Pickled Watermelon Rind

By now you probably find yourself with absurd amounts of ripe watermelon and why waste? ‘Tis the season to start pickling your watermelon rinds! This precious part of the fruit is not only rich in fiber, it may help reduce your blood pressure or even give your workout a boost. 

Pickled Watermelon Rind

Yield: 8 cups

Ingredients

• 1 medium watermelon
• 2 Tbsp salt
• ½ cup lime juice
• ½ cup maple syrup
• ½ cup rice wine vinegar
• ½ cup white wine vinegar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 kaffir lime leaf

Method

• Cut watermelon into 8 equal pieces. Carve flesh from each slice. Use a juicer to reserve 3 cups of watermelon juice from the flesh. 
• Fillet the rind off of the green skin which can be discarded. Cut the white portion of the rind into ½ to 2” rectangles.
• Toss watermelon rind pieces in salt and let sit for approximately two hours or until softened. Rinse the salted rind pieces then return to bowl.
• In a medium stock pot, add reserved watermelon juice with the lime juice, maple syrup, rice wine vinegar, white wine vinegar and kaffir lime leaf. Bring liquid to a boil and then pour over rind pieces. Allow to completely cook and store in refrigerator until ready to eat. It’s best to wait at least 48 hours.