Watermelon Rind Kimchi

Name: Watermelon Rind Kimchi
Ingredients: 2 cups watermelon rind (white part only, from about 1/2 of a seedless watermelon), all green waxy skin removed; 1 tablespoon kosher salt; 1 bunch chives, cut into 2 inch pieces; 1 inch piece of ginger, julienned; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tablespoon gochugaru (Korean chili flakes); tablespoon honey

4/4

Reviews (4)

Have Made It

A traditional Korean side dish, kimchi has made its way into mainstream culture in a big way! This recipe has been tweaked for the American palate by replacing cabbage with watermelon rind and the removal of fish sauce. You’ll be so glad you tried it!

Watch the recipe video below.

Yields

4 side dish sized servings

Ingredients

2 cups watermelon rind (white part only, from about 1/2 of a seedless watermelon), all green waxy skin removed
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 bunch chives, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 inch piece of ginger, julienned
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
tablespoon honey

Instructions

Cut the watermelon rind into thin strips about 2 inches long. Place the rind strips in a large bowl and toss with the salt. Let sit for 1 hour.
For a less salty kimchi, rinse the rind and dry on paper towels. If you want more salt, no need to rinse. In a large bowl, combine the rind with the chives, ginger, garlic, gochugaru (add more or less gochugara depending on how spicy you like it) and honey. Stir to combine.
Transfer the kimchi to a jar or another glass container with a tight fitting lid. Leave the kimchi out at room temperature for 2 days, then move to the refrigerator. The kimchi should be ready to use after about 5 days total.

Recipe Video

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Reviews

Going to try this, thanks! 😊

What a creative way to use watermelon rinds! Thank you 🙂
Recipe makes 1 pint.
Here are my changes:
REDUCE SALT amount by at least 1/3: I definitely recommend reducing the salt to 1/2 tsp – 1 tsp for wilting. You can always add more salt in the end for flavor if needed, and watermelon rinds will wilt with less salt. When I made it, I used 1/2 T (which 1 T is the amount specified) and the rinds were extremely salty. I know the recipe said to rinse the watermelon rinds if one thinks it is too salty, but if someone has never had kimchi before, they don’t know what to expect, is this too salty, is this just right? I will use less and add at the end if necessary. If I go by the recipe, I definitely will be rinsing them after wilting, however now I know and will reduce the salt amount greatly.
ADD LIQUID / BRINE to keep kimchi submerged, especially if making a larger batch: The water from the wilted watermelon can be used IF the combined kimchi is not salty enough, or if too salty just add in some water…this is called the brine.
PUSH DOWN ON KIMCHI TO ELIMINATE AIR BUBBLES BEFORE FERMENTING: Once the brine is in the jar, push down on the kimchi with a wooden spoon so there are no air bubbles. Most times kimchi has a brine which keeps the vegetables submerged under liquid to help it not spoil.