Agree that the simultaneous combination of a significant amount of salt and sugar in recipes is not entirely familiar, and to some extent even frightening. Some inexperienced housewives can react similarly to the proposal to prepare a salted watermelon. The recipe for unusual pickles will seem to many not quite familiar. After all, this summer sugar fruit is famous for its sweetness and can not, at first glance, be combined with salt. What is the taste of the proposed dish? First of all, it is a tart, specific snack for an amateur. If you just love pickled cucumbers or light-salted tomatoes, then you will surely like salty watermelon. The recipe may vary in the composition of the ingredients, depending on the packaging used for preservation. Pickled fruits, cut into pieces, are usually closed for the winter in glass containers. In this case, the recipe for salted watermelons in jars provides for the mandatory presence in the solution for pouring vinegar or aspirin. This is necessary for reliable storage. Many housewives use recipes similar to those used in the processing of cucumbers or tomatoes. But if you prefer a natural taste, then try to cook unusual watermelons in barrels. True, you will need much more time to work.
How to salt watermelons in a barrel? Important Tips
In the old days there were no glass jars - modern containers for convenient canning. Therefore, salted watermelons were prepared for the winter in wooden barrels or tubs like cucumbers and cabbage. And in our time, some housewives prefer this method. A prerequisite is, of course, the availability of storage space - a cool room, basement or cellar. If you are going to carry out canning in this way, then you probably will not regret it. After all, how amazing it will be to serve guests, for example, on New Year's holidays a whole salty watermelon! The recipe is simple, but perhaps somewhat laborious. It takes a lot of time for preliminary preparation and laying of products. It is best to use small-sized watermelons, not more than thirty centimeters in diameter. However, they should be a little immature.
Different fill options
The basis for the preparation of brine can be ordinary raw cold water or watermelon pulp along with seeds. Below are a few pouring options suitable for harvesting and making salted watermelon. The brine recipe selected at your discretion from those described below may vary slightly depending on taste preferences. But it’s better to follow it without significant changes:
- Normal. In ten liters of water, dissolve five hundred grams of salt and the same amount of sugar.
- From the flesh. On a bucket of mixed watermelon, you need to take six hundred grams of salt.
- Mustard. Mix four hundred grams of sugar, five hundred salt and half a pack of dry mustard until dissolved in ten liters of cold water.
Pickling
Scald the barrel with boiling water and begin to lay the watermelons in layers. A thick fill with the use of pulp needs to be poured a little immediately on top of the fruits, while making sure that they do not float. Aqueous saline solutions are used after the barrel is completely filled with watermelons. When the level in the container does not reach the edges by about ten to fifteen centimeters, stop laying the fruits. Lay on top of the cling film and cover it with sand for a complete seal. After two to three months, you can open the barrel and take a sample. Have a good tasting!