Pickled watermelon for the winter - the perfect savory snack

Nowadays there are a lot of sweet watermelons, but many remember that same taste from childhood, and for those who want to go back to those years, I will remind you of the recipe for pickled watermelons.

Depending on the size of the watermelon, they are fermented in a barrel, in a bucket, or in jars. It is more convenient to cut large watermelons into pieces, but the most natural taste is, of course, from small watermelons that are fermented whole in a wooden barrel.

If you bought a large watermelon and it is not sweet enough, don’t be sad and ferment it according to the old recipe.

Large watermelon should be washed. If its peel is too thick, part of it can be cut off and made candied watermelon, or cook jar of jam.

Cut the watermelon into small triangles so that they fit into the neck of the bottle. Do not tamp too hard, otherwise the watermelon will release juice, but the pulp itself will become like a sponge.

Prepare the brine:

• 3 liters of water;
• 200 gr. salt;
• a couple of cloves of garlic;
• several sprigs of dill;
• If desired, you can add a pod of hot pepper.

Place garlic and herbs in a jar with the watermelon.

Boil the brine, dissolve the salt in it, and leave the brine to cool.Watermelon must be filled with exclusively cold brine so that it does not overcook.

Cover the jar of watermelon with a piece of cloth and leave it for 5 days at room temperature. During this time, the watermelon will have time to properly ferment and salt.

To stop the fermentation process, the container with the watermelon should be moved to a cool place or placed in the refrigerator.

When salted in a wooden barrel, small watermelons are fermented whole. But before putting them in a barrel, you should make several punctures in each watermelon.

A knitting needle or awl is suitable for this. To fill the gaps between the watermelon, apples are fermented at the same time, and the layers are layered with steamed rye straw.

Of course, such watermelons ferment a little longer, and you will have to wait at least 20 days before taking them out of the barrel and taking a sample. But the taste of watermelons fermented in a barrel is worth it.

Try it yourself, and watch the video on how to prepare pickled watermelons at home: