Pickled watermelon rind isn’t something the average cook has tried. But when I opened the jar, this Peil de Sandia was like nothing I had ever smelled before. Clean, soft and fragrant. Try it, you won’t be disappointed.

Food lets us travel and explore places that we may never actually get to experience. Culture is so deeply rooted in flavor and food that there is so much we can enjoy about a far off place just by taking the time in our own homes to adventure with a recipe or two.

This is another recipe from the beautiful collection featured in  Charcutería: The Soul of Spain, a collection of traditional Spanish recipes by Jeffrey Weiss. This cookbook is stunning, gorgeous and made for the serious culinary enthusiast. The recipes are thorough, some require seeking out special ingredients that you aren’t going to find at your local market, and a bit of patience, but the payoff is great. This particular recipe, Peil de Sandia (pickled watermelon rind) piqued my interest. Maybe I am just craving warmer weather, but an excuse to bring a big fresh watermelon into the house just had to be found.

Pickled watermelon rind isn’t something the average cook is going to want to try. But if you are one of the few brave curious cook’s still reading this post – give it a try. The aroma of the herbs is clean and inspiring. It made the brine on this seem like forever. When I opened the jar, it was like nothing I had ever smelled before. Soft and fragrant. Not like the normal ‘pickle’ I am used to. The bite still had a bit of vinegar to it (and since I don’t care for vinegar, that was kind of a no go for me) but chopped small, and incorporated into a salad – this recipe was unique and I am glad I gave it a try.

(Check out the meaty ribs I took on from this book over at Girl Carnivore)

If you’ve tried my Peil de Sandia recipe, or any other recipe on passthesushi.com please don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know where you found it in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also follow along for more good eats and travel tips on Instagram @passthesushi & @girlcarnivore, Twitter & Facebook.

Looking for more ways to relax in the sun?  A main course for this fun snack to go with? Or maybe something to wash down that watermelon?  Try these out!

Salpicon Beef Salad

Cranberry Lemonade Margarita

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Peil de Sandia { Pickled Watermelon Rind }

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Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Additional Time 2 days 18 hours 40 minutes

Total Time 2 days 19 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 medium seedless watermelon
• water, as needed
• apple cider vinegar, as needed
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tbs kosher salt
• 1 1/2 tsp fresh lavender
• 1 star anise
• 2 tsp whole black peppercorns
• 1 tsp whole allspice
• 10 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 2 fresh bay leaves

Instructions

1. Cut the bottom and top off of the watermelon so it stands flat. Peel the outer green skin off, exposing the white rind. Cut the white rind into long thin strips, including as little of the pink flesh as possible.
2. (Enjoy the flesh).
3. Place the rind into large jars and cover with water. Retain the rinds in the jars and pour the water into a large measuring cup. Discard half of the water and replace with an equal amount of the apple cider vinegar. Set aside.
4. Place a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the sugar and 1 tbs of the water. Do not stir. Swirl the pan lightly and heat the mixture until a light amber caramel forms.
5. Add the reserved rind squares, water-vinegar mixture, salt, lavender, anise, peppercorns, allspice, thyme, and bay leaf to the saucepan. Bring the liquid to a boil then remove from heat. Reseason if needed. Allow to steep for 15 minutes. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
6. Transfer mixture to food safe plastic containers or glass jars. Weigh down the rind squares if needed so that they remain submerged. Seal and store in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days, until pickled.
7. Serve cold.

Notes

Charcutería: The Soul of Spain

Selected for you :   Asian Pork and Cabbage Salad

Nutrition Information:

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 429Sodium: 10471mgCarbohydrates: 110gFiber: 3gSugar: 99gProtein: 1g