Most people tend to throw out the pale, firm rinds of a watermelon. In a TikTok video, food creator Jose el Cook (@jose.elcook) shows how to make crisp, spiced pickles from watermelon rinds.
It’s a twist on older rind recipes but leans into bolder, spiced flavors. The clip racked up over 28,000 likes and 3,700 saves.
The scoop
The OP mixes rice vinegar, apple cider vinegar, water, and a bit of mirin (sweet rice wine) in a pot. He adds salt, cloves, bay leaves, chili, and honey — simple, unfussy ingredients. He then boils the brine.
After cleaning and slicing the rinds into spears, he pours the hot brine over them. Once cooled, he moves the jar to the fridge. After a day or two, the rinds turn slightly brown but stay crisp. The tangy flavor bursts — nothing like what you’d expect from a rind.
This was part of a larger recipe series. In an earlier video, the same creator uses the watermelon to make a Korean punch called hwachae.
He then pickles the rinds next, creating two dishes from a single fruit — with almost nothing wasted.
Some viewers said that the rinds can also be candied. This complements other low-effort snack ideas like smoothie bombs and tortilla chips made from leftover ingredients.
How it’s helping
Recipes like this introduce people to a whole new way of thinking about food — turning what’s typically thrown away into something delicious.
Turning rinds into pickles also means one less snack to buy. It helps you get more out of your grocery trip while keeping healthy options for everyone.
Snacks like this cut down on impulse buys and pre-packaged options. That means more value from your groceries and more savings, which adds up over time.
Feeding America reported that people in the U.S. throw out around 92 billion pounds of food each year. Learning to repurpose leftovers is one way to bring that number down. When food waste decomposes in landfills, it releases harmful gases that contribute to pollution.
Using leftover ingredients in creative ways helps reduce that impact. For a less wasteful kitchen, you can also try keeping your food fresh for longer and making plant-based dishes that use the whole plant.
What everyone’s saying
Overall, the responses to the recipe were warm and showed a sense of amusement.
One commenter wrote, “I really love zero waste recipes. This is awesome.”
Another added, “I really want to try this, but I know my mom will think I’m crazy … meh.”
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