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snugglekitty1) Possible.
2) Delicious.
I could not find a single recipe online or in a book for naturally fermented watermelon pickles. I wanted to try making watermelon pickles, but I also wanted the health benefits of naturally fermented food! I persisted in believing they were possible. With a little help from The Joy of Pickling and a lot of help from![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
mrpet, I have created a batch of these wonderfully sweet, tangy treats.
I used the seasoning list from The Joy of Pickling for Gingery Watermelon Pickles, except for the white vinegar, but I didn't use the recipe.
Rind of one large watermelon.
1 lemon
1 1/2 inch of fresh ginger.
2 cinnamon sticks, broken
1/8 c sugar
Other spices as specified in recipe
1 c live brine from a previous batch of pickles
So, first you prepare the rind. This goes great with bringing chopped watermelon to a barbecue or picnic. You cut the green stuff and the pink stuff off, so that only the white stuff (sometimes referred to as the watermelon's "dignity") remains. Warning - this is a time-consuming process! It will go much faster with a sharp knife, some peppy music, and a helper. Actually, I used two knives - a chopping knife for cutting the watermelon into pieces, and a slicing knife for removing the rind. You may wish to take a break after this step - if you put the rind in a Ziploc bag, it should refrigerate safely for a day or so.
Next, you should cook down the rind in a pot on the stove. Stir every few minutes until the rind is translucent. It will also shrink down a lot and give off tons of water. Now, put it in your pickle press with brine. Don't add any seasonings or live brine yet! The reason is, as I discovered, that these babies are going to give off a TON of water in the first 24 hours, and it could wind up getting diluted. After the first 24 hours, remove one to two cups of brine as needed, and replace with live brine. Add seasonings and sugar. Note: the lemon and live bring are VERY important because watermelons are not very acidic.
A few days later, you will have delicious watermelon pickles! Yum! I'm taking mine out tonight. They are sour and sweet and chewy!
2) Delicious.
I could not find a single recipe online or in a book for naturally fermented watermelon pickles. I wanted to try making watermelon pickles, but I also wanted the health benefits of naturally fermented food! I persisted in believing they were possible. With a little help from The Joy of Pickling and a lot of help from
mrpet, I have created a batch of these wonderfully sweet, tangy treats.I used the seasoning list from The Joy of Pickling for Gingery Watermelon Pickles, except for the white vinegar, but I didn't use the recipe.
Rind of one large watermelon.
1 lemon
1 1/2 inch of fresh ginger.
2 cinnamon sticks, broken
1/8 c sugar
Other spices as specified in recipe
1 c live brine from a previous batch of pickles
So, first you prepare the rind. This goes great with bringing chopped watermelon to a barbecue or picnic. You cut the green stuff and the pink stuff off, so that only the white stuff (sometimes referred to as the watermelon's "dignity") remains. Warning - this is a time-consuming process! It will go much faster with a sharp knife, some peppy music, and a helper. Actually, I used two knives - a chopping knife for cutting the watermelon into pieces, and a slicing knife for removing the rind. You may wish to take a break after this step - if you put the rind in a Ziploc bag, it should refrigerate safely for a day or so.
Next, you should cook down the rind in a pot on the stove. Stir every few minutes until the rind is translucent. It will also shrink down a lot and give off tons of water. Now, put it in your pickle press with brine. Don't add any seasonings or live brine yet! The reason is, as I discovered, that these babies are going to give off a TON of water in the first 24 hours, and it could wind up getting diluted. After the first 24 hours, remove one to two cups of brine as needed, and replace with live brine. Add seasonings and sugar. Note: the lemon and live bring are VERY important because watermelons are not very acidic.
A few days later, you will have delicious watermelon pickles! Yum! I'm taking mine out tonight. They are sour and sweet and chewy!