6 to 8 lb. (2 large or 3 medium) firm-ripe melons, such as cantaloupe, honeydew, canary, or a mix
2 C. granulated sugar or vanilla sugar
1 C. spring or filtered water
3/4 C. white wine vinegar
1 tsp. fine sea salt
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
3 sprigs fresh mint

Why filtered water? Fruits pickled in agrodolce pick up all of the flavors in the brine—that’s the whole point, after all. Because water is a main component of the brine, I recommend you filter your tap water or use bottled spring water. This way, you can be sure your pickles won’t take on any off flavors from municipal water-treatment chemicals, such as chlorine, or naturally occurring minerals in well water, like sulfur. Run 3 pint-size mason jars and their lids through the hottest dishwasher cycle to sanitize. Run 3 pint-size mason jars and their lids through the hottest dishwasher cycle to sanitize. Halve and seed the melons. Using a melon baller, carve out about 6 C. melon balls, and place them in a bowl. Reserve any leftover melon for another use. Combine the sugar, water, vinegar, salt, and pepper flakes in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar and salt completely. While the brine is heating, pack the melon balls into the jars as tightly as you can without crushing them. Pour the hot brine into the jars, leaving a 1/2-inch headspace and making sure the melon balls are completely submerged. Insert 1 mint sprig into each jar, pushing down along the side of the jar with the handle of a spoon to submerge in the brine. Cool to room temperature. Screw the lids on tightly, and let the melon cure in the refrigerator for 4 days before serving. The melon will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 month, though it will continue to soften over time.

Variations: The recipe calls for curing the pickles in the refrigerator, but if you’d rather make them shelf-stable until they’re open, you can process the melon in a hot-water bath. Though they will soften over time, the pickles will keep for up to 6 months at room temperature. Simply follow instructions for hot-water canning, processing the jars for 25 minutes.