watermelon rind pickles

One cannot have a southern canning book without including the fruit most associated with the south—the watermelon. But pickling the rind is as much a northern delicacy as it is a southern labor of love. When going through my grandmother’s recipes I found a letter from my paternal grandmother, a Yankee from Philadelphia. After my parents wedding, she sent the recipe for the pickle since there seemed to be a void in the Rockland Plantation repertoire of goodies.

CANING NOTES

• This is a hot pack, sugar saturated recipe.

• pH is not an issue. No testing is required.

• The recipe makes approximately 10 pints or 20 half pints.

• One can make as many jars as they have melons. Adjust liquid accordingly.

INGREDIENTS

1 watermelon rind, prepared (see below)

½ cup canning lime

8 cups cider vinegar

8 pounds sugar

2 tablespoons whole allspice, tied in cheesecloth

2 tablespoons whole cloves, tied in same cheesecloth with allspice

1 stick cinnamon per pint jar ( ½ stick for ½ pints)

Peel the dark green off the melon and cut into workable sections.

Cut the red and almost all of the pink off the rind (a tiny bit of pink looks good!).

Cut the rind into edible, mouth-sized squares or rectangles.

Place chunks into boiling water, reduce heat, wait 3 minutes and remove.

Dissolve canning lime in 1/2 gallon cool water, add cooled rind and allow to soak refrigerated overnight.

Remove rind from soak, rinse and cover in a pot with fresh water. Bring to a boil and cook until fork tender, about 1 hour; drain and rinse.

Bring vinegar to a boil, add sugar and dissolve, add rind and remaining ingredients except cinnamon sticks. Simmer over low heat for 1 hour, or until syrup is thick. Remove spices in cheesecloth.

Place a cinnamon stick in each jar.

Hot pack by filling with rind chunks and then top off to canning line with syrup according to safe canning practices outlined .