How to pickle watermelons for the winter at home

Peculiarities of pickling watermelons

To ensure that the chosen recipe is a success, you need to know some of the cooking features.

For pickling, choose unripe, thin-skinned watermelons. This will ensure a pleasant flavor and a smooth texture. Watermelons should weigh no more than 3 kg—larger ones are more difficult to cut cleanly.

When pickling melons, it is important to remember that they will need a cool, dark place to be stored, ideally a cellar.

To ferment watermelons in a barrel for the winter, you need to carefully prepare the containers first: wash the barrels and rinse them with boiling water. For pickling the fruit, the jars will need to be thoroughly washed and sterilized.

Video: "How to Pickle a Watermelon in a Jar"

This video will show you a simple recipe for pickling watermelon in a jar for the winter.

Traditional recipe for salted watermelons

For lovers of classic pickles, a traditional recipe for pickling watermelons in jars is perfect. This technique allows for quick preparation for the winter.

For the traditional recipe, take:

• fruit weighing up to 3 kg;
• a liter of water;
• 45 ml 9% vinegar;
• 90 g sugar;
• 45 g of salt.

First, wash, dry, and cut the fruit into small pieces. Meanwhile, wash the jar with a baking soda solution and sterilize it for 10 minutes.

Now, without pressing the watermelon, place the slices into the container.

To make the brine, combine all dry ingredients, add vinegar and water. Heat the mixture on the stove until the granules are completely dissolved.

You can replace vinegar with 3 g of citric acid. Just add it directly to the jar, not to the brine.

Pour the prepared brine into a jar and pasteurize for 25 minutes.

Then screw on the lid, turn the jar upside down, and wrap it in a blanket. Once the product has cooled completely, take the preserves to the cellar.

Pickled watermelons in jars

You can marinate fruits using a recipe other than the classic one. If you want to make a tasty and piquant dish, use recipes for salted watermelons with different spices.

With pepper

For cooking use:

• 2.2-2.5 kg of melons;
• 1.2 l of water;
• 5 peppercorns;
• 5 g dry chili pepper;
• 5 cloves of garlic;
• 60 g salt;
• 110 g sugar;
• 45 ml vinegar 9%.

The first step is to wash and sterilize the containers. Then, cut the fruit into small pieces. Place the garlic, peppercorns, chili, and watermelon in the jars.

Bring the water to a boil and pour it into the jars, wait a couple of minutes, and pour the water back into the metal container.

Now add sugar and salt to the liquid and simmer on the stove for 15 minutes. Five minutes before the end of the cooking time, add vinegar. Pour the brine over the fruit, seal the lid, wrap in a blanket until cool, and store in a cool place.

With honey

To get a sweeter dish, you can preserve melons with honey.

To do this, prepare:

• fruit weighing 2 kg;
• 1.2 l of water;
• 45 g liquid honey;
• 30 g salt;
• 4 dill umbrellas;
• 4 currant leaves.

Prepare the jars first, then coat them with liquid honey. Cut the fruit and place it in the jars. Add currant leaves and dill sprigs.

Add salt to the water and let the brine simmer on the stove for about 20 minutes. Then, fill the jars with salted water and let the mixture ferment for 2-3 days.

After a few days, drain the water, boil it, refill the jars, and seal them with a key. Cool and store in a cool place.

With mustard

Canned watermelons with mustard can rightfully be called the simplest and quickest recipe for the winter.

You will need the following ingredients:

• 2 kg of melons;
• 25 g sugar;
• 30 g salt;
• 30 g mustard powder.

To make preserves, prepare the jars. Mix the dried spices in a bowl and sprinkle them along the bottom of the jars.

Arrange the sliced ​​fruit in several layers. Then sprinkle them with the spice mixture again. Sprinkle with more spices every few layers until the container is full.

Set the jar aside, covering it with a plastic lid or a white cloth with a light weight on top. The dish will be ready in about 5 days.

Now you can put it in the refrigerator or cellar.

With citric acid

To get piquant and delicious pickled watermelons in jars for the winter, use:

• 2 kg watermelon;
• 1.5 l of water;
• 25 g salt;
• 50 g sugar;
• 10 g citric acid;
• 5 cloves of garlic;
• 2 bay leaves;
• 5 peppercorns.

Wash and sterilize the jars, then line the bottoms with peeled garlic, peppercorns, and bay leaves. Cut the melons into wedges and place them in the jars.

Bring water to a boil in a saucepan and pour it over the fruit pieces. Let it cool completely. Now pour the water back into the saucepan, add salt and sugar. Mix the ingredients well and bring the mixture to a boil. Pour the prepared brine into glass containers, adding citric acid. Seal the jars, cool them in a warm blanket, and store in a cool place.

Lightly salted watermelons in a barrel

Preserving melons isn't limited to glass containers. Barrels are also suitable for home canning.

Pickled fruits are prepared without vinegar, so they are considered more beneficial.

You can use different containers, but it is best to lightly salt watermelons in a wooden barrel.

In slices

To ferment fruit pieces, you will need:

• 4 kg of fruit;
• 3 liters of water;
• 225 g sugar;
• 270 g salt;
• 1 pod of hot pepper;
• 10 peppercorns;
• 7-8 cloves of garlic;
• 20 sprigs of dill;
• 20 sprigs of parsley.

First, wash the barrel with a baking soda solution, rinse it with boiling water twice, and dry it. Now, cut each half of the fruit crosswise into 5 pieces.

Place a third of the prepared parsley and dill, 3-5 cloves of garlic, and a hot pepper pod on the bottom of the barrel. Place a layer of watermelon on top of the greens. Then add some more greens and a couple of garlic cloves, followed by another layer of fruit wedges. Top with the remaining greens.

To prepare the brine, add pepper, salt, and sugar to the water and boil for about 7 minutes. Cool the brine to room temperature and pour it over the jars completely.

You can cover the barrel with a plate with a small weight. Let the container sit in a warm place for 24 hours, then place it in the refrigerator or cellar. The dish can be stored for 3-4 weeks.

In its entirety

To pickle whole watermelons, choose small fruits—up to 15 cm in diameter. Two types of brine can be used for this type of preservation.

If you want to pickle sweet and sour watermelons, take:

• 10 liters of water;
• 400 g salt;
• 1200 g sugar.

For a saltier taste in your winter preparations, use:

• 10 liters of water;
• 700 g of salt.

Place the fruit in the prepared barrel, first piercing it several times with a wooden toothpick to ensure the brine penetrates properly. Separately, prepare the brine: dissolve the dry ingredients in water.

Now pour the prepared brine over the prepared ingredients and cover the barrel with a wooden lid or a plate with a weight on top. Leave the container indoors for 2-3 days, then take it to the cellar. The dish will be ready in 3-4 weeks.

Pickling watermelons without sterilization

If you want to pickle melons without sterilization to prevent them from spoiling, carefully follow the preparation technology.

Prepare the following ingredients:

• 2 kg of melons;
• 1.2 l of water;
• 65 ml of vinegar solution;
• 60 g salt;
• 85 g sugar.

Wash and sterilize glass containers, then place the sliced ​​fruit in them. Pour the water into a saucepan and bring to a boil, then pour it over the jars for 10 minutes.

Pour the water from the jars into a saucepan and boil for 15 minutes. Pour the liquid back into the jars for 5 minutes, then pour it back into the saucepan.

Now add salt, sugar and vinegar to the liquid and boil for another quarter of an hour.

Pour boiling brine over the jars, seal them, and turn them upside down. Cool them in a blanket and store in a cool place.