Spicy, Savory & Sweet Watermelon Rind Pickles

Every Monday and Wednesday, we’ll announce a new Wildcard winner: a recipe that may not have been entered in (or won) a contest, but a recipe that we’ve tested and loved.

Today: Who says you can only have good watermelon in the summer?

Xem Thêm : Late Summer Plum Cake

WHO: Nancy Manlove is a home cook, photographer, and food stylist that recently turned professional!

WHAT: The way to preserve the watermelon scraps you aren’t eating anyway — and keep them all year long.

HOW: Cut away the white, fleshy part of the watermelon, simmer the cubes in spices, and keep them in the fridge for months.

WHY WE LOVE IT: We love that Nancy takes what we would usually throw away and creates something exciting — and something we can eat when the watermelon-sticky summer days are long over. We could see this pairing wonderfully with cheese, or as a condiment in a meaty sandwich.

Xem Thêm : Building a Smarter Grocery List

Spicy, Savory & Sweet Watermelon Rind Pickles by Nancy Manlove

Makes 4 quarts

12 cups watermelon rinds (as prepared in step 1 of the recipe, linked below)
3 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup white vinegar
4 tablespoons mixed pickling spice
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
12 whole cloves
8 thin slices of fresh ginger cut into strips about 2-inches long by 1-inch wide
3 cinnamon sticks, broken into 1-inch pieces
2 teaspoons whole allspice 

See the full recipe (and save and print it) here. 

Photo by James Ransom