Simple recipes for the winter: how to pickle watermelons in jars

Summer time is too short, but you want to enjoy the gifts of nature for as long as possible. A method that comes to the rescue is salting in jars for the winter. And we’re not talking about cucumbers and tomatoes, but about sweet and juicy watermelons!

From our article you will learn what to combine berries with, how to prepare them for pickling, and also arm yourself with 10 simple and varied recipes.

Features of salting watermelons

Watermelon - berry unpretentious, it is not difficult to prepare it for the winter. Remember a few rules:

• an overripe watermelon is suitable for making jam or preserves, but not in pieces;
• remove the grains in any case, and remove the crust according to the recipe or desire;
• sugar should always be 2-3 times more salt;
• Use vinegar as little as possible; it is better to choose citric acid.

What ingredients and spices will you need?

Any housewife knows that there is a successful combination of products, and there is a not so good one..

Watermelon goes well with the following foods and spices:

• onion sweet onion;
• red bell pepper;
• melon;
• ground red and black pepper;
• carnation;
• honey;
• grain and powder mustard;
• cinnamon;
• vanilla.

You can safely add these ingredients to your favorite recipe. Combination with celery, carrots, apples, and cherry leaves is not recommended.

Pickling recipes

We present to your attention 10 recipes, thanks to which you will learn how to properly salt watermelons in jars for the winter.

Classic recipe

The simplest recipe that does not require sterilization of the finished product.We advise you not to complicate the recipe with additional ingredients and not to increase the amount of salt.

Ingredients for 1 liter:

• 800 g watermelon;
• 3 tbsp. l. heaped sugar;
• 1 tbsp. l. salt without a slide;
• peppercorns to taste;
• 1 tsp. citric acid.

Cooking method:

1. Wash the watermelon and dry with a towel.
2. Cut the dry watermelon in half, then into large slices.
3. Remove the grains and cut off the crust from the slices as desired.
4. Cut the slices into triangles of such a size that they fit into the neck of the jar.
5. Place the watermelon pieces in a container to drain excess juice.
6. At this time, wash the jars with a soda solution. Rinse.
7. After 5-7 minutes, sterilize and pour boiling water over the lids.
8. Fill dry containers with watermelon pieces.
9. Boil water, pour boiling water into jars.
10. Cover the jars with lids and leave for half an hour.
11. After 30 minutes, drain the water into the pan, add salt, sugar and peppercorns.
12. Bring to a boil.
13. Pour citric acid into the jars and pour the marinade into the jars.
14. Seal tightly.
15. Leave it upside down at room temperature for two days, then put it in the cellar.

With honey

Honey watermelons are popular among children and those with a sweet tooth.

What you will need for a 1 liter jar:

• 900 g watermelon;
• 3 tbsp. l. Sahara;
• 2 tbsp. l. salt;
• 1 tbsp. l. honey

How to cook:

1. Wash the watermelon with cold water and wipe dry.
2. Cut the berry in half.
3. Cut the halves into oblong pieces.
4. Cut off the crust and remove the seeds.
5. Cut the pieces in half. Make sure they fit into the jar easily.
6. Sterilize clean jars in the oven along with the lids.
7. Fill the jars to the top with watermelon slices.
8. Put the water on the fire, immediately adding honey.
9. Add salt and sugar to boiling water.
10. Mix well and turn off the stove.
11. Gradually pour the marinade into the jars. Cover the containers with lids.
12. Sterilize for 10 minutes.
13. Seal and invert for 24 hours.

Sterilization times are indicated for a liter jar. For a 1.5-liter jar it is 12 minutes, for a 3-liter jar it is 17 minutes.

With herbs and spices

Watermelons prepared according to this recipe differ in both taste and aroma. At your discretion, you can exclude one of the spices or add bay leaves or peppercorns.

Required for 1 liter:

• 800 g watermelon;
• 1 sprig of parsley;
• 1 sprig of dill;
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon;
• 1 tsp. mustard powder;
• 0.5 tsp. mustard beans;
• 0.5 tsp. ground red pepper;
• 2 pcs. carnations;
• 0.5 tsp. ground black pepper;
• 0.5 tsp. citric acid;
• 1.5 tbsp. l. salt;
• 4 tbsp. l. Sahara.

How to pickle watermelon:

1. Wash and dry the watermelon.
2. Wash the jars with detergent or soda solution, rinse well with cool water.
3. Sterilize after 5-7 minutes. If you start sterilizing jars that have just been in cold water, they may crack.
4. Cut the watermelon into oblong slices, as for serving.
5. Cut the slices themselves into 2-3 more pieces.
6. Remove the grains.
7. Coarsely chop the greens.
8. Place cloves and all the herbs at the bottom of dry, sterilized jars.
9. Next, lay out the watermelon pieces.
10. Top with mustard seeds and cinnamon.
11. Put the water to boil.
12. Add salt, sugar, all types of pepper and mustard powder to the already boiling water.
13. Boil for 4 minutes, stirring constantly.
14. Add citric acid to the jars and immediately begin pouring the marinade.
15. Cover the jars with lids.
16. Sterilize for 10 minutes.
17. Seal tightly; there is no need to turn the containers over.
18. Remove to a place of permanent storage after two days.

Advice. Due to the abundance of herbs and spices, pieces of watermelon may become softer, so cutting off the rind is not recommended in order to maintain its shape.

With pepper

We recommend using red pepper for this recipe. Green and yellow will reveal less of the watermelon flavor.

Ingredients for 1 liter:

• 700 g watermelon;
• 2 medium bell peppers (preferably red);
• 3 tbsp. l. salt;
• 1 onion;
• 2.5 tbsp. l. sugar with a slide.

How to cook:

1. Prepare the main ingredients: wash the watermelon and peppers well with cool water and dry. You can wipe it with a towel.
2. It’s better to take liter jars, wash them, rinse them.
3. Cut the watermelon into oblong pieces, cut off the rind and remove the grains. It is best to cut the grains using the tip of a sharp knife.
4. Cut the peppers into slices, remove seeds and membranes.
5. Peel the onion and cut into large rings.
6. Sterilize the jars in the oven or over a saucepan.
7. Place onion rings at the bottom of dry prepared jars.
8. Next, alternate layers of watermelon pulp and pepper so that the pepper is the top layer.
9. Fill a saucepan with water and place on the stove at maximum heat.
10. Pour boiling water into jars. Try to fill the jars gradually.
11. Cover the containers with lids and cool for 15 minutes.
12. Drain the water back into the pan, add sugar and salt. Mix well. Bring to a boil.
13. Remove the boiling marinade from heat and pour into jars.
14. Use a seaming wrench to close the jars.
15. Turn over and check for leaks and cracks.
16. Leave at room temperature for a day, then transfer to the cellar.

With citric acid

Citric acid extends the shelf life of products. If you add lemon juice, the taste will be very piquant.The large amount of sugar is due to the fact that citric acid and lemon juice give a sour taste.

Ingredients for 1 liter:

• 900 g watermelon;
• 1 tbsp. l. lemon juice;
• 1 tsp. citric acid without a slide;
• 5 tbsp. l. Sahara;
• 3 tbsp. l. salt;
• peppercorns optional.

How to cook:

1. Cut the clean and dry watermelon into pieces so that it is easy to cut off the rind.
2. Cut off the crust and remove the grains.
3. If the pieces are too large, chop the pulp smaller.
4. Wash the jars with soda solution, rinse and sterilize in the usual way.
5. Fill the jars with watermelon pieces.
6. Put water on the fire, immediately adding lemon juice.
7. Add salt and sugar to boiling water and stir well.
8. After boiling for 2 minutes, add citric acid and stir.
9. Remove from heat and fill jars with brine.
10. Screw on the lids and leave in the room for 24 hours.

Pieces

Salted watermelon in pieces is very convenient when serving. Children eat it with pleasure instead of regular sweets. Honey gives the pieces shine and keeps their shape.

Ingredients for a liter jar:

• 900 g watermelon;
• 0.5 tsp. honey (optional);
• 4 tbsp. l. Sahara;
• 1.5 tbsp. l. salt.

Cooking method:

1. Cut clean and dry watermelon into pieces.
2. We need the pulp, so cut off the crusts and remove the grains.
3. Cut the resulting pulp into small cubes.
4. Wash the jars with soda solution.
5. Once the jars are dry, place them in the oven to sterilize. Before doing this, inspect for chips and cracks.
6. Pour boiling water over the lids.
7. Fill sterilized jars with watermelon pieces without compacting.
8. Boil the water.
9. Add salt and sugar to boiling water and mix well.
10. If using honey, add it to the jars.
11. Fill each jar with marinade.
12. Cover the containers with lids.
13. Sterilize liter jars for 8 minutes.
14. Roll up and leave in room conditions for a day.

Advice. An overripe watermelon is not suitable for this preparation - the pieces may become deformed.

Without sterilization

If you do not use finished product sterilization and vinegar, a triple fill will be required. This procedure is more common for pickling cucumbers, but it is also suitable in this case.

Ingredients for 1 liter:

• 900 g watermelon;
• 2 tbsp. l. salt;
• 2 tbsp. l. Sahara;
• 1 bay leaf;
• peppercorns to taste.

How to salt watermelon:

1. Wash the watermelon and cut into pieces.
2. Cut off the crust and remove the grains.
3. Wash the jars with soda solution. It is not advisable to use detergent.
4. Be sure to sterilize clean and dried jars, even if you do not sterilize the finished product.
5. Cut the watermelon pieces into slices.
6. Put the water on fire. Bring to a boil.
7. Pour boiling water into jars.
8. Cover the jars with lids. Leave it like this for 15 minutes.
9. After 15 minutes, carefully pour the water back into the pan and boil again.
10. Pour boiling water into the jars again and cover with lids. Cool for 10 minutes.
11. Drain the water into the pan again. Add the remaining ingredients: bay leaf, peppercorns, salt and sugar. Stir thoroughly and bring to a boil.
12. After boiling, cook for 2 minutes and remove from heat.
13. Pour into jars, pour in gradually.
14. Seal with lids. It is advisable to boil them first.
15. Turn upside down and leave at room temperature for 24 hours.
16. After the specified time, transfer the jars to a cool and dark place.

With acetylsalicylic acid

Aspirin in the recipe allows you to avoid adding vinegar or citric acid and keeps the product fresh for a long time.Add it at the rate of one tablet per liter jar.

Important! Do not use effervescent aspirin.

Ingredients for 1 liter:

• 900 g watermelon;
• 1 aspirin tablet;
• 1 tbsp. l. salt;
• 3 tbsp. l. Sahara;
• peppercorns.

Cooking method:

1. Wash a small watermelon and dry with a towel.
2. Cut into oblong pieces.
3. Cut off the crust (optional), remove the grains (required).
4. Cut the pieces into smaller pieces.
5. Wash the jars and rinse thoroughly.
6. Sterilize both jars and lids. The lids can simply be doused with boiling water.
7. Fill the jars with watermelon pieces.
8. Fill the pan with water, turn on the heat.
9. While the water is boiling, grind the aspirin.
10. Once the water boils, add aspirin to the jars.
11. Pour boiling water over watermelon slices.
12. Immediately seal the jars using a seaming wrench.
13. Without turning over, leave at room temperature for 48 hours, then transfer to a storage location.

Salted in watermelon mass

Salting watermelon in watermelon mass is another original recipe.

Ingredients for a liter jar:

• 1.5 kg watermelon;
• 3 tbsp. l. salt;
• 4 tbsp. l. Sahara;
• 0.5 tsp. citric acid.

Cooking method:

1. Wash the watermelon in cold water and dry with a towel.
2. Cut the watermelon as you would for serving.
3. Cut off the crust and remove all grains.
4. Next, divide the watermelon pulp into 2 parts. Cut one part into slices that are easy to eat.
5. The second part can be cut less carefully. Then put it into a blender and turn it into a homogeneous mass.
6. Add salt and sugar, transfer to a saucepan or basin.
7. Place on medium heat.
8. While the mixture is cooking, sterilize clean jars.
9. Fill the jars with pieces for pickling.
10. Try to stir the watermelon mixture periodically, as it may burn. Don't turn up the heat.
11. When the watermelon mixture boils, add citric acid, reduce heat to low, and stir.
12. Cook for 4-5 minutes.
13. Fill the jars with the mixture.
14. Immediately seal and invert for 24 hours.

Cold way

This preparation will take more time, but the taste will remind you of childhood.

Ingredients for a 3-liter jar:

• 2.5 kg watermelon;
• 1.5 tbsp. l. salt;
• 2.5 tbsp. l. Sahara;
• 1 liter of water.

Cooking method:

1. Wash the watermelon and wipe with a dry towel.
2. Cut into small slices.
3. Remove the grains, but do not cut off the crust.
4. Take a liter of water into a saucepan, add salt and sugar. Mix well until completely dissolved.
5. Add watermelon slices to the pan. The water should cover them completely. If it's missing, add it.
6. Now you need pressure: cover the pan with a plate so that it presses the watermelon slices, preventing air from entering. And place something heavy on top, for example, a jar of water.
7. Place the pan in a dark place for 72 hours. Look under the plate once a day to prevent mold from forming. Raid is acceptable.
8. After three days, watermelon ready to eat. But we need a watermelon for the winter. Therefore, sterilize clean jars. Place watermelon slices in them.
9. Pour the marinade from the pan into another pan and boil. Find out in advance whether there is enough water. Add before boiling.
10. Pour cooled cold water over watermelon slices marinade. Seal the jars.
11. Immediately transfer to the cellar or pantry.

Recommendations for storage in the cellar and apartment

The cellar is an ideal place to store watermelons for 9-10 months. Here, both the temperature and the level of lighting are as favorable as possible for the workpieces. You can place jars in the cellar in any order, with any “neighbors”.

If there is no cellar, we recommend storing the preparations in a dark and cool place. Perhaps you have a closet in an unheated dark vestibule, it will do just fine. If there is none, you can store the workpiece in the refrigerator. But keep in mind that the shelf life will be reduced to 5-6 months, after which the watermelons will become empty and tasteless.

Let's sum it up

So, pickling watermelon for the winter - it’s a simple matter. Arm yourself with a seaming wrench, sterilized jars, a set of spices - and go ahead.

Do not forget that overripe watermelon is not suitable for pickling in pieces. Combine berries with spices, pepper and onions. Store the workpieces in a dark and cool place. An open jar should be eaten within a week.