Whole Pickled Watermelon

Pickled watermelons are the most delicious pickles and everyone's favorite. I tried to make pickles in various conditions and methods, both on the balcony and in the cellar, with and without honey - the conclusion is not to complicate things and to follow some simple but important steps.

This year I had my own watemelons in the garden, very good and I managed to pickle melons in August, now in September I already tasted half a barrel! So good to take some pictures and at every step of the recipe, I have been struggling for several years to catch the whole process and we don't get to complete the recipe. I really wanted to show you all the aspects and specifications, so it became the recipe I "hunted" the most, about 5 years.

Ingredients
Baby watermelons
10 kg
Salt
2 cups
Sugar
1 cup
Water
10 l
Greens/Herbs
500 g
cherry leaves, horseradish, currants and vines
Green apples
3 kg
optional
Step by step
Step 1

The first and most important step - to choose the right melons.

They must be small melons, various varieties and preferably not very ripe, you will see in step 10 below and why.

So, in order to have good melons, you have to make sure and put various varieties.

Whole Pickled Watermelon - Step 1
Step 2

Prepare the barrel, wash the melons, apples and greens.

Put some of the leaves at the bottom of the barrel and start to arrange the melons as well as possible.

In the remaining holes you can add greener summer apples, they are also delicious pickled.

Whole Pickled Watermelon - Step 2
Step 3

Here the barrel arranged halfway - watch the apples and melons come.

Whole Pickled Watermelon - Step 3
Step 4

Continue like this until the barrel is full.

Here I put one of 100 liters.

Whole Pickled Watermelon - Step 4
Step 5

Don't forget to put the greens among the melons and necessarily a generous layer of vine leaves on top - so that they don't bloom on top when you open the barrel and it is no longer hermetically sealed.

Whole Pickled Watermelon - Step 5
Step 6

Now we prepare the brine - to 10 liters of water add 2 glasses of salt and 1 glass of sugar, mix well until it dissolves and pour into the barrel.

Whole Pickled Watermelon - Step 6
Step 7

Repeat the above procedure until you fill the barrel with brine - you may need about 40-50 liters of water, depending on how well you filled the barrel and its size.

Whole Pickled Watermelon - Step 7
Step 8

Seal tightly and leave in the cellar for about 1.5-2 months.

Whole Pickled Watermelon - Step 8
Step 9

This is what it looks like after 2 months, the melons change color and soften a little.

As you take from them it would be good to improvise a press to be in brine.

Whole Pickled Watermelon - Step 9
Step 10

I noticed that the melons with thicker skin (the white ones) pickled more slowly instead they were perfect in texture. The others got pickled faster but dropped a lot because they were more ripe.

There is no major difference in taste, but I would like you to eat melon core, not just the peel. Last year I had very ripe melons and it was half empty after they were pickled.

Whole Pickled Watermelon - Step 10
Step 11

And here is a picture for the greedy, absolutely a delight - the perfect garnish for any food that requires pickles - meat, rice, potatoes, etc.

Good appetite!

Whole Pickled Watermelon - Step 11
Quantity: 50 kg ()
Prep time:
60 min
Difficulty: difficult
Ready in: 60 min