I bet you have never had Watermelon Rind Kimchi. I first saw it on Instagram last year and now it is my favorite type of kimchi to make. It has a very fruity flavor but it is still funky and salty like regular kimchi. You can eat it right away but I like to ferment mine for 1-3 days so it gets more sour.
Can't get enough of Kimchi Recipes? Try my Chayote Kimchi next!
๐ฐ๐ท About This Recipe
Watermelon Rind Kimchi is one of my FAVORITE types of kimchi. Ever since I made it last year, I look forward to it every single summer. It is made using the white parts of watermelon rinds. It is fruity, savory, crunchy, and has all the delicious flavors of regular kimchi.
I will admit it is a little time-consuming to cut off the skin of the watermelon but it is well worth the effort. To make it easier, I like to first cut the watermelon into slices then cut the skin off individually from each piece. I will show you more about it below.
๐ง Ingredients
- Watermelon Rinds: I am using one medium-sized watermelon. You want to find one with a thick rind. Try to find one that is shiny and a bit lighter for how it looks. Usually, the pink part is the heaviest part so if it feels lighter, it has more rind.
- Salt: Salt is an essential ingredient for fermentation. It adds flavor and helps promote a good environment for the microbes to flourish.
- Kimchi paste: This is made with garlic, ginger, onion, fish sauce, and some watermelon flesh. The watermelon flesh helps "thicken" the paste so it sticks to the rinds better.
- Gochugaru: This is a type of Korean chili flake. There is a coarse grind and a fine grind. For kimchi, you will want to use the coarse grind. Choose the package that has the most vibrant color. If the color is fading, it means the gochugaru is not as fresh.
- Scallions
๐ช Instructions
STEP 1: Slice the watermelon into triangles. Cut away most of the red flesh while leaving some lighter pink flesh behind. Trim off the green skin and cut the rinds into small chunks. Transfer to a large bowl.
STEP 2: Toss the watermelon rinds with salt and let them sit for 60 minutes. About halfway in between, toss them again to distribute the salt. After 60 minutes, rinse the rinds under cold tap water, then use your hands to squeeze them to remove excess water. Transfer to a large, clean bowl.
STEP 3: Now, let's make the kimchi paste. Place the watermelon flesh in a food processor and blend into a puree. Add the garlic, ginger, onions, and fish sauce and blend until smooth.
STEP 4: Add the kimchi paste, gochugaru, and scallions to the bowl of watermelon rinds and mix until well combined. At this point, you can eat the kimchi immediately, but I recommend letting it ferment at room temperature for 1-3 days.
STEP 5: To ferment, pack the kimchi tightly into a glass container, loosely cover it with a lid, and ferment at room temperature for 1-3 days. I like to check the flavor of the kimchi every 24 hours. When you are happy with the flavor, transfer it to the fridge where it will keep well for up to one month.
๐ Recipe
Best Watermelon Rind Kimchi
Ingredients
- 2 pounds watermelon rind slices (about ยพ of a medium watermelon)
- 1 ยฝ tablespoons coarse kosher salt
- 1 cup watermelon flesh
- 5 cloves garlic
- ยพ inch knob ginger
- ยฝ small onion
- ยผ cup fish sauce
- ยผ cup gochugaru
- 2 scallion greens (thinly sliced)
Instructions
- Slice the watermelon into triangles. Cut away most of the red flesh while leaving some lighter pink flesh behind. Trim off the green skin and cut the rinds into small chunks. Transfer to a large bowl.
- Toss the watermelon rinds with salt and let them sit for 60 minutes. About halfway in between, toss them again to distribute the salt. After 60 minutes, rinse the rinds under cold tap water, then use your hands to squeeze them to remove excess water. Transfer to a large, clean bowl.
- Now, let's make the kimchi paste. Place the watermelon flesh in a food processor and blend into a puree. Add the garlic, ginger, onions, and fish sauce and blend until smooth.
- Add the kimchi paste, gochugaru, and scallions to the bowl of watermelon rinds and mix until well combined. At this point, you can eat the kimchi immediately, but I recommend letting it ferment at room temperature for 1-3 days.
- To ferment, pack the kimchi tightly into a glass container, loosely cover it with a lid, and ferment at room temperature for 1-3 days. I like to check the flavor of the kimchi every 24 hours. When you are happy with the flavor, transfer it to the fridge where it will keep well for up to one month.
Leave a Reply