Watermelon Pickles are a delicious addition to a summer picnic of cold fried chicken, potato salad, fruit and brownies.
Watermelon Pickles -- Waterbath Canning
Ingredients
- 7 cups watermelon rind
- 3 tablespoons salt I use Redmond's Real Salt.
- 1 quart cold water
- 1 quart boiling water
- 1 pint white or cider vinegar
- 4-6 cups sugar**
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 tablespoons whole cloves
- 2 tablespoons whole allspice
- 5 (3 inch) sticks cinnamon, broken
Instructions
- Separate watermelon rind from peeling and edible portions. Cut into the same size pieces. Measure 7 cups.
- Combine 1 quart cold water with salt. Stir well. Add rind pieces, stir. Allow to stand on counter overnight.
- Drain pieces then cover with fresh water. Cook 8 to 10 minutes. Drain again.
- Combine the 1 quart boiling water with vinegar, sugar, ground spices in stock pot. Tie whole spices in spice bag or small cheesecloth bag and add to stock pot. Bring to boiling and stir until sugar dissolves. Boil 5 minutes.
- Add drained rind. Boil gently until rind is transparent, about 45 minutes. Remove spice bag.
- Spoon fruit into hot sterilized jars, add liquid to fill, leaving ½-inch headspace. Remove bubbles from jars and wipe rims. Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Remove from canner and allow to set and cool for about 24 hours.
- Remove sealing rings. Wash, dry, label jars. Allow to set in pantry for at least a month for flavors to marry.
Video
Notes
**Recipes vary on the amount of sugar.
This recipe produces about 2-3 pints. Doubled recipe makes 5 pints. There will be remaining pickling brine that could possibly be used for a single recipe.
Note about the salt water: I like to not waste anything so I throw the salt water outside on grass that I want to kill like in the driveway, sidewalk, etc.