Canning and Preserving Recipes
Watermelon Pickles
Ingredients
- 2 pounds watermelon rind, peeled and cubed*
- 1/4 cup pickling salt (not iodized)
- 6 cups water, divided
- 1 teaspoon powdered alum
- 1 cup vinegar
- 4 cups granulated sugar
- 1 lemon, thinly sliced
- 1 stick cinnamon
- 12 whole cloves
- 1 teaspoon allspice
Instructions
- Make a brine with salt, 4 cups water and alum. Soak rind in this mixture overnight.
- Drain, rinse and cook slowly in water until barely tender. Do not overcook or pickles will be soft. Drain.
- Bring to boil remaining 2 cups water, vinegar, sugar, lemon and spices which have been tied in a cloth bag. Remove spice bag and pour hot syrup over rind. Let sit overnight.
- Drain and reheat syrup for three mornings and pour over rind.
- On the fourth morning, drain and reheat syrup and pour over rind which has been packed into sterilized 3 pint or 6 half pint jars.
- Seal.
Notes
* When peeling rind, be sure to leave some of the pink meat on.