Salted watermelon for winter

Salted watermelon is a light, savory appetizer and an excellent addition to both an everyday lunch and a festive table. It pairs wonderfully with meat, fish, and vegetable dishes and is sure to appeal even to those who do not consider themselves fans of home canning and preserving.

Adding cloves to the watermelon marinade not only enhances its flavor but can also increase its nutritional value. Cloves contain exceptionally high levels of manganese, a mineral essential for the proper metabolism of fats and carbohydrates, collagen production, and maintaining strong bones. They also contain eugenol, a highly active compound known for its antiseptic properties and potential role in supporting the immune system.

In addition, cloves are rich in tannins, which give this spice its characteristic bitter and astringent flavor. Tannins may also help suppress inflammatory processes and protect the body from oxidative stress that can damage cells.

CraftOil offers a huge, regularly updated and continuously expanding range of products. Our catalog always includes environmentally friendly, high-quality cloves, stored under ideal conditions and packaged in convenient plastic containers on the day your order is placed.

We guarantee premium quality for our cloves, as well as our other spices, seasonings, and dried herbs, along with fast shipping to any region of Ukraine and worldwide.

Ingredients

To make salted watermelon for winter, you will need the following ingredients for a 3-liter jar:

• 1 small watermelon (4–5 kg / 9–11 lb);
• 2 liters of water;
• 4 tablespoons of sugar (you can add more if the watermelon is not very sweet);
• 1 tablespoon of salt;
• 1 teaspoon of whole cloves;
• 1 bay leaf;

Step-by-step preparation

Wash the watermelon thoroughly under running water. Cut off the stem end and slice the watermelon into moderately sized wedges. Carefully place the pieces into a thoroughly washed and sterilized jar without pressing or packing them down too tightly.

Pour the water into a saucepan or another suitable container and bring it to a boil. As soon as the water boils, pour it over the watermelon. Cover the jar with a lid and let it stand for 8–10 minutes.

Next, pour the liquid back into the saucepan. Add the salt and sugar, followed by the cloves and bay leaf. Bring the marinade to a boil.

Pour the hot marinade over the watermelon, seal the jar, turn it upside down, and wrap it in a warm blanket or towel. Leave it in this position for 24 hours.

If you are not preserving the watermelon for winter, simply allow the jar to cool and then place it in the main compartment of the refrigerator. The watermelon will be ready to eat after 24 hours.

Notes:

If you want the watermelon to have an especially rich aroma, you can replace the whole bay leaf with 1/2 teaspoon of dried, crushed bay leaf. Adding coriander will give the appetizer a distinctive aroma and make its flavor more intense.

Ground coriander, coriander seeds, bay leaves, and many other spices and seasonings for meat, fish, lard, and other dishes are always available at the Ukrainian online store CraftOil. The store also offers an excellent selection of grains, seeds, flours, and cold-pressed raw vegetable oils made from them..