Pickled Watermelon Rinds

Hey Dudes! So, this is my first recipe posted in this blog, please don't be brutal. Enjoy!

For a first recipe I chose something super simple to make; seriously, there is virtually no complications with this dish, anyone can make it, it tastes awesome and it actually looks quite fancy, so you will be able to impress all your friends and brag about your culinary skills (at least to those chumps that have no clue about anything foodie).

The other day I was sitting on my ass (as I normally sit) thinking how much I fucking love pickles and how amazing they are, I mean, seriously, I don't know when they were invented but it was probably a fucking great step forward in food preservation. Come on, a cucumber lasts for a few days before it rots, but if you pickle it correctly it will go for months.

*Full Disclosure:  I'm presenting to you, a very simple pickling recipe to make what in the 'Pickling World' is known as 'Refrigerator Pickles', which basically mean you will get all the flavor but not all the preservation effect, for that you will have to do some proper bottling, the recipe would be kept pretty much the same tough (with the exception of the bottling part of course), so, anyways if there is any of those Pickling Nutheads out there reading this amazing post, well, chill the fuck down.

Lets get started. Here is What you are gonna need, so get your ass off the couch and gather all the ingredients!

1. A shitload of watermelon Rinds. I got a big watermelon (either Red or Yellow, they do have a different taste but they both go well with the pickling process).
2. A big knob of ginger . Have you noticed that you can find figures, shapes and faces in Ginger? Sometimes I think they have their own personalities.

3. 1/4 of a Cup of Pickling Salt. To be honest any salt will do, the end result may vary in terms of the clearness and saltiness of the liquid. Experiment a bit.
4. 1/2 of a Cup of Brown Sugar. I'm currently in Taiwan and the brown sugar I get here is super good, it has an almost nutty smell to it. But any brown sugar will do. You could use normal sugar, but there will be something missing in your end Product.
5. 1 liter of Rice Vinegar. You can use any vinegar as long as it is clear and is not Balsamic, I want the pickles to be on the sweet side and also this is an Asian inspired recipe, hence my choice.
6. Spices to taste. This time I'm using Thyme and Szechuan Pepper. I think they go together nicely, but be gentle with the Szechuan Pepper as it is a very fucking strong taste (and might even numb your tongue). But you can use any herbs or spices you like; from the top of my head I can think of turmeric, rosemary, garam masala, paprika.
7. A big fucking Jar. Or several smaller ones. Just enough space to get all the pickles in. (Duh!) In this case, the cleaner the better so, sterilization is the best choice. 

The ingredients.

I got the Ingredients. Now what?

Well, we get hands deep into this delicious project.

1. You want to peel your watermelon rinds. Basically cut and discard as much as the green part as you can. You can use a peeler or a knife (practice your knife skills bro!). You want to be left with the white part and a bit of the colored part; this will give an extra sweetness to the pickles as well as a change in texture. Cut them in smaller slices or chunks; be as gentle or rough as you want.

2. Now that you have the suckers in smaller pieces, place them in a bowl and sprinkle all the salt on top of them. Toss them around and make sure they are all properly coated with salt. Place in the fridge and let them sit for a few hours. What we are doing here by salting the rinds is, not only seasoning but also we are dehydrating them, by doing this, when they get into the pickling juices they will suck up all the goodness and will be more tasty.

3. So, we have a couple of hours to chill? Fuck no! Take that ginger and slice it up (you can peel it, but its ok if you are too lazy, the skin will soften up eventually and you will be able to eat them too; they are tasty). Ok, now you can chill.

4. Some hours have passed, so you want to start again. Heat up  the vinegar in a small pan, add the sugar and ginger and simmer for 5-10 minutes or until the mixture becomes a bit like a syrup. Stir constantly.

5. Now you want to move quick. Take the rinds out of the fridge and strain all the liquid that was extracted from the rinds by the salt. Discard that shit.

6. You are still in fast mode. Put the rinds into the jar and while the pickling juices are still hot, pour them in until you covered those suckers completely. Close the jar and let it cool down.

7. Once it has cooled down. Pop the jar into the fridge and wait for those suckers to be cold before serving. They will last in your fridge safely for around 1-2 weeks, but they are so awesome that you will consume them and their souls in much, much less time than that.

This pickles should be served chilled. I like them with my burgers, brats, fried rice, my morning eggs, even by themselves when I'm bored and walk into the kitchen with the sole purpose of opening the fridge and staring at it for minutes.

Hope you like this. Leave a comment. Share with your peeps.

See you soon.