Ingredients
| 200g granulated white sugar | |
| 100ml water | |
| 100ml white-wine vinegar | |
| handful fresh mint | |
| 1 tablespoon sea salt | |
| 2.5cm ginger | |
| 1 teaspoon chilli flakes (optional) | |
| 1 melon (honeydew, cantaloupe, watermelon or a mixture) | |
| EQUIPMENT | |
| Scale | |
| measuring jug | |
| melon baller | |
| saucepan | |
| fine-mesh sieve | |
| airtight jar(s) |
These make a really pretty garnish, and the sweet, sour and spicy brine can be used in lots of different styles of drinks for a fruity and zesty pop. A melon baller will help for aesthetics, but if you don’t have one just chop the melon into dainty cubes; smaller pieces also mean they will pickle more quickly. This basic process can be used for all sorts of fruits and veggies.
PREP
Use a melon baller to scoop out the flesh of your melon. Chop the mint roughly. Peel and roughly slice the ginger.
Instructions
| 1. | Combine the sugar, water, vinegar and mint in a saucepan and stir over a low heat until the sugar dissolves. |
| 2. | Once it is about to boil, take it off the heat and allow it to steep for around an hour to infuse the mint. |
| 3. | Strain and return the liquid to the saucepan. |
| 4. | Add the salt, ginger and chilli and bring to the boil. |
| 5. | Pack the melon balls into your jar as tightly as possible without squishing them. |
| 6. | Carefully pour in the hot pickling liquid, making sure all the melon is covered and leaving about 1cm at the top of the jar. |
| 7. | Seal and allow to cool. |
| 8. | You can start to use these after a day or two, but the longer you leave them the more the flavour will develop. |
| 9. | STORE |
| 10. | They can be kept in a cool, dark place for a week or so. Once opened store in the fridge for up to 6 months. |
| 11. | They will soften, so use within a few months for a crunchier texture. |
This is an edited
extract from Behind
the Home Bar
by Cara Devine,
published by
Hardie Grant
Books, RRP: $36.99,
photography by
Gareth Sobey.