by Roberrific

Created on: March 01, 2007   Last Updated: May 04, 2007

There are some things money can't buy one of them is a decent pickled watermelon rind! Every summer Grandpa cans several dozen pint sized jars of pickled watermelon rinds for his family to enjoy at his famous Sunday night suppers all year long.

I must share his recipe in hopes that someday a reputable commercial operation will replicate his excellence in this endeavor.

INGREDIANTS
1 large watermelon (about 25 pounds)
2 tablespoons salt
3 cups sugar
2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 piece fresh ginger (1/2 inch -peeled)
teaspoon ground mace
2 small cinnamon sticks
1 lemon thinly sliced

First Grandpa cuts the watermelon in half and removes the flesh. Using a metal spoon, Grandpa scrapes the rind to remove all traces of pink. Then he cuts the rind crosswise in thumb sized strips. Using a vegetable peeler or a small sharp knife he peels the green skin from the rind and cuts away any bruises or bad spots.

In a large plastic bowl Grandpa adds the salt to one gallon of cold water. He adds the melon rinds ands lets them soak in this brine overnight. In the morning he rinses the rinds two or three times in cold water.

In a cooking pot set to low heat he adds sugar and vinegar and heats until sugar is dissolved. Then he folds a piece of cheesecloth in half to make a square; rinses, and squeezes dry. He places ginger, the spices, and lemon in the cheesecloth and ties it closed with kitchen twine. He ties a loop in the other end of the twine, and slips it over the handle of a wooden spoon. He suspends the spice bag in the vinegar syrup by placing the spoon across the top of the pot. Now he adds the salted rinds to the pot, and returns it to a boil. Then he reduces the heat and lets his concoction simmer for about thirty minutes after which he will turn off the stove but still leave the pot on the element overnight. In the morning he will discard the spice bag.

The next morning Grandpa will wash a dozen pint sized canning jars, lids, and screw bands with hot, soapy water, and rinse well. He'll place the jars in a pot, fill the pot with water until the jars are two inches under water then he'll boil the jars for fifteen minutes. He will of course sterilize the lids according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Using tongs Grandpa will remove the jars and place them on a clean towel. With a strainer he'll transfer the rinds to the jars, leaving 3/4 inch of space beneath the rim. Then he'll return the syrup to a boil and pour boiling hot syrup over the rinds in the jars, covering it by 1/4 inch and leaving 1/2 inch of space beneath the rim. He'll always wipe mouth of jar with a damp cloth and then place a hot lid on the jar. Grandpa turns each screw band firmly without forcing it.

Finally the old man boils the jars again for another ten minutes before he removed the jars from water bath. He lets his creations stand on clean dish towels for twenty four hours. Grandpa toild me to always check the cool jars for the slight indentation in the lids that indicates a vacuum seal. Jars that do not seal properly or that leak during processing should be stored in the refrigerator and these pickles should be consumed within a week. Allow sealed pickles to mellow in a cool, dry place for two to three weeks. Store opened jars in the refrigerator.

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