Recipe: Old-Fashioned Watermelon Pickle

Old-Fashioned Watermelon Pickle

2 quarts prepared watermelon rind
Pickling lime
Water
1 quart white or cider vinegar
5 cups sugar
1 tablespoon pickling spice
1 tablespoon cloves
1 tablespoon whole allspice
1 large cinnamon stick, broken into pieces

Prepare rind by removing green outer rind and red flesh; cut into 1-inch pieces.

Combine pickling lime and water in a ratio of 2 tablespoons lime to each quart water and pour over prepared watermelon rind. Make enough to cover all the rind. Soak at least 8 hours, but preferably overnight, stirring the mixture from time to time during the soaking.

Drain off lime water. Rinse rind carefully under running water several times to remove all of the lime. Drain rind pieces on a kitchen towel.

Make a syrup of vinegar, 1 cup water and sugar in a large stainless steel or enamel saucepan.

Tie spices together in cheesecloth or muslin and add to the syrup. Simmer mixture until all sugar is dissolved. Taste carefully (it is quite hot) and add more sugar or vinegar to taste.

Add watermelon rind and boil until transparent and syrup is thick. Remove spice bag.

Put rind and syrup into hot jars, seal and process in boiling water bath for 15 minutes.

Source: National Watermelon Promotion Board