Most people eat the inside of a watermelon and throw the rind away, but that firm white layer can actually be turned into some pretty good pickles. It’s a simple way to get a little more food out of something that normally ends up in the compost or garbage. Start by peeling away the hard green skin, removing most of the remaining pink flesh, and cutting the white rind into small bite-sized pieces.
Put the rind into a pot with water and a little salt and simmer it for about five minutes, just until it starts to soften. Drain the rind, but save some of the cooking water. Use that water to make a brine with cider vinegar, sugar, and whatever spices you like. Peppercorns, cloves, ginger, allspice, or celery seed all work. Let the brine simmer for about 15 minutes.
Place the cooked rind into a clean glass container and pour the hot brine over it, making sure the pieces are covered. Once it has cooled, cover the container and put it in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours. Give one a try the next day. You can leave them a little longer if you want a stronger sweet-and-sour flavor.
These are refrigerator pickles, so they need to stay refrigerated and should be used within about two weeks. Eat them alongside grilled food, put them on a sandwich or cheese board, or chop them into potato salad. It’s a pretty simple way to turn something most of us normally throw away into another food for the fridge.
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