Recipe(tried): Watermelon Rind Pickles

Believe me, I know very little about pickles other than how to eat them, but watermelon rind pickles were my first attempt at pickling, and they turned out pretty well.

Here's my recipe:

3 lb. watermelon rind 2 c. vinegar
(about 10 c. cubed) 1/2 tsp. oil of cinnamon
2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. oil of cloves
7 c. sugar Cloves

Make sure all the red and green are removed from the rind, and cut it into one-inch cubes. In large pot, boil the rind in 3 quarts of salted water for about 10 minutes, or just until the rind is tender. In separate saucepan, boil sugar and vinegar gently for about 5 minutes after the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in oils. (You can add a little red or green food coloring here if desired). Drain the rind well and place in large bowl. Pour syrup over rinds and weight down the rind with a plate to make sure it's all covered. Refrigerate overnight. The next day, drain syrup into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Again, pour the syrup over the rind, weighting down, and refrigerate overnight. On the third day, drain the syrup, add cloves to your liking, and bring to a boil. At this point you can put rind in five or six pint jars, cover rind with syrup, cool, cover and refrigerate your pickles. The pickles will keep in the refrigerator several weeks.

If you want to keep them longer, sterilize your jars and lids first (which just basically means to cover them with water and boil them for a little while). Bring rinds and syrup to a boil and ladel the mixture into the jars while the jars are still very hot. Make sure the rinds are covered with the syrup, wipe the rims clean, then cap the jars with hot lids. Most manufacturers then suggest you place the jars into a pot, cover them with water by at least 2 inches and boil for 10 minutes. Transfer the jars to a towel to dry and cool; then store in a cool, dark place.

Good luck!