the tastiest way, too!
- Use up all that leftover watermelon rind-this easy recipe is a perfect addition to any summer meal, salad, or snack.
- Instead of using a fussy water bath, refrigerator pickles are simmered in a sweet-spicy brine and poured into mason jars.
Packed with sweet and tangy flavor, watermelon pickles are a staple in old Southern cooking.
If you're craving old-fashioned flavor, you're in luck-and if it's your first time enjoying leftover rinds, all I can say is that you're gonna love it!
🧾 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
📖 Variations
- Instead of cinnamon candy, you can use cinnamon sticks, a bit of sugar, and a touch of red food coloring. See the recipe card at the bottom of this post for details.
- Add more red pepper flakes if you like it super-spicy, or dial 'em back if you don't.
- You can use any type of the different varieties of watermelon, but one with a thicker rind is going to work better.
- You can make your own pickling spice with peppercorn, mustard seeds, coriander seeds, allspice berries, bay leaves, and cardamom-but it's easier just to buy a blend.
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page. Click on the image to see it full size.
Use a vegetable peeler to remove the green skin.
Cut the rinds into smaller slices, then cut the slices into cubes.
Add all the ingredients to a large saucepan.
Cover and simmer the pickled rind until tender.
🤫 Cook's secrets -
Let the watermelon rinds simmer in the pickling liquid until they're fork-tender and almost translucent (see-through). Budget about 45 minutes, but it'll vary based on their size.
🍴 Equipment
- Vegetable peeler
- Heavy chef's knife
- Cutting board
- Large pot
🥫 How to store leftovers
This pickled watermelon rind recipe lasts quite a long time-if you can manage to not eat them all in one sitting!
Store the jar of pickles in the refrigerator, and they'll keep for 3-4 weeks. I don't recommend freezing pickled watermelon rind.
Marye's Tip
It's tempting to dig in right away, but I beg of you-wait 'til the next day. The flavors need 24 hours in the fridge to mingle together and soak through the entire watermelon rind.
💭 Things to know
- I like to use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin. Otherwise, using a knife wastes too much of the white flesh.
- Cut carefully! If you're slicing into a new watermelon, cut it in half first so you have a flat base to set it on. Then, continue slicing, or cut each half into quarters so it's more manageable.
- Don't burn yourself! To avoid splashing, use a slotted spoon to transfer the rind pieces into jars. Then, top it off with the juice.
- Let watermelon rind pickles cool at room temperature for just a bit before putting the jar in the fridge so that you don't throw off the temperature of your refrigerator.
👩🍳 FAQs
Have other questions? Ask me in the comments!
Unlike some delicious watermelon rind recipes, this one doesn't require canning or a water bath, but you still end up with the great, tangy flavor you love-just an easier method.
Not really. It'll work, but the flavor will be quite different. I recommend using white vinegar.
It's great on a salad, as a standalone snack, or featured on a charcuterie board. You can eat these in any way that you'd normally enjoy pickles!
Yep! However, you'll want to remove most of the red flesh-save this for snacking, of course! The most important part is to get the green peel off of the white flesh.
📚 Related recipes
- You can use the rest of your watermelon for snacking or make these delicious, easy, and refreshing Watermelon Margaritas!
- Great on just about everything, Candied Jalapenos (AKA Cowboy Candy) is another crunchy, sweet, and spicy snack.
- A Watermelon Basket is the perfect way to serve fruit salad. Once you're done, skip the compost bin and use it for pickles!
📞 The last word
Y'all, these watermelon rind pickles are Southern-sweet and Texas-spicy! They're the perfect addition to your cookout - eat them however you'd eat sweet pickles.
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.
If you love this recipe please comment below and give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Sweet-Spicy Pickled Watermelon Rind
Print Pin Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 6 cups watermelon rind, Most of the pink portions removed. Peeled, cubed.
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 ½ cups vinegar, white
- ½ cup cinnamon Imperials candy, or 3 cinnamon sticks + ¼ cup sugar + red food coloring
- 1 ½ teaspoons whole cloves
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 /2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional - adjust to desired level of spiciness.
- 1 tablespoon pickling spices
Instructions
- Bring all ingredients to a rapid boil, stirring often.
- Reduce heat to simmer.
- Cover and cook watermelon rind is tender
- and somewhat translucent. The amount of time will depend on the thickness of the watermelon rind - plan on 45 minutes.
- Transfer pickles, juice and spices to a glass bowl or a glass canning jar.
- Cover and refrigerate.
- Wait at least 24 hours to serve so that all the flavors have had time to blend and be absorbed by the pickles.
Notes
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
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Rita Harrod says
How long is this good stored in the refrigerator? Can they be frozen? My Grandmother made this and was delicious. I did not ever make, because I did not want to can them. Thanks for this recipe.
Marye says
At least 2 weeks. I think freezing might ruin the texture but I've never tried it.
William Bishop says
really want to try this, have heard watermelon rinds are crunchy & tasty. Is the red food coloring necessary? If the rinds are translucent, its not going to bother me. I have most everything else the recipe calls for, but would have to buy the food coloring. Do you think omitting it would affect the taste/texture? TIA...
Marye says
Hi William - actually there isn't any food coloring in the recipe - the color comes from the Red Hots candy. If you leave those out you won't have a very good outcome.