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My kitchen is my laboratory and dream factory. The question that runs through my mind while preparing, chopping, sorting, seasoning and at all times: What else can I do with that?
I absolutely love watermelon. I add it to salads, in cold gazpacho, sliced with a drizzle of balsamic and juiced. But, those rinds take up a lot of this fruit, right? So, of course I'm always saving them for the answer to the question, what else can I do with that?
Pickling is a fun and easy go-to for so many vegetables and fruits. That's what I decided to do with this batch. Then the next step is deciding the seasoning. Since Thai food is a delicate balance of all flavors (sweet, spicy, hot, sour, bitter), I gave it a try.
What a crunchy, spicy side dish to meat, sandwiches and cheese platters this created. It goes into my "yeah, that works" kitchen file. Hope you get the chance to try it, too.
Recipe: Watermelon Rind Pickled in Thai Spices - ShowFood Chef
4 cups Chopped Watermelon Rind (green and red removed)
1/4 cup salt
1 quart water
In a large bowl, stir the salt in the water to dissolve, then add the rind to this brine. Place another plate or bowl on top to hold the rinds submerged. Place in refrigerator for 8 hours or over-nite.
Drain, rinse the rinds well and drain again.
4 cups water
2 cups cider vinegar
2 teaspoons Thai spices (including paprika, turmeric, black pepper, coriander, fenugreek, mustard, cumin, cayenne and ginger)
Zest of one lime
1 tsp lime juice
In a large pot, bring these ingredients to a boil, then add the rinds. Simmer for 45 minutes until the rinds are translucent.
Pour rinds and liquid into prepared jars, close lids and refrigerate or use hot water bath method for 10 minutes for keeping pickles outside of the refrigerator for months.
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| ShowFood Chef~ |
Here's a big surprise: I couldn't make up my mind. There were so many gorgeous cucurbits at the Farmer's Market, that...what? Cucurbits. You know. Cucurbits. Yeah, I had to be told what they were, too. Cucurbits are the vine grown cucumbers, squashes, melons and such. They make amazing jams...and pickles! Cucumber Dills w/Cumin,Pepper & Mustard Seeds
Watermelon Rind Pickles w/ Garam Masala & Jalapeno
At the beginning of the year I joined a group started by Tigress Can Jam/Pickle. She has an amazing site that is packed with her bright personality and intelligent recipes. Each month, our group participates in canning and what we can (the product) is chosen by a host. This month it was chosen by Laundry Etc. 
Each one of us have the choice of how we handle the product: jam, pickles, relish, chutneys, etc.. as long as we follow certain guidelines which include the US recommended hot water bath canning process. Like most things, once you get the hang of it - following the process is a cinch.
I'm in charge of making many jars of pickles for my daughter's upcoming wedding, so "cucurbits" in the form of cucumbers were very timely and I'm half-way through the batch size I need for the wedding.
And, watermelon? Well, I'm a southern girl who grew up eating watermelon outside where you could drip it all over you and save the seeds for a spitting contest. True to the South, nothing goes to waste so pickling the rind was a given.
I actually had never pickled rind myself, so once I figured out that watermelon is one of those...Cucurbits, I had to give it a try.
I used several recipes to help me with the safety and correct ratio for vinegar, etc. then changed up the spices and flavoring to suit my whimsy.
Now YOU know what a cucurbit means, too (or maybe you were already vine-savvy). Sometime today, throw that word around a little and see how many people give ya that blank stare. Then send them to my post and I'll help them get out of that pickle.
Cucumber Dills w/Cumin, Pepper & Mustard Seeds
(adapted from "Jam it, Pickle It, Cure It" by Karen Solomon)
3 lbs. Pickling Cucumbers (washed, dried, sliced into wedges)
In a non-reactive saucepan, heat 2 cups Vinegar with 6 cups water and 6 tsps. salt to boiling.
Pack your sterilized jars with the Cucumber wedges and an even distribution of these spices:
9 cloves of garlic, crushed
3 cinnamon stick (broken into pieces as needed)
6 Tbls Mixed Mustard seeds
6 Tbls. Dill seeds
8 Tbls. Black Peppercorns
2 Tbls. Cumin seeds
6 tsps. salt
Leave 1 inch head space.
Pour the hot vinegar mix into the jars covering the wedges fully and leaving 1/2 inch head space. Process in a hot-water bath for 10 minutes. Remove, cool and store in a cool dry place.
Watermelon Rind Pickles w/Garam Masala & Jalapeno
(inspired by "Jellies, Jams & Chutneys" by Thane Prince and Whole Foods Recipes)
The Rind of 1 med. watermelon (remove the green with a peeler, scrape off all pink, cut into small cubes) *You should have 1lb. of cubed rinds
For the Brine - Mix the following in a glass bowl with lid:
4 Tb salt
24 oz. Water
Place the rind cubes into the brine, cover and leave in refrigerator for 2 days.
After 2 days: Drain the rind, rinse with cold water several times and drain.
Hold to the side.
In a deep saucepan, add and bring to a boil:
4 cups of water
2 cups Cider Vinegar
9 oz. brown sugar
4" cinnamon stick
1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala ground spice mix
1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger minced
1/2 lemon zest
1 tsp chopped Jalapeno Pepper
Once this is boiling, add the rind into the saucepan and stir to mix.
Lower the heat and simmer for 45 minutes or until the rind is tender and translucent.
Remove from stove and pack your sterilized jars with the rinds, then pour in the pickling liquid to cover.
Keep at least 1/4 inch space available at the top of each jar.
Seal properly and place in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
Remove and cool on rack without moving for 12 hours.
Keep in a dry, cool area.
If you aren't comfortable with canning: fill your glass containers, cool, cover and keep in the refrigerator for several weeks.
Pickles aren't something I think of often. Yet, when good ones are served with a meal, or just put out on a plate on the table, I'm the first one to munch them down to their tiny little pickled stems. Pickles are the accent, that perfect piece of jewelry that brings the rest of the whole look together. February's ingredient for TigressCanJam is carrots, chosen by Doris and Jilly. Since I make jams a lot, I thought I'd spice it up a bit and can some pickles. Spice is a good word to use for these tongue trippers.
MOROCCAN PICKLED CARROTS
I was inspired by one of my favorite books: Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It by Karen Solomon. The colors in her photos and the simplicity of her recipes give you the confidence to use them, yet leave room for experimentation. Besides the spices (seen below), I also added Cumin and a pinch of tumeric.
I had a blast picking out multi-colored Heritage Carrots and Oranges at the Hermosa Beach Farmer's market.
After sterilizing the jars, I packed the peeled, and sliced carrots into the jars, added my spices and filled them with a concoction of acid and citrus.
This was a fun can/pickle session and I'm thinking of giving these as gifts to my friends who just aren't the sugar/jam/jelly types. These have crunch with a collection of sweet citrus, lively dill and mustard, and earthy cumin. I think I just made myself want to go pull another carrot out of the pickle jar.
