Did you know a whole watermelon can be eaten from rind to flesh? Well, not the seeds (unless you’re planting them 😉). The light green/white rind can be pickled and made into the most tasty and crunchy kimchi.
And a bonus hack: Wash and peel the dark green skin and blend it with filtered water. The nutritional value is similar to wheatgrass! Yep, a great source of amino acids, healthy digestion, immune system and so much more. No-waste cooking never tasted so good!
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Watermelon Rind Kimchi
- Yield: 3 cups 1x
Description
No-waste watermelon kimchi makes for the perfect spicy, crunchy, salty, and sweet addition to your banchan.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 small watermelon, about 3 cups watermelon rind
- Salt
- 3 tablespoons gochugaru
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
- 3–4 scallions (about 1 cup), finely chopped
Instructions
- With a vegetable peeler, peel the green skin off the watermelon. Cut the top and bottom off, barely reaching the bright red flesh. Tip the watermelon on its flat cut side and peel all remaining sides (try to cut wide strips that are consistent in width and thickness).
- Chop each peeled rind piece into ½ – 1 inch cubes. Place the cubed watermelon rind into a medium bowl and salt, about 1 teaspoon per cup of rind. Mix thoroughly and let sit to brine for 25-30 minutes.
- While the watermelon rind brines, make the kimchi paste. In a large bowl mix gochugaru, fish sauce, sugar, toasted sesame seeds, sesame oil, and minced garlic. Mix thoroughly, set aside.
- Finely chop 3-4 scallions, add to the bowl with kimchi paste.
- After the watermelon rind has brinded for 30 minutes, wash with fresh, cold water and drain. Squeeze the rind by hand in sections, or use a cheesecloth to ring out excess moisture. The rind should feel damp but not wet.
- Add the dried rind to the bowl with kimchi paste. Mix ingredients well until the rind is completely coated. Enjoy within 3 days.
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