Pickled Watermellon Rind

[GB]

One of my favorite appetizers is watermelon rind wrapped in bacon. Very few people I have ever run across has ever heard of this appetizer, let alone heard of pickled watermelon rind. I am lucky in the fact that my in laws know this dish and have been making it for 20 years, just like my parents. Well we were sitting around on Thanksgiving eating (devouring is more accurate) these delicious morsels and got to wondering. What else can you use pickled watermelon rind for? I have never heard of any other uses other than to wrap them in bacon. Has anyone hear ever heard of anything?

We can up with some used like chopping them and putting on top of candied sweet potatoes, but we are wondering if anyone else has ever seen a recipe that calls for using them in any other way.

 

[debthecook]

I've never had them but I will find a jar and try. I've never seen them used in any way, except as a "pickle."

 

[pst1can]

the only things I have heard them used for is your bacon wrapped treats and grated up to add "zip" to salads and some fresh salsas. If you discover any other uses I would be interested too. Thanks Pst

 

[Audeo]

Well, call that lovely mother-in-law of yours and GET THAT RECIPE, GB!!! If ever you have a one-up on them, it's now when they're about to become grandparents!!!

I would really love to see that!

 

[GB]

Audeo, the recipe is as simple as they come. Take a piece of bacon and wrap it around a piece of pickled watermelon rind. Secure with a toothpick. Bake until the bacon is nice and crispy. Serve hot. Make sure to back away from the table as you put these down otherwise you may get caught in the stampede as people rush the table to get to them

 

[Audeo]

Oh, I bet that's the truth about the stampede!!!!

But..........how do you pickle the watermelon rind? What's the recipe? 8) Inquiring minds want to know...you know!

 

[GB]

That part I do not know. I buy them already pickled in the pickle section of the supermarket

Anyone have a recipe for making the pickled rinds themselves?

 

[pst1can]

here is a recipe for you Audeo...
Watermelon Rind Pickles
This recipe makes 3 pints and requires the rind of one medium watermelon.

Ingredients


8 cups prepared rind
1/2 cup pickling salt (coarse)
8 cups cold water
3 cups white granulated sugar
2 cups white vinegar
5-6 cinnamon sticks
Prepare The Rind
Remove dark green peel from watermelon. Cut rind into rectangular pieces approximately 1"x2" until you have 8 cups of rind strips. Layer rind and salt in a stainless steel bowl or pickling crock. Soak 12 hours.
Drain and rinse twice in cold water, then place rind and 8 cups cold water into a stainless steel saucepan and boil until fork tender (10 minutes). Drain again.

Prepare The Solution
Combine sugar, vinegar and broken cinnamon sticks in a saucepan and bring to a boil, reduce heat but keep at a slow boil for one hour.

...And Can
Immerse glass mason jars in boiling water for 10 minutes. If using self-sealing lids boil as well for 5 minutes. Into hot (now sterilized) jars distribute rind strips and add pickling solution to within 1" of jar top. Wipe jar rim before securing lids.

Shelf Life
Store jars in a cool, dark place and let set for 6-8 weeks before opening. Consume within 8 months.

 

[auntdot]

GB we also have made the bacon-watermelon rinds for over twenty years and have brought it to a number of parties. And you are right, they fly off the plate.

Have never made pickled watermelon rinds, but purchase them in the pickle section of the store in thin jars, kinda like the skinny jars olives often come in. The most common brand we have found is Old South, but other brands work equally as well. We have found the watermelon rinds from New England to southern Florida. If you can get them elsewhere, we do not know.

Googled in Old South watermelon rind, and all I found were places to buy it by the case of 12. We would usually use three or four bottles for a party (the appetizers sure do go fast), so maybe a case is not a bad idea.

And the jars of the rinds last for a long time, we have kept them for several years unopened, with no problem.

This appetizer cannot fail.

 

[QSis]

Hmmm. I made some pickled watermelon rinds wrapped in bacon a couple of years ago and smoked them, like my BBQ buddies were raving about. YUCK! They were SWEET, SWEET!! Sweet and gooey, and none of my guests liked them much. The jar SAID pickled. Are they supposed to be sweet or vinegary or what?

Lee

 

[choclatechef]

Oops! Sorry I didn't come in sooner on this thread. I didn't see the request for a watermelon pickle recipe. I thought the thread was for recipes with watermelon pickles. That I don't have.

I do have a couple of watermelon pickle recipes on the old cookbook laptop. If anybody wants them, let me know.

 

[GB]

Hmmm. I made some pickled watermelon rinds wrapped in bacon a couple of years ago and smoked them, like my BBQ buddies were raving about. YUCK! They were SWEET, SWEET!! Sweet and gooey, and none of my guests liked them much. The jar SAID pickled. Are they supposed to be sweet or vinegary or what?

Lee

Yeah they are sweet, VERY sweet. I can see how people would think YUCK if they were not expecting that. It would be a big shock to the taste buds!

 

[amber]

We've always use sea scallops, pickled watermelon rind, and bacon. For add flavor, we added some worster sauce while broiling.

 

[Audeo]

PST, thanks for the recipe! I obviously missed this thread and thank Amber for the resurrection!

3 cups of sugar??? Yowee, those WOUD be sweet! But the concept here that GB suggests sure does call to me! I'll try and find them at the market already pickled and give this a try!

Amber, your combination also sounds wonderful -- love scallops!