How to pickle watermelon pieces in a pan, bucket or jar?

The harvesting season is in full swing. The cellars are filled with various pickles and there is nothing to surprise many. But not in our case. And we will surprise you with salted berries! Yes, yes, this is not a typo, it is a large striped berry called watermelon!

Among my friends, no one has cooked such a snack for a long time, and some have never tried it at all. And you should have seen their delight when I served this delicacy on the table; I’ll tell you right away, it scattered in an instant. Everyone was happy and immediately started asking for the recipe. Of course I shared. But I have also collected the best recipes for you and suggest you try especially delicious options for preparing salted melon. They make the most delicious pickles with a sweet and sour taste, which go perfectly with meat dishes.

We will salt in pieces, since they will cook faster, unlike those that are salted whole in a barrel and are salted right up to the New Year.

I suggest you quickly go to the kitchen and join the culinary process, trying out at least a couple of recipes. And which ones to choose are up to you!

Salted watermelons with garlic in pieces in a pan

Those who have never tried salted giant berries will be pleasantly surprised to discover an unusual tasting dish that you can’t help but fall in love with at the first bite.

Ingredients are taken in arbitrary quantities:

You can always replace one spice with a completely different one, adjusting them to your taste

watermelons;
dill;
garlic;
laurel;
black peppercorns;
carnation;
chili pods;
coriander.

For 1 liter of filling:

1.5 tbsp. spoons of coarse salt;
1 tbsp. spoon of sand (sugar);
2 teaspoons 9% vinegar.

Cooking method:

1. Wash the watermelon thoroughly, as we will be salting the berries along with the crust. Then cut into slices, the thickness of which should not exceed 3 cm.

2. Take a clean, dry container. You can use ceramic, enamel, plastic or glass (as in my case). Place spices on the bottom, controlling the filling to suit your taste.

3. Next, we place the pieces in random order, but so that there are voids between them, for better salting of the product. Place sprigs of dill and garlic cloves on top.

4. For the brine, boil water, let it cool to 45-50 degrees, add salt, sugar and vinegar. Mix well so that the crystals are completely dissolved, and pour the workpiece so that it is completely covered with liquid.

5. Close the lid and place it in a free corner of the room for a week. If you are a fan of sour snacks, then leave it in a warm place for another couple of days, but if not, then put the workpiece in the refrigerator.

6. After 6-7 days, the delicacy is completely ready to be served.

Useful tips on the topic

To quickly penetrate the brine into the pulp of the fruit, the stem of watermelons is cut off before placing in a barrel. This will shorten the fermentation period.
For laying, select fruits of the same size so that they are salted at the same time.
Berries with a diameter of no more than 30 cm are suitable, then they will be salted evenly, along with the pulp.
For pickling, take fruits that ripen in September, with pink flesh.
Be sure to monitor the finished barrels to prevent mold from appearing. To do this, the containers are inspected from time to time, if necessary, the mold is removed, brine is added, the load is washed and returned to its place.
Salted with both whole fruits and slices.
The container chosen is wooden. Plastic can impregnate fruits with an unpleasant odor and taste, which will ruin the taste of the product.
If a new wooden barrel is used for salting, take 10-15% more salt than indicated in the recipe, since the wood will absorb a certain part of the salt.
Room temperature is necessary at the initial stage of fermentation - in the first 12-24 hours, depending on the size of the watermelons. Subsequently, the pickles are stored in a cool, dark place. The ideal place is the basement.
To prevent fermentation, ready-made pickled watermelons are removed with clean cutlery.
Water is taken from a well or filtered.

Delicious salted watermelon pieces without vinegar

If you bought a watermelon and it turned out to be not very ripe, do not rush to throw it in the trash, because in its salted form no one will be able to refuse such a fragrant delicacy.

Required Products:

watermelon of any weight;
horseradish leaves;
dill umbrellas;
currant leaves;
half a head of garlic;
1 tbsp. spoon of mustard powder;
chili powder if desired.

For the marinade, take 1 tbsp for each liter of water. spoon (without a slide) of rock salt.

Cooking principle:

1. Wash the greens, shake off the water and cut into large fragments, which we place on the bottom of a large enamel pan.

2. Cut the garlic cloves into large pieces and place them with the greens.

3. Wash round fruits thoroughly under running water, wipe with a paper towel and cut into pieces. To do this, first cut in half, then put half on the cut and cut into slices, running the knife from the top to the equator.

4. Place the fragrant slices on top of the greens.

5. For brine, heat filtered water to 60 degrees, dissolve salt in it.

6. Fill the slices with salted liquid so that the water completely covers the contents of the pan. Sprinkle mustard powder on top of the workpiece; this spice will give the appetizer a piquant taste and prevent the appearance of mold during salting.

7. Place pressure on top of the berry slices, close the pan and place it in the corner of the kitchen for 2-3 days.

The finished snack should be stored in the refrigerator.

Video

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Are your pantry shelves overflowing with a variety of ingredients, and the season is in full swing? We recommend taking a break from traditional recipes and pickling watermelon in a saucepan, which you can try within a couple of days after preparation or on the same day. This is convenient if you bought a not too ripe watermelon or just want to diversify your diet.

We will tell you which watermelon is suitable for these purposes and how to prepare it correctly. We will share recipes for every taste: some recipes will appeal to gourmets, others (for example, with honey) will be appreciated by small children. We will teach you how to properly serve and store a dish. Write it down!

Video on how to cook salted pickled watermelon in pieces in a bucket?

A very tasty snack, nothing like cucumbers or tomatoes. One has only to place pickled slices of striped berries on the table, and they immediately disappear from the plate with lightning speed. Preparing the dish is very simple, even a beginner can handle it, and the taste will definitely delight family and friends.

I suggest watching the video format of the cooking process, so to speak, first-hand. I tested the recipe personally last year, my family liked it, I will make these watermelons this season too))

Cook with pleasure and good mood!

Selection and preparation of ingredients

Watermelons are a large berry of the melon family, which is widely used in cooking for preparing various sweet dishes, desserts, and snacks. Of course, the quality of any dish and, in particular, winter preservation, will depend on the quality of the raw materials.

Did you know? According to botanical characteristics, watermelon is a large berry weighing 4

–
15 kg.
Archaeological research has proven that it was first cultivated 2000 years ago in Egypt. When choosing berries for pickling, you should pay attention to the following aspects:

the watermelon must be ripe, without visible external damage, cracks, rotten areas, symptoms of disease, etc.;
ripe berries have a pronounced aroma. If the smell is unpleasant or almost unnoticeable, then it is better to refuse to purchase the product, since there is a high probability that it has been lying on the counter for a long time;
Fresh, high-quality watermelon has a smooth, shiny rind with bright stripes. The tail of the berry should be dry and yellow;
A ripe berry produces a muffled sound when tapped on the surface. A ringing sound indicates that the watermelon is juicy enough, but not ripe enough;
For preparing lightly salted berries, a fruit with pink, not red flesh and a thin peel is suitable.

It should be remembered that the ripening of berries begins in August, so it is not recommended to buy fruits ahead of schedule, since most likely they will be unripe or have a high nitrate content.

Salted watermelons in their own juice

This is an old recipe inherited from my grandmother that never fails. Although this is a very simple dish using very common ingredients, the salty watermelon chunks are incredibly delicious!

Ingredients:

watermelon;
horseradish root;
garlic;
dill umbrellas;
hot pepper;
for a 3-liter container 3 tbsp. spoons of sand and 1 tbsp. spoon of salt.

Cooking method:

1. Remove the striped top from the washed giant berry, capturing literally 1-2 mm. Then cut into small pieces.

2. Next, take a glass or plastic container with a tight-fitting lid, wash it with soda solution, and pour boiling water over it. Place pieces of horseradish, chopped garlic, and a small chili pod on the bottom.

3. Carefully place the watermelon slices on the spices, put dill on top and sprinkle sugar and salt.

4. Fill the workpiece with cold water, close it with a tight lid and shake the container so that the dry crystals dissolve in the liquid.

5. Place the treat in a dark corner of the house, and as soon as the brine becomes cloudy (after about 3 days), place the container in the refrigerator for 30 days. After a month, the pickles will be ready to eat.

Features of storing workpieces

It is necessary to store pickled watermelons in a cool, dry place, which is reliably protected from direct sunlight and located away from heat sources. A small amount of pickles can be placed in the refrigerator, where it can be stored for several months.

It is good to store large barrels with blanks in a cellar or basement that meet the following requirements:

temperature indicators - no higher than +4...+6°С;
relative air humidity - 80–95%.

Did you know? Watermelon is completely edible. The peel is pickled and salted and used to make preserves and jam. The seeds are fried and eaten.

Salted watermelons are a wonderful appetizer that is perfect for an everyday lunch or a holiday feast. The undoubted advantage of this dish is the complete absence of a bite, which makes it accessible to children’s and dietary menus. Pickling berries for the winter is quite simple: you need to choose a suitable recipe and follow the instructions for its preparation.

Pickling watermelons with mustard

The delicious, vibrant taste of dry-salted watermelons will definitely surprise all household members and guests. The only disadvantage of this pickling is that such a snack cannot be stored for more than 3 months. But this time is enough for her to be swept off the table.

Salting mixture products for a 3-liter container:

1 tbsp. spoon of mustard powder;
1 tbsp. spoon of sand;
1 tbsp. spoon of non-iodized salt.

Salting method:

1. With my “kavun”, if the crust is beautiful, then we leave it as is, but if it has an unsightly appearance (as in my case), then it is better to remove the top layer. Then cut the berries into arbitrary pieces.

2. To prepare the curing mixture, take mustard, sugar and salt. Mix the ingredients.

3. Next, prepare the container for pickling. You can take ceramic, glass or enamel containers, which must be thoroughly washed with baking soda, rinsed under running water and scalded with boiling water. Next, place the first layer of fragrant slices on the bottom, sprinkle with dry salting mixture, trying to distribute the entire mixture into a three-liter container.

4. Fill the vessel to the top, close it with a tight lid and leave it in a free corner of the kitchen for three days.

In order for the curing mixture to be evenly distributed over the delicacy, during the first day you need to periodically walk around and lightly shake the workpiece.

5. After three days, when the berry has released a sufficient amount of juice and is saturated with the curing mixture, before use, the workpiece must be placed in the refrigerator and kept there for another 2 days.

Let's sum it up

Now you know how to salt watermelons in pieces in a pan. It’s a simple matter; almost any watermelon will do, even unripe ones.

Do not forget that the berries must be clean and dry, and the pan must be enameled. It’s better if there are greens or onions at the bottom of the pan - it’s much more saturated and tastier. The pieces must be served in a marinade and stored in the refrigerator for no more than 72 hours.

We will salt in pieces, since they will cook faster, unlike those that are salted whole in a barrel and are salted right up to the New Year.

I suggest you quickly go to the kitchen and join the culinary process, trying out at least a couple of recipes. And which ones to choose are up to you!

Watermelons soaked in pieces in a bucket - quick salting

The preparation process is quite simple and practically no different from the method of pickling other fruits and vegetables. Before pickling a watermelon, you need to buy medium-ripe fruits so that the berries under the marinade do not turn into a messy mess.

For a 5 kg watermelon you will need:

2 pods each of sweet and hot pepper;
2 garlic heads;
20 peas of allspice;
celery optional;
1 tbsp. spoon of dry mustard powder.

For 1 liter of filling you should take 1 tbsp. spoons of rock salt and sugar.

Cooking method:

1. Cut clean, dry watermelon into arbitrary pieces, 1.5-2 cm thick.

2. Cut the garlic, celery and peppers into fairly large pieces.

3. Throw a handful of chopped vegetables and a little allspice into the bottom of a clean, dry bucket or pan and begin to place the pieces.

4. Having laid out about half of the watermelon, we throw a handful of vegetables into the pieces, after which we continue laying the berries.

5. When the fruits on the plate are finished, pour the remaining vegetables and allspice onto the preparation.

6. Boil water, cool to about 60 degrees, dissolve salt and sugar in it. Pour the resulting filling into the workpiece so that the pieces are completely covered with liquid. You will need about 3 liters.

7. Sprinkle dry mustard on top, then place a plate as an impromptu oppression. Close the container with a lid and leave on the table for 48-72 hours. The salting time interval will depend on the temperature of the liquid, the air in the room and the thickness of the pieces.

After the watermelons are ready to eat, they need to be transferred to clean glass containers and stored in the refrigerator.

The best recipes for the winter

For salting, use coarse, non-iodized salt so as not to spoil the taste and color of the product. The barrels are doused with boiling water 2-3 times in case dust, microorganisms and fungal spores have managed to get into them.

The fruits are carefully placed in even rows in the barrel, filling the container by two-thirds. Pour brine a few centimeters above the level of the stacked berries. The floating fruits are covered with a wooden circle, the diameter of which is slightly less than the diameter of the neck of the barrel, and a load of such mass is placed on top to press down, but not crush.

The barrels are left for two days at room temperature, as a result of which the juice leaked from the punctures in the fruit will mix with the brine, which, in turn, will partially fill the watermelon. The leaked or evaporated brine is added to the required amount, the barrel is covered with gauze, folded in half, and transferred to the basement, where the salting process will continue.

There are many options for pickling for the winter while preserving the natural taste of the fruit: with or without the addition of sugar, all kinds of spices.

A simple whole pickling recipe

The simplest recipe for whole barrel pickling:

washed, pierced watermelons are placed in prepared, clean, dry barrels;
Separately prepare a solution of 10 liters of water and 800 g of rock salt, stir thoroughly until it is completely dissolved;
pour the solution, cover with a wooden lid.

Grandma's recipe

Our grandmothers prepared a brine from 400 g of salt, 500 g of sugar and a bucket of water. To obtain a richer taste, they took 700-800 g of salt and 0.5 kg of sugar, poured fruits pierced in several places, covered the barrels with cloth, put pressure on them, and after two days sent the container to the basement. After three weeks they checked for readiness.

Whole pickled barrel watermelons

To obtain the rich taste of pickled watermelons, take 800 g of salt and 400 g of sugar and dissolve them in 10 liters of water, pour the brine over the fruits placed in barrels. After two days they are sent to the basement for storage, readiness is checked after 21 days.

Soaked whole watermelons

This recipe produces soaked watermelons with a bright sweet and sour taste. To do this, prepare a brine from:

The cooking technology is no different from other recipes. The main condition for obtaining a tasty preparation is following the basic rules. Fill a barrel with fruits, fill it with ready-made brine, cover it with a clean, dry cloth, and apply pressure. The barrel is left for 12-24 hours at room temperature to start the fermentation process. After the expiration date, they are lowered into the basement for storage. After 3 weeks, they try pickling.

Recipe with spices

To add piquancy, different spices are placed in the barrel:

hot pepper pods;
cherry or currant leaves;
peeled garlic cloves;
black allspice;
celery root;
sprigs of greenery;
nutmeg.

The ingredients are laid out between the watermelons while the barrel is being filled and filled with brine prepared according to one of the recipes. Then they proceed according to the usual scheme.

Recipe "Savory"

The prepared small fruits are placed in a container, mixed with garlic cloves, horseradish root, currant and cherry leaves, mint are added, allspice and cinnamon are added. Pour in brine prepared from 10 liters of water, 400 g of salt, 500 g of sugar. Place the load on the top layer, covered with a clean cloth, keep it warm for a day, then send it to the cellar for storage. Striped berries are ready in a month.

For lovers of spicy foods, we offer a recipe for “Dessert” pickling, which includes the following ingredients:

red hot pepper;
nutmeg;
Bay leaf;
horseradish root;
coriander;
ginger root.

When placing the berries in containers, they are topped with horseradish root and ginger root. Prepare a brine from:

Place on fire, add bay leaf, hot pepper and spices, after boiling, remove from heat, cool and pour into a container with watermelons. The barrel is covered with a cloth, a weight is placed, and left indoors for a day. Then they are lowered into the basement and inspected from time to time for the presence of mold. After 3 weeks, check for readiness.

Whole watermelons in a barrel with cabbage

With this method of pickling, the barrel is filled with layers of shredded cabbage and watermelons. Heads of cabbage are washed, the top leaves are removed, cut as desired, sprinkled with salt, and crushed by hand to make it softer and more manageable.

The first and last layer, 10-15 cm thick, is made from cabbage, pre-salted at the rate of 60 g of salt per 1 kg of chopped vegetables. The berries are arranged with apples and unripe tomatoes so that they do not touch each other or the walls of the container.

Preparing the brine:

The solution is poured over the stacked fruits and covered with a cloth. The barrel is placed under pressure, fermented for 2 days at a temperature of 20-22°C and sent to the basement for further storage. They try watermelons no earlier than a month later; they are stored until mid-winter.

Recipe with mustard powder

Mustard powder added to the brine adds sharpness and piquancy to the fruits, protects the products from the formation of fungus and extends the shelf life of the finished pickling. To prepare, take 10 liters of water, in which 400 g of salt and 50 g of mustard are dissolved, and fill a barrel with watermelons with brine.

The second option is to add 400 g of sugar to the brine and increase the amount of salt to 800 g, add mustard powder in the same amount. Barrels filled with fruits are poured with brine, fermented for 2 days at room temperature, then placed in a cool, dark place. After 3-4 weeks, watermelons are ready to eat.

Pickled watermelons in their own juice

To prepare pickled watermelons in your own juice, you will need the following ingredients:

10 kg of melons of the same size weighing 2-3 kg;
60 g salt;
5 kg of watermelon pulp.

Cooking method.

Wash 5 kg of watermelons, cut them into pieces, separate the pulp from the peel and seeds. Using a blender, beat the pulp to a puree consistency. Add salt to the resulting mass and stir until it is completely dissolved.
The first layer of whole fruits is placed in a washed, boiled and dried barrel, and the pulp puree is placed on top. Then the next layer is alternated with pulp until the barrel is full. The last layer of puree is laid out.
The barrel, covered with a clean, dry linen cloth, is placed in a dark, cold place for a week. The mold that appears is removed from time to time, and if necessary, the container is topped up with brine.

Pickled and pickled watermelons, harm and benefits for the body

A large garden berry, watermelon, is good for health when eaten fresh. This is a good option for an impromptu dessert, an opportunity to cool off in the summer heat. Both adults and children love watermelon. It perfectly quenches thirst, has a beneficial effect on metabolism and the functioning of the human genitourinary system.

Watermelon contains a lot of liquid:

water – 92%;
sugar – 8%.

It contains vitamins A, B, PP, C, E, as well as microelements - potassium, magnesium, iron. It is recommended for anemic disease, pregnant and lactating women. The benefits of watermelons are expressed in their antioxidant effects, beneficial effects on the heart, circulatory system, and ability to normalize blood pressure. Plaques growing on the walls of blood vessels, after eating the sweet berry, will decrease in size, and the bone tissue in the skeleton will be strengthened using calcium dissolved in the juice. The seeds are useful for athletes - they are involved in the growth of muscle mass. In general, nutritionists recommend eating watermelon to reduce excess weight and remove accumulated toxins from the body.

A lot of useful properties are concentrated not only in the pulp, but also in the peels, juice, and seeds, so it makes sense to use them in pickling, pickling, or freezing. Pickling a watermelon is simple: just cut it into slices or immerse the whole thing in the solution, wait the time required by the recipe, and the product is ready.

But abuse of treats, especially with kidney pathologies, diabetes mellitus, and complications in the genitourinary system, will lead to serious consequences. Polysaccharides and an abundance of liquid are harmful for such patients in fresh watermelon, and in combination with salt they are doubly dangerous. Swelling may appear and an individual allergic reaction may occur.

You should eat early ripening watermelons with caution in the early period - until the end of July and beginning of August: there is a high probability of poisoning with nitrate-rich products, which are not at all useful because of this.

It’s even better to wait until the end of summer, and only then enjoy the taste of ripe, sweet melons.