i was a bit dubious of what these would taste like, but after a week in the brine they are fabulous. i made it according to recipe and i think the only thing to adjust would be the cayenne, according to people's taste. for me there was an appropriate heat level but for others it was a bit too much. the pickled celery is also a treat. leave your tired old pickle recipes at the door! jb
Russian Pickled Watermelon
The recipe for these savory pickles is based on one that appears in Pickled: Preserving a World of Tastes and Traditions by Lucy Norris (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2003); it was contributed by Sophia Vinokurau, the owner of M & I International Foods in Brooklyn, New York.
Credit: André Baranowski
1⁄4 cup kosher salt
1⁄4 cup sugar
1 tbsp. pickling spices
3⁄4 tsp. cayenne
1⁄2 tsp. distilled white vinegar
8 cloves peeled garlic, smashed
5 ribs celery, coarsely chopped
1⁄2 bunch dill, roots trimmed
1 2-lb. piece watermelon, rind left on,
cut into 1"-thick wedges
1. In a large nonreactive bowl or pot, stir together salt, sugar, pickling spices, cayenne, vinegar, garlic, celery, dill, and 8 cups water until salt and sugar dissolve. Submerge the watermelon wedges. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 week and up to 2 weeks before serving.
SERVES 6
Ratings & Reviews (3)
We've gotten plenty of watermelon through our CSA this year and I'm always looking for creative ways to use it up! This sounds fabulous!
I agree the heat level could be too much on its own, but if served as a side dish to blander food like fried chicken and macaroni salad it would be just right for food lovers (tone it down for the average family though). Well seasoned but not overly salty as I expected. Looks just beautiful, smells wonderful from all the dill, nice crisp texture and and it's something just a little different. This would be great for a potluck picnic - not likely anyone else would make the same thing. I would make again. PS I used a small glass plate to weigh the watermelon slices down so they'd stay submerged in the brine.
Russian Pickled Watermelon
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