by iStock/DebbiSmirnoff
5 pints
SERVINGS
Ingredients
- 4 to 5 quarts watermelon rind
- 4 quarts plus 2 cups cold water, divided
- 3 tablespoons salt
- 3 cups vinegar
- 10 cups sugar
- 1 tablespoon whole cloves
- 3 sticks cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons peppercorns
- 1 piece dried ginger root
- 1/2 cup maraschino cherries
Directions
- Trim outer green skin and pink flesh from melon, leaving thin line of pink. Cut into 1-1/2-by-1-by-3/4-inch pieces.
- In large pot or bowl, soak melon in mixture of 4 quarts cold water and salt for 24 hours. Drain.
- In large stockpot, cover melon pieces with boiling water, and boil gently for 1-1/2 hours. Drain, and put melon into ice water until thoroughly chilled. Drain.
- Combine vinegar, remaining cold water, sugar, and spices tied in clean, thin white cloth, and bring to a boil. Add rind, and boil gently for about 30 minutes; remove spices. Let stand for 24 hours.
- Add cherries, and bring pickle mixture to a boil. Pack in hot jars. Adjust lids at once. Process in boiling water bath at 212 F for 5 minutes. Remove jars from canner and complete seals, unless closures are the self-sealing type.
Rosy Watermelon Rind Pickles
(Farm Journal Freezing and Canning Cook Book, 1973)
NOTE: Substitute 1/2 teaspoon oil of cloves for whole cloves; 1/2 teaspoon oil of cinnamon for stick cinnamon. If cherries fade in the jar, substitute a few from a new jar before serving.
For some tips about gardening your own watermelons, see: Growing Watermelon.
Andrew Weidman lives and writes in Lebanon, Pennsylvania. In his opinion, nothing improves a summer evening like a big wedge of watermelon, with or without seeds.