Stop Tossing Out Watermelon Rinds And Add Them To This Classic Side Dish Instead

If you're a big fan of watermelon but haven't yet eaten the rind, you're missing out. We're not talking about the thin green skin, but rather that white or greenish part between the skin and the pink flesh. This perfectly edible part of the fruit has the texture of a cucumber and a mild and slightly floral taste that makes it a pretty incredible ingredient. You can cook it up, but you can also take raw watermelon rinds and turn them into a bright and tangy coleslaw that will suit the heat of summer perfectly.

To get the rind out, you can use Alton Brown's kitchen gadget hack to remove watermelon rinds in a flash (a hand-held cheese slicer without the metal roller). But the rind is also easy to cut through by hand, so you can just slice it away from the green outer skin with any sharp kitchen knife. Once you have all three parts of the watermelon separated, you can save the pink flesh for snacking on and toss the green fruit peels into the compost. You can easily grate the white rind using a cheese or vegetable grater given its firmish texture. Once you have it all grated, add in your coleslaw ingredients. We suggest using lighter, more acidic flavors compared to other mayo-based slaws. Try things like mustard, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, and salt. You can add in other veggies like purple cabbage or grated carrots for a more robust slaw, too.

Once you have the basics for your watermelon rind coleslaw, you can start adding your own flair to the dish. We love to make ours with bright and citrusy flavors like orange and especially lemon. A good lemon vinaigrette with a sprinkle of lemon zest makes for a delightfully fresh bite, and adding candied lemon peels brings some sweetness in for a more balanced flavor profile. Because watermelon rind has some subtle sweetness to it, you could also make a dessert slaw. We suggest adding grated Asian pear and apple along with the rinds and then seasoning with cinnamon and nutmeg.

Meanwhile, some recipes also call for ingredients like pickle brine or bell peppers for extra crunch and tang. If you want to skip adding pickle juice to your grated watermelon rinds, you can pickle them directly instead. Pickled watermelon rinds make a great garnish, especially for sausages, burgers, and other greasy meats, kind of like sauerkraut. The natural freshness and slight sweetness set watermelon rinds apart from other, similarly textured vegetables like cucumber or daikon radish. Meanwhile, its inoffensive flavor profile makes it easy to combine with other ingredients or add to a variety of dishes with no fuss. Give it a try and see for yourself; you'll probably end up with a new favorite dish to bring to your next barbecue.