Recipe: watermelon Rind Pickles

Pickling lime is no longer recommended. It is so hard to work with, it is caustic. If it is not rinsed, rinsed, and rinsed again, it can even lower the acid in the pickles so much that botulism can grow in the jars of pickles.

Here is the current recipe and method:

WATERMELON RIND PICKLES

3 quarts (about 6 pounds) watermelon rind, unpared
3/4 cup salt
3 quarts water
2 quarts (2 trays) ice cubes
9 cups sugar
3 cups 5% vinegar, white
3 cups water
1 tablespoon (about 48) whole cloves
6 cinnamon sticks, 1 inch pieces
1 lemon, thinly sliced, with seeds removed

Trim the pink flesh and outer green skin from thick watermelon rind. Cut into 1 inch squares or fancy shapes as desired. Cover with brine made by mixing the salt with 3 quarts cold water. Add ice cubes. Let stand 3 to 4 hours.

Drain; rinse in cold water. Cover with cold water and cook until fork tender, about 10 minutes (do not overcook). Drain.

Combine sugar, vinegar, water, and spices (tied in a clean, thin, white cloth). Boil 5 minutes and pour over the watermelon; add lemon slices. Let stand overnight in the refrigerator.

Heat watermelon in syrup to boiling and cook slowly 1 hour. Pack hot pickles loosely into clean, hot pint jars. To each jar add 1 piece of stick cinnamon from spice bag; cover with boiling syrup, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace if needed. Wipe rims of jars with a dampened clean paper towel; adjust two-piece metal canning lids.

Process in boiling water bath canner 10 min. for pints.

Yield: About 4 or 5 pints.