Watermelons in a barrel for the winter recipes. A delicious grandmother’s recipe for salting watermelons in a barrel for the winter. Spicy salted watermelons

09.01.2024

Watermelon lovers won't be sad when the season ends. It is possible to enjoy them all winter in pickled form. There are many recipes for storing it both whole and in pieces with the addition of various spices. You can prepare several types of pickling. It is important to follow the preparation technology so as not to spoil the taste of the salted berry.

The most convenient way of pickling is in barrels. In them, watermelons retain their taste and beneficial properties. Wooden containers are best, but you can use ceramic or plastic. It is important to choose the right fruits for pickling and not deviate from the cooking recipe.

How to choose the right watermelon for pickling?

Before you start harvesting, you need to figure out which watermelons are suitable for this and how to choose them. If you choose a fruit poorly, it may turn out to be tasteless and spoil others. Therefore, selection is an important stage in the salting process.

When buying striped berries, you need to pay attention to the following nuances:

the fruit must be ripe;
the stalk should be dry, the watermelon should crack when pressed, make a dull sound if you knock on it;
It is better to salt specimens with a thin skin, small in size - weighing no more than 2 kg;
the peel should not have dents, scratches, rotten spots or other defects;
the ideal option is berries grown without the use of chemicals, since harmful substances are collected mainly in the skin;
if you salt in pieces, then you need to pay attention to the condition and color of the pulp: it should be dense and pink, so sugar types with crumbly and red interior are not suitable.

It is better to start pickling in September, optimally mid-autumn. At this time it is easier to obtain the required temperature for fermentation.

Preparing the barrel and ingredients for pickling

The best container for pickling watermelons are wooden barrels, preferably oak. You can marinate the sweetest fruits in them; they acquire a special taste and pleasant aroma. Therefore, barrel preparations are in great demand. The only problem is its location. The best option is to place it in a basement or a separate room like a storage room.

For successful salting, containers must be prepared to avoid rot and spoilage:

Wash thoroughly with cold water without using detergents;
pour boiling water over the inner wooden surface twice;
cover with a towel and place in a closed, warm room.

It is important that dirt and dust do not get inside.

For pickling you need to prepare the ingredients. The number of watermelons is taken as much as will fit in the barrel. Water - in accordance with the volume of container and the number of fruits. It is recommended to use non-iodized salt. Consumption 600-800 g per 10 liters of water.

Watermelons also require preparation. They need to be washed thoroughly, allowed to dry or wiped dry.

Then pierce the peel with a wooden stick. You can use a toothpick. This procedure is carried out so that the brine penetrates better and fermentation begins. At least 10 punctures must be made. It is important that they are symmetrically located. The prepared fruits are placed in a barrel and filled with brine so that it completely covers them.

The classic option for preparing watermelons as a winter preparation is a recipe that contains only salt. In this case, the natural taste is preserved and the fruits are salty. If you want sweet and sour berries, take half a kilo of sugar and 200 grams of salt for 10 liters of water.

The cooking process is a sequence of steps:

1. Cover the fruits drenched in brine with a clean towel, protecting them from dust and dirt.
2. To prevent watermelons from floating, a wooden circle is placed on top, and a heavy stone is placed on it, which is first washed and scalded with boiling water. You can take any other significant object.
3. The weight of the oppression must be sufficient so that the circle does not float out. Do not allow air to get into the brine.
4. The final step is to place the container with the soaked watermelons in a warm room for fermentation. The pickling time depends on the size of the berries.
5. After a day, the barrel can be moved to a cooler room. When closed, it should stand at low temperatures for about three weeks. It is important that the room is dark.

You should make sure that the brine has begun to ferment. To do this, you need to open the container, remove the fruit using a clean cutlery and regularly check the readiness. But a guarantee of good pickling will be a hermetically sealed container throughout the entire fermentation period.

Ready pickles should be kept in a cool place, otherwise the watermelons will turn sour and disappear.

There are other cooking recipes. For example, add half a pack of mustard powder, cherry and currant leaves to the brine. To add a piquant taste, spices are evenly distributed over the pickling: bay leaf, capsicum, ginger root, horseradish, celery, coriander, garlic, etc. Watermelons can be covered either whole or in pieces.

After the fruits are ready to eat, they should be periodically checked for mold. If it appears, it is carefully removed and fresh brine is added. It is advisable to eat the pickled food during the winter, as its taste deteriorates over time.

Alternative salting options

Not everyone has wooden barrels. They can be replaced with ceramic or plastic. Salting is done using the following technology. Watermelons with dense pulp are cut into slices. The containers are washed, doused with boiling water and dried. Hot peppers, garlic cloves, parsley, dill, and other spices are placed on the bottom. Next, place the berries. Lay branches of greenery and garlic on top. Salt and black peppercorns are added to the filled barrel.

There are other recipes that contain apples, cabbage and other vegetables.

Pickles with apples

This method is specific in that it uses sugar in addition to fruits. For cooking, it is better to take small apples and small watermelons in order to fill the container as tightly as possible. The products should not be allowed to touch the walls of the barrel, so sand is poured into these gaps and into all voids.

Gradually fill the container with fruits, sprinkling them with sugar and filling them with a brine solution of 10 liters of water and 800 grams of salt. Sand is poured onto the last row in a layer of up to 5 cm. Brine is poured on top so that it is 10 cm above the sand surface.

Pickling with cabbage

Various vegetables are fermented in wooden barrels in the fall. Cabbage is especially popular. When fermented, it is rich in vitamin C. It can be pickled together with watermelons. To do this, the heads of cabbage are chopped in the usual way. The shredded mass is placed on the bottom in a layer of 10-15 cm. Then striped berries, previously pierced, are laid out. You can add unripe tomatoes or apples to them.

Next, the layers alternate in the same sequence until the container is full. Place the remaining cabbage on top. The barrel is filled with saline solution, covered with a cloth and closed with a lid. They are kept at a temperature of +20-22 degrees for two days, and then moved to the basement.

Canning in jars

In small quantities, delicious watermelons can be sealed in glass jars. They are marinated with or without peel. Cut into triangles, removing seeds if possible. For a liter container the proportions are as follows: 2 tbsp. l. granulated sugar, 1 tbsp. l. salt, 1 tbsp. l. 9 percent vinegar.

Fill the container with watermelon slices and pour boiling water over it. Next, cover with lids and let stand for 20 minutes. Then drain it and put it back to boil. At this time, the prepared ingredients are added to the jars; you can put a few peas of black and allspice, a sprig of dill, a couple of cloves. The boiled liquid is poured back, rolled up, turned over and kept wrapped for a day.

Salted watermelons are a great refreshing dish. They are good for the stomach, as they contain a large amount of valuable substances. Sweet and sour fruits are good as an independent snack, but also suitable as an original side dish for meat dishes. Watermelon slices can be presented for dessert. They will become a decoration for the holiday table if they are beautifully cut and placed on a plate.

Fruits and berries

Description

Pickled watermelons in a barrel They are an unusual winter preparation. The process of direct preparation is quite simple, and the most important moments come after a while. Mold will definitely appear on watermelons, and your task will be to get rid of it in a timely manner. At the same time, we will soak the whole watermelons, so this mold will not cause any harm to the pulp. To fill the gaps, it is best to use fresh cherry or grape leaves, as well as apples. A good option would be to fill the voids with the same watermelons, but sliced.

So that you can easily understand the method of soaking watermelons in a barrel, we have prepared a clear and simple recipe with step-by-step photos and very detailed instructions. These unusual watermelons will be prepared over the next 3 months, during which time they will have time to soak in the marinade and acquire new shades of taste. It is necessary to use wooden barrels for soaking, but in the absence of them, plastic ones will do. Let's start preparing soaked watermelons in a barrel for the winter at home.

Ingredients

Steps

The first step is to choose watermelons. We need not too large, dense and ripe watermelons with a diameter of no more than 25 centimeters: this way it will be convenient to put them in barrels and there will be fewer voids. As for apples, choose according to your taste. The simplest option is Antonovka apples; they are often used for soaking. But you can choose other varieties if you wish. Also for soaking we will need a variety of green leaves like cherries and grapes.

We begin to put the ingredients in a barrel, its bottom can be covered with cherry and grape leaves, then put a layer of small watermelons on top, place apples and pieces of chopped watermelons in the gaps, and cover with leaves on top. Alternate layers like this until the top of the barrel.

By the way, it is best to start the entire process of filling the barrel in the basement or in any other cold place, in which this barrel will then infuse. It is also necessary to prepare the brine in advance; for this, the specified volume of water must be mixed with salt and sugar, and then stir everything thoroughly. Iodized salt is not suitable for this recipe..

Pour the prepared liquid into the barrel as shown in the photo. Cover watermelons with a clean cotton cloth. Sprinkle a small amount of dry mustard on top.

As a pressure for such a preparation, you can use jars with some other preserves. Over the next 3 months, it is necessary to change the fabric every 10th day and remove mold.

After the specified period of time, the watermelons will be saturated with strength and the necessary taste, while the inside will remain just as crispy. In this case, the pieces of chopped samples will be too salty, but that’s okay, that’s how it should be. Now you know how to prepare whole soaked watermelons in barrels with apples for the winter.

Bon appetit!

The aroma of this giant berry cannot be confused with anything else. We always look forward to the end of summer, because it is during this period of time that juicy, sweet striped animals appear on store shelves. We have already told you how to make watermelon jam, but in order to preserve a piece of summer until winter, you need to know how to pickle watermelons correctly.

Pickling watermelons in a jar

How to salt watermelons in jars for the winter? It is clear that in this case salt is always used, as well as vinegar, which will ensure the safety of the product for the long winter months. In addition, not every berry is suitable for pickling. You need to choose ripe watermelons with crispy flesh: green berries, as well as overripe ones, are not suitable for this. There are a great many cooking recipes. In addition to classic salted watermelons, you can add spicy and bitter berries, which the male half of the family will appreciate. Here are some of the recipes:

Wash the watermelons and cut into slices approximately the size of a matchbox. Pack into sterilized glass containers and fill with boiling water. In 10
minutes, drain the water back into the pan and place it on the stove;
Wait until characteristic bubbles appear on the surface and pour the contents of the containers again for 5 minutes. Pour into a saucepan and add 50 g of salt and 30 g of sugar per 1 liter of liquid. If desired, you can add your favorite spices - ginger, nutmeg, coriander, etc. Boil the composition;
Pour the contents of the jars one last time, not forgetting to add 1 tsp to each. 70% acetic acid;
Roll up, wrap for a day, and then put in a cool place.

For those who like it spicy, you can salt watermelons in a jar like this:

Wash the watermelons well and pierce them in several places. Place them in a prepared barrel and seal it;
Pour saline solution through the tongue hole. It must be prepared on the basis that 1 liter of liquid will require 60 g of salt. Keep the barrel at room temperature for about 2 days, and then put it in the cellar;
You can pickle watermelons in a barrel if you remember to use spices when adding them: garlic, horseradish root, dill, onion, cherry and currant leaves.

How to salt watermelons in a saucepan

You can salt watermelons in a saucepan, and after a couple of days you can enjoy a delicious berry with a strong wine flavor. Here are the preparation steps:

Cut the berries into several not too small pieces and place in a high saucepan. Pour 9% vinegar at the rate of 1 glass of liquid per 5 kg of pulp;
How to pickle watermelons in a saucepan? Start preparing the marinade: add 250 g of sugar and 125 g of salt to 4 liters of water. Boil, pour over the pieces and leave to cool in the room. Then put it in the refrigerator for a day or two and after this time evaluate the result.

Salting whole watermelons

How to pickle watermelons in pieces was described at the beginning of this article, but few people know that this delicious berry can be pickled whole and you don’t even need a barrel for this. Moreover, the entire preparation process will take you a minimum of time, and you can evaluate the quality of the finished product in 25–30 days. Here are the preparation steps:

Buy a small, ripe watermelon weighing up to 2 kg and, after removing the stem, wash it with a soft brush. Using a sharp wooden stick, make punctures in about 10–12 places;
Now all that remains is to prepare the brine. The calculations are the same: per liter of liquid 50 g of salt and 30 g of sugar. Spices and seasonings as desired. Place the berries in a tight plastic bag and pour marinade over them. The free end of the plastic container must be tied with a tight knot or a bag with a zipper can be used;
How to pickle watermelon quickly? Now all that remains is to put it in the refrigerator or cellar for about a month, and then enjoy it yourself and treat your friends.

Then in winter it turns into an original snack. Salted watermelon is a rare and exotic treat. The main thing is to know a few tricks and learn the best recipes for salted watermelons for the winter.

Secrets of pickling watermelon

For the salting process to be successful, you also need time for salting.

A good watermelon for pickling should be moderately ripe, with dense pink flesh. Crumbled sugar varieties, so prized in summer, are not suitable for pickling - you will end up with a slippery pickle. It is better if the watermelon is not very sweet.

An important point: the peel should be thin. This is especially necessary if you want to cook salted watermelons in a barrel. Too thick a peel can increase the pickling time, because barrel watermelons are salted with the whole berry.

It is important to choose the right fruit for pickling | "Look"

The size of the watermelon for pickling should be small. Optimally – 15-20 cm in diameter. Salted watermelons in jars can be made with the peel cut off. It is good to use homemade fruits because they do not contain nitrates (they accumulate in the peel). The surface of the watermelon should be smooth and clean. Cracks and dents on the peel are defective. Such watermelons are not suitable for pickling.

For salting in barrels, you need to look for late varieties, since you can start salting them no earlier than the end of September. At this time, the air will cool to the desired temperature, and the brine will not ferment beyond measure.

Salted watermelon recipes

Salted watermelons in jars for the winter can be made in two ways: salting and pickling. The difference is the presence or absence of vinegar in the brine.

Express method for pickling watermelon

Heaclub

The salted watermelon, the recipe for which we offer, can be prepared in the summer, since it does not require preservation. You can make a pickle from an unsuccessful, not too sweet watermelon.

Compound:

Water – 1 l.
Watermelon – 1 pc.
Rock salt – 2 tbsp.

Preparation: p cut the watermelon into small pieces. To peel. Place in a pan or jar and fill with brine. Leave until it ferments. In summer it will take a couple of days. Then the watermelon needs to be moved to a cold place and you can eat it.

Salted watermelon in jars

Tasty and healthy

Salted watermelons in jars for the winter are made according to the barrel recipe. The only difference is in the preparation of the berries and the pickling time. This option is suitable for those who do not have the opportunity to salt whole watermelons.

Compound:

Water – 10 l.
Salt – 0.5 kg.
Sugar – 1 kg.
Watermelons – 15 kg.

Preparation: a Wash the watermelons and cut them into equal triangles. The peel can be cut off and the seeds removed. Place the fruit slices in an enamel container or jar. Place oppression on top. Cover the container with a cloth and leave for three days. The temperature in the room should be about 20 degrees.

Then the brine is drained and boiled. Watermelon slices are placed in sterilized jars, filled with brine and rolled up for the winter. If you don’t need that many watermelons, divide all the components of the recipe by 10.

Salted watermelons with vinegar

Your cook

This recipe for salted watermelons in jars is quick and easy to prepare.

Compound:

Watermelon – 1 – 2 kg.
Water – 1 l.
Rock salt – 1.5 tbsp.
Sugar – 3 tbsp.
Vinegar 9% - 70 ml.

Preparation: fill the pan with water. Add sugar and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Strain and add vinegar. You can add spices to the marinade to make the taste more interesting.

Cut the watermelon into small pieces. Place in clean jars. Pour in brine. Cover with a lid and sterilize for 20 minutes. Roll up the jars, place the lid down and wrap them in a blanket. You can turn the jars back only when they have cooled down.

Salted watermelons in a barrel

"Your cook"

Salted watermelons in a barrel have already become a classic of Russian cuisine. And if you have the opportunity, be sure to prepare them for the winter.

Compound:

Small watermelons – 10 – 15 kg.
Water – 10 l.
Salt – 800 g.
Sugar – 400 g.
Mustard powder – 0.5 packs (optional).

Preparation: b Wash the glass and pour boiling water over it. Pour sugar, salt and mustard powder into cold, unboiled water. Stir well. Place the watermelons in a barrel and fill with brine. It should cover the fruits with a layer of 10 cm. Cover with oppression and leave for a couple of days at room temperature. Then the barrel is sealed and put into the cold (in the basement). You will be able to eat watermelons in three weeks.

Watermelons pickled in a barrel should be eaten before mid-January. They cannot be stored longer. To prevent the bottom of the barrel from becoming moldy, it is placed on a wooden grate. Periodically you need to check if mold has appeared in the brine. If you find it, remove the mold from the barrel and replace the brine with fresh one.

One of the favorite snacks in the former USSR is canned watermelons. They are eaten pickled (salted) and pickled, fermented with cabbage and apples, and cooked with the addition of various spices. Almost every family has its own special recipe for preparing this snack, which can decorate both the festive (including New Year's) and everyday tables.

Watermelons for the winter: harvesting methods

First, decide how exactly you want to cook watermelons: pickle or salt. Pickling occurs with the addition of vinegar, and salting (soaking, pickling) occurs without vinegar, under the influence of lactic acid bacteria contained in the vegetables themselves.

Of course, both options are good in their own way, but ask true connoisseurs - and they will tell you that snacks soaked in wooden barrels are incomparably tastier, and healthier for the stomach, and all the valuable substances are preserved in them (while when pickling, you need to pour the fruits boiling water, which means some of the benefits will perish).

One drawback: not every apartment has room for a barrel of pickles - even if not a wooden one, but a simple plastic one. However, many recipes for barrel pickles can be adapted to pickling in a jar - except that whole watermelons cannot be placed in there. So, we’ll start with barrel salting (as the most delicious and healthy).

How to pickle watermelons in a barrel

There are many recipes: whole and in pieces, salty or sweet, with mustard and other spices, in its own juice, with the addition of other vegetables and fruits, even sprinkled with sand! We will look at some of them.

But first we need to emphasize the following important points:

berries with pink flesh are best suited (if anyone doesn’t know, watermelon, from a botanical point of view, is a berry, although from a gardening and gastronomic point of view it is a vegetable), but crumbly “sugar” options are not suitable - the pulp should be dense;
these vegetables and berries must be ripe, but not overripe, otherwise when pickled they will be slimy and tasteless;
choose thin-skinned specimens, without dents, cracks or other damage, ideally home-grown, grown without nitrates (especially if you plan to ferment the whole thing, along with the skin, in which most of the harmful substances accumulate);
Barrel pickling is best started in September, when the weather becomes cooler: in summer it is difficult to achieve the optimal temperature for fermentation.

Now let's move on directly to recipes on how to pickle watermelons.

Barrel watermelons, soaked whole. For this dish you will need small vegetables with a diameter of up to 15 cm. Place them in a clean barrel scalded with boiling water. You can first pierce them in several places with knitting needles to speed up the salting process.

Fill with cold brine prepared according to the following calculation: for 10 liters of clean well water (unboiled) - half a kilo of salt and a kilo of sugar. With this ratio you will get a pleasant sour-sweet-salty taste of the finished dish. If you like a saltier option, then you can take up to 800 g of salt per 10 l, and about 400 g of sugar.

You can also add half a packet of mustard powder. The brine should cover the contents by 10 centimeters from above. Then you need to lay the oppression (wooden circle) and leave the barrel at room temperature (but not in the heat!) for two to three days.

Then seal the barrel and move it to a cold place (cellar). After three weeks the product will be ready for use. According to this recipe, you can salt vegetables cut into slices; they will be ready faster.

Barrel watermelons pickled with cabbage. We do everything in the same way as in the previous recipe, but first we place a 10-centimeter layer of shredded and salted cabbage (60-70 g of salt per 1 kg of cabbage) on the bottom of the barrel. Then - watermelons. Then another layer of cabbage and so on. Instead of cabbage, you can use other additives: apples, green tomatoes, etc. They need to be placed between watermelons.

Barrel watermelons in their own juice. The basis of the recipe is the same, but you need to place sliced vegetables between whole vegetables. They also need to be additionally salted (like cabbage in the previous recipe).

Whatever recipe you use for pickles in barrels, remember that periodically you need to remove the lid and check for mold. If so, then you need to carefully remove it and add fresh brine. It is advisable to consume the food during the winter (ideally, before mid-January): over time, it will begin to lose its taste.

For those who do not have the opportunity to do barrel salting, we will give a recipe for how to salt watermelons in a regular jar or pan.

How to salt (wet) watermelons in pieces

Select thin-skinned ripe fruits, cut into triangles of arbitrary thickness, if desired, remove the seeds and cut off the peel (it is especially important to peel purchased specimens, as we discussed above). With seeds, the finished snack looks more beautiful, but is more inconvenient to eat. The finished crusts are edible, but not everyone likes them.

Place the pieces in a jar or enamel pan. Fill with brine (the proportions are the same as for barrel salting), lay down the oppression, cover with a cloth on top and leave at room temperature for 2-3 days.

Then you have two options on what to do: you can put the pan in the refrigerator for two to three weeks (until ready) and then keep it in the refrigerator, or you can drain the brine, put the slices in clean jars, boil the brine, pour it into the jars and roll up. This way the product can be stored all winter.

How to pickle watermelons

To marinate, cut the vegetable into slices (with peel and seeds, again, use your discretion), place tightly in jars. The slices should not be small - just enough to fit into the neck. It is convenient to seal it in liter jars, the contents of which are just enough for one holiday table.

If you wish, you can add a sprig of dill, a few peas of allspice and black pepper, a couple of cloves to each jar - but it will also be delicious without any spices.

Then you need to fill the jars with boiling water, cover with lids and leave for 20 minutes. After this, pour the water into the pan and bring it to boil again.

Meanwhile, add one tablespoon of salt and 9% vinegar to each liter jar, as well as two tablespoons of sugar (this is if the jars will be stored in the cellar, and if in a warm room, then 1.5-2 tablespoons of vinegar are needed). Pour the boiling liquid back into the jars, roll them up, turn them over and wrap them for a day.

An appetizer prepared in this way is also very tasty, although not as healthy as barrel pickles. But it can be stored all winter without problems. So we recommend that you try both salting (soaking) watermelons for the winter and pickling them, and choose what you and your loved ones will like best. Bon appetit!

Watermelons are a delicacy that is loved by many. But their season is not that long, so the question arises of how to preserve them for the winter. Salted watermelon in a jar is the best solution. Even a novice housewife can prepare them. The result is a wonderful appetizer and even table decoration. Let's look at several cooking options from which you can choose any one to suit your taste.

The simplest recipe

Salted watermelons in jars can be prepared with a minimum amount of ingredients. You need to take watermelons, water and salt. Unripe berries (even slightly brown ones) are suitable for pickling. It is better if these are watermelons of small diameter. They need to be washed with water (cold) and the circles cut off from the tails. We pre-prepare the jars by sterilizing them over steam. Cut the watermelons into circles about 15 millimeters thick. Then cut each circle into four pieces so that each piece fits into the jar. After this, put the watermelons in jars and fill them with boiling water. This must be done carefully so that the container does not burst. Cover the jars with lids and leave for 10 minutes. Next, drain the water and fill the jars with boiling water again. Leave them again for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the brine. Place a pan of water on the fire and add 30 grams of salt for each liter. For one three-liter jar you will need 1 liter of brine. Let the brine boil for about 10 minutes and strain it through cheesecloth. After this, put the pan on the fire and bring it to a boil again. Add 15 milliliters of vinegar for every liter. If the watermelons are not ripe, then add another 20 grams of sugar per liter of water. Fill the jars with the prepared boiling brine and seal them tightly. Cool and store in a cool place. Salted watermelon (in a jar) will be appreciated by lovers of delicious food. If the lids suddenly start to swell, you need to drain the brine, boil it and pour it back.

Adding spices

If you add a few spicy ingredients, salted watermelons will acquire an extraordinary taste. For this recipe you will need celery and dill, garlic and lettuce. For brine, take 30 grams of salt and 50 grams of sugar for each liter of water. We take watermelons suitable for pickling (brown, ripe, but not overripe). We wash them thoroughly and cut them into four parts. Then we cut each part into slices that can fit into the neck of the jar. Chop the celery and dill, and cut the pepper into small slices. Divide the garlic into cloves and peel. We wash and sterilize the jars well. To get a delicious salted watermelon in a jar, you must meet all the conditions. Place herbs, peppers and garlic at the bottom of each container. After this, lay out a layer of watermelons. So we fill the jars layer by layer. Fill them with brine and leave at room temperature. Then we send it to a cooler place. We close the jars with plastic lids. Salted watermelon in a jar turns out very tasty. But you can use other containers. The technology doesn't change because of this. Large pots or barrels are often used. You can pickle small watermelons in them without cutting them into pieces.

Of course, if you salt watermelons whole in barrels, they turn out juicier and have a different taste. But in an apartment, this method of cooking becomes impossible. Therefore, there is nothing better than salting watermelons in pieces using bottles or jars.

Recipe for classic watermelon pickling with photos

Based on a 3-liter bottle you will need:

(how much will go into the bottle);
4 tbsp. spoons of sugar;
1 tbsp. spoons of salt;
1 teaspoon of citric acid;
water.

Cooking process:

For the recipe for pickling watermelon in a jar for rolling, the seeds should be removed from the pulp. During the fermentation process, a very active reaction occurs in them, which can lead to the jar exploding. If you plan to store the product under a nylon lid or in another non-sealed container, then such cleaning may not be carried out.

Citric acid is often replaced with vinegar if it is not contraindicated. Add it when pouring the prepared brine into jars - 1 tsp. vinegar per 1 liter of product. Aspirin can also serve as a preservative. For each liter of container, place 1 tablet and fill it with brine.

You can use all kinds of spices for this recipe. Watermelon loves the same spices as cucumber. These can be cherry or currant leaves, dill, garlic cloves, horseradish, ginger, allspice, bay leaf, coriander.

For pickling, it is recommended to use homemade watermelons without nitrates, since the effect of poisons increases during fermentation. You should choose thin-barked varieties with dense flesh that are not overripe. If you come across an unripe fruit, you should not throw it away. You can even roll up greenish watermelons that have not gained any sweetness. Brine with sugar will correct the situation.

But sometimes there is not enough willpower to store. I want to quickly test the finished dish and the workpiece is opened before it is completely salted. How to pickle watermelons in jars for the winter so that you can enjoy them at any time? Watermelons with mustard can be consumed on the third day of preparation. If you keep them for a week, they will turn into a savory, aromatic snack with a rich taste.

Recipe for lightly salted watermelons with mustard

We wash the watermelon and be sure to remove the rind (this way they will be salted faster).

Cut the fruit into circles, and then cut each circle into 4-6 triangles.

Pour salt, sugar and dry mustard onto plates.

Rub each piece with mustard and dip in salt and sugar. If desired, season with pepper.

Place the watermelon in the bottle in layers.

We keep the salting at room temperature for a couple of days, and then we send it to the cellar or refrigerator.

This way you will get lightly salted watermelons. If you want a more pronounced taste, sprinkle each layer of laid out watermelon triangles with a small amount of salt and sugar.

It is better to start salting watermelons in September. High summer temperatures promote rapid and too intense fermentation and watermelons can become acidic.

Salted watermelons with honey

If the sterilization process is replaced by lubrication with honey, a natural preservative and antibiotic, then watermelons will acquire a special fragrant aroma and an unforgettable taste.

Cooking process:

Cut the peeled watermelon into pieces.
Grease the walls of the jars generously with honey.
Place the watermelon pieces.
Add well-washed currant leaves, a small piece of ginger and 2-3 chopped cardamom pods.
Pour hot brine (1 tbsp salt and sugar per liter of water)
After 2-3 days of fermentation, the brine should be drained, boiled and refilled.
You can roll up the finished product.

Having learned how to properly salt watermelons in jars for the winter, please yourself with this preparation on a cold winter evening. Moreover, the body during this period is sorely lacking in nutrients. The magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, iron, and vitamins B, P and C contained in watermelon berries will easily replenish some of the missing microelements.

Dazzlingly scarlet, large, sweet berries that have collected all the warmth of summer begin to delight us at the beginning of autumn. Having eaten our fill of them, we begin to replenish our cellars and cellars, frantically looking for proven recipes and tips on how to pickle watermelons for the winter. In today's article we will offer you interesting options for pickles without using vinegar, which is more than surprising for pickles in jars.

The selection that we will offer will become a real lifesaver for those housewives who have refused to use vinegar essence in home canning. The fermentation process will occur due to salt and sugar, and in some recipes, due to other additional ingredients.

For pickling, it is very important to choose a suitable watermelon, this is due to the fact that we are going to pickle them in a jar, which means that the chopped pieces should fit freely into the neck of the glass container.

For urination, it is best to use homemade watermelons, which do not contain the entire periodic table. Well, if you don’t have your own watermelon, we study the rules on how to buy a watermelon without nitrates and make a test purchase (see the link to the article “How to choose a watermelon” below).
We choose small berries weighing no more than 2 kg.
The watermelon should be ripe, but NOT OVERRIPE! Otherwise, pickled watermelons will end up with voids.
Watermelon should be thin-skinned. In the case of salting watermelons in jars, it is important that the pieces of the berry are cut together with the skin. If you salt without the skin, then you can skip this point.
3-liter glass bottles are suitable for urination.
The skin of the berry must be intact, without mechanical damage (you can read about how to choose a tasty watermelon in the article.

P.S. For those housewives who are used to putting everything into action, we suggest boiling it from the remaining pieces of green skin.

Spices and seasonings for pickling watermelons

Many housewives who decide to pickle watermelon for the winter cannot decide on the choice of spices. We want to please you: watermelon, like cucumber, loves everything that you like. That is, you can add spices that your family loves to a jar or barrel of watermelons.

It should be borne in mind that a large number of spices and herbs may not do a very good job, interrupting the natural taste of watermelon in pickling. Therefore, we take reasonable precautions by adding a few leaves of herbs and a minimum of spices to the jar (for a large pan or barrel, we increase the number of seasonings proportionally).

What can be used

The quantity of herbs and spices listed below is calculated for a 3-liter jar. For pickling, combine 3-5 items from the list below.

Choose your usual or favorite:

Garlic (4-5 cloves, add peeled and cut into petals);
Bay leaf (3-4 pcs.);
Black peppercorns (4-5 pcs.);
Ginger (piece cut into slices);
Nutmeg (use ground spice 1/3 tsp);
Allspice (3-4 pcs.);
Coriander (4-5 peas);
Horseradish root (a 1cm piece as thick as your little finger);
Dill (one small umbrella or 2-3 green sprigs);
Onion (one medium onion, cut into large rings);
Red hot pepper (1/4 tsp ground or a small piece of fresh pepper);
Celery (a sprig of greenery or a piece of root);
Cherry leaves (2 pcs.);
Cherry leaves (2-3 pcs.);
Currant leaves (2-3 pcs.).

Amount of brine for pickling

Another burning issue when soaking watermelons is the question of the amount of brine. How to calculate it correctly?

This can be done in two ways, depending on the pieces of chopped berries:

5 liters of brine will be needed for a watermelon weighing 5 kilograms, which is cut into large pieces;
3 liters of brine, if you cut the watermelon into small pieces.

This tastes like watermelon spiced wine. That is why it can be served in pieces or by squeezing the juice into a jug.

The benefit is obvious: we get a vigorous snack with vodka or an almost carbonated watermelon drink similar to kvass.

How do seeds affect pickling?

When salting watermelons in jars with an iron lid, be sure to try to remove the seeds, otherwise we risk an “explosion” of the salted watermelons during storage.

If pickling is planned in a saucepan or in a jar under a nylon lid, then the procedure for removing the seeds is not necessary.

How to speed up the salting time?

If we salt watermelons whole, to speed up salting, use a thick needle to prick the watermelon rind in 10-12 places.

The shortest possible pickling time for watermelons that are salted without the rind is 2 days.

Having dealt with all the nuances, let's study recipes for pickles without using vinegar.

For this recipe, cut off the green skin of the watermelon pieces, leaving only the white flesh.

For a 3 liter jar we will need

2 tbsp. l. Sahara;
1 tbsp. l. salt;
1 tsp. citric acid;
Water – 1.5 liters or as much as will fit into the bottle.

How to pickle watermelon

Place the berries cut into pieces into a jar.
Boil plain water and fill the jars with watermelon. Let it sit for 10 minutes.
Drain the water, put it on the stove, add sugar, salt and citric acid, let it boil.
Refill the watermelon and close with a metal lid. Wrap the jars in a warm towel for at least 5 hours.

For thrill-seekers, we suggest pickling watermelon with mustard. Lightly salted watermelons can be eaten already on the third day, and in a week it will be a real savory gourmet snack!

Salt either in an enamel pan or in a glass jar with a nylon lid. If you use a large watermelon for pickling, then it is better to prepare a wide pan of 5-6 liters for soaking (this will be enough for a watermelon weighing 4-5 kg).

Ingredients

Dry mustard - how much will take;
Salt - how much will take;
Sugar - how much will it take?

Recipe

Since we want to get lightly salted watermelons, we must cut off the skin from the pieces. This will allow the brine to evenly salt our future appetizer.

Cut the watermelon into circles, dividing each circle into 4 parts.
We prepare three plates: pour mustard into the first, salt into the second, sugar into the third.
Lightly rub each piece of berry on all sides with dry mustard, then with salt and finally with sugar.

After this, put the grated pieces into the prepared container.

For the first 2 days we keep the pickling in the kitchen, after which we put it in the refrigerator. On the 3-4th day, you can safely offer your family to feast on lightly salted watermelons.

Another preservative option that can replace vinegar is acetylsalicylic acid. Unlike vinegar, aspirin does not interrupt the taste of watermelon in the finished pickle.

We will need

For the marinade:

1 liter of water;
2 tbsp. Sahara;
1 tbsp. salt;

For a 3 liter jar:

2 sprigs of green dill or a small dried umbrella;
2 bay leaves;
2 cloves of garlic;
5 aspirin tablets.

Preparation

For pickling, choose small, unripe berries.

Using a brush, wash the watermelon and cut it into portions (1 cm thick), which will fit freely into the neck of the jar. We do not separate the rind from the pulp.
Place dill, garlic and bay leaves in a jar (you can replace this standard set with your own).
Place the prepared watermelon and salicylic acid tablets on top of the spices.
Boil the brine for 1-2 minutes and pour boiling water into jars, roll up.
Pour the water into a saucepan, boil and pour in the watermelons.
Let the watermelon stand in boiling water for 5-8 minutes.
Drain the water into a saucepan, add salt, sugar and citric acid. Let the marinade boil.
Add acetylsalicylic acid (3 pieces) to the jar and fill it with the prepared boiling marinade.

We roll up the jar with an iron lid and wrap it until it cools completely.

Sterilized salted watermelons

This recipe can be used when you don't have time to spend too much time in the kitchen. Dill, garlic, currant and cherry leaves can be used as spices for this pickling.

In a clean 3-liter jar we place watermelon pieces from which we first cut off the green skin.
Prepare the filling: mix cold boiled water (1 liter) + 3 tbsp. l. sugar + 1 tbsp. salt. Pour watermelons into a jar.
Leave the jars covered with gauze to sour in a warm place for two days.
On the third day, without draining the brine, sterilize the jars 25 minutes after boiling and seal them.

Delicious watermelons with honey: recipe in jars

This recipe is for those who are not allergic to honey, as this will be the highlight of this recipe. We use natural honey, artificial honey is not suitable.

For the brine you will need

1 liter of water;
1 tbsp. l. salt;
1 tbsp. l. Sahara;
Spices: currant leaves, dill sprigs.

Preparation

Cut the watermelon into quarters, leaving the green skin.
Generously grease the walls of the jar in the middle with honey.
Place pieces of watermelon in a jar, topping them with spice leaves.
Boil the brine, let it cool, fill the jars with watermelon.
Leave the pickling to sour for 3 days.
After 3 days, drain the brine, boil, pour in the watermelons a second time and roll up with iron lids.

Soaked watermelons with garlic for the winter

This recipe will come in handy for those who made a bad purchase and purchased an unripe, half-ripe watermelon. Normal (ripe) watermelon can also be pickled using this recipe.

For pickling, we will need a 3-liter jar and a nylon lid; we do not recommend sealing this pickling under an iron lid.

Ingredients per jar (3 liters)

Salt – 1 tbsp;
Sugar - 1 tbsp;
Dry mustard – 0.5 tsp;
Garlic – 3 cloves.

How to cook

Throw garlic cloves into the bottom of the jar, and spices if desired.
Add watermelon slices ¾ volume. This condition is mandatory.
Add salt, sugar, mustard and fill everything with chilled boiled water to the top.
We tie the neck of the jar with gauze and leave the watermelons to sour in a warm place for two days.

After about this time, fermentation will stop and the jar, closed with a nylon lid, can be hidden in the refrigerator or any other cool place.

How to pickle watermelons in a jar (video)

Now that all the nuances have been considered, recipes for pickling (soaking) without using vinegar have been studied, it’s time to start preparing this rather rare snack in our area. Watermelons in jars, rolled up for the winter, will be a real surprise for your friends and guests on New Year's holidays.

Do you want to surprise guests who come to visit you, say, on New Year's Eve? Serve pickled watermelons to the table - impressions are guaranteed! Well, for those who are not slightly shocked by the phrase “salted watermelons”, they will be an excellent snack option at any feast.

Our ancestors wanted to prepare not only cucumbers, tomatoes, cabbage and other vegetables, but also all kinds of fruits and berries for the winter - and watermelons were “honored” in this regard. Salting and pickling watermelons was a very popular thing in the old days, but today the combination of the words salted and pickled with the word watermelons can plunge many into a slight shock, and such preparations can hardly be called common. It is also impossible to say with certainty that absolutely everyone will like such preservation - this preparation is not for everyone, but if you have never tried it, then try it, and you will be able to immediately decide whether you like pickled or salted watermelons. Well, so that you can be sure that you did everything correctly and prepared this preparation as tasty as it can be, we will tell you in detail about recipes and methods for preparing watermelons for the winter.

Recipes and features of preparing watermelon preparations for the winter

You can salt and pickle watermelons for the winter either whole or sliced; with the second option, if the rind is thick, then it should be cut off, and the thin rind is most often left. As for the composition of the ingredients and products for preparing the filling, they can be very different: salt and sugar, garlic, dill, currant and cherry leaves, honey, aspirin, vinegar, horseradish, celery, etc. are added to watermelons.

It’s also great that you can preserve unripe, greenish and unsweetened watermelons - don’t rush to throw them away after an unsuccessful purchase.

Classic watermelon pickling recipe

You will need: 1.5-2 kg of watermelons, 1 liter of water, 70 ml of vinegar 9%, 3 tbsp. sugar, 1.5 tbsp. salt.

How to pickle or marinate watermelon. Pour water into the pan, add sugar and salt, bring to a boil, boil for 10-15 minutes, then strain the filling and pour vinegar into it, stir. Cut the watermelon into small pieces, put it in a 3-liter jar, pour in hot brine, cover with lids and sterilize for 20 minutes, roll up, turn the jars upside down, wrap in a blanket and let cool.

Whether to cut the rind from a watermelon for pickling according to this recipe is up to everyone to decide for themselves, if desired.

Recipe for pickling watermelon with garlic

You will need: watermelon, garlic, for the marinade - based on 1 jar with a capacity of 3 liters: 80 g of sugar, 80 ml of table vinegar, 50 g of salt.

How to marinate watermelon with garlic. Cut the juicy ripe watermelon into slices, cut off the peel and place in jars without compacting, put a clove of garlic in each jar and pour in boiling water, leave for a few minutes, pour the water into a saucepan, bring to a boil, pour in the watermelons again, then pour the water into the saucepan again. , add salt, sugar, bring to a boil, pour in vinegar and pour over watermelons. Seal the jars with sterilized lids, turn them over for a day, and then store them in a cool place.

You can marinate watermelons with a lot of spices and additives.

Recipe for aromatic pickled watermelons

You will need: 2 kg of watermelon, 1.2-1.5 liters of water, for each jar - 8 black peppercorns, 4 bay leaves and garlic cloves, 2 celery sprigs, 2 tbsp. sugar, 1 tbsp. rock salt, 1 tbsp. vinegar essence or 1 tsp. citric acid.

How to marinate watermelon with spices. Sterilize lids and jars. Rinse the watermelon with cold water, cut into small pieces, and cut off the rind if desired. Place a sprig of celery, garlic, pepper, bay on the bottom of the jars, place the watermelon on top without compacting it, put 1 more sprig of celery on top, pour in boiling water, let stand for 20 minutes, cover the jars with lids, drain the water, bring to a boil, adding sugar. and salt (the recipe gives the amount of ingredients for one 3 liter jar), boil for 2 minutes, pour 1 tbsp into the jars. essences or add citric acid, pour in the hot marinade, screw the lids on the jars, wrap them in a blanket, turn them upside down and let them cool in this position.

If you don’t want to take risks and waste time preparing something that you may not like in the end, try marinating watermelons first using this quick recipe - then you can get an idea of the taste of this original snack and decide, based on this experience, whether you need preserve watermelons for the winter.

Recipe for quick pickled watermelons

You will need: 5 kg of watermelon, pour 4 liters of water with 9% vinegar - 260 g, 250 g of sugar, 125 g of salt.

How to quickly pickle watermelon. Place half of a large watermelon in a large saucepan. In a separate container, mix water with sugar, salt and bring to a boil. Pour vinegar or essence (35g) into the watermelon, pour the prepared marinade into the pan, cover it with a lid, let it cool completely, put it in a cool place for 2 days, after this time the watermelon will be ready.

Using the same recipe, you can pickle watermelon by cutting it into pieces, then it will be ready in 10-12 hours.

Try to prepare such an unusual preparation as pickled or salted watermelon for the winter, and enjoy it, surprising your guests and delighting your loved ones.