Save the watermelon rind for sweet pickles.
Sweet watermelon rind pickles take a turn from traditional pickles and low-calorie, fat-free condiment or appetizer. Instead of throwing out watermelon waste, trim the skin and process it into a tangy snack. Pickled watermelon rind makes a good relish when you chop the processed rind into small pieces for a burger or hotdog topping. Choose a ripe watermelon with no signs of rot or damage for best results with the pickles.
Instructions
1. Wash the outside of the watermelon with water to remove dirt and residue from the surface. Cut the watermelon open and remove the red fruit, leaving a thin layer of pink along the rind.
2. Remove the green skin from the outside of the watermelon and cut the rind into 1- to 2-inch pieces.
3. Fill a 2-quart kettle with water and boil it with 2 tbsp. coarse salt. Reduce the heat to medium-high and boil 5 to 6 cups of rind pieces for five minutes, or until tender. Remove the rind from the water and place in a large bowl.
4. Prepare the brine by mixing 2 cups sugar, 1 cup cider vinegar and 1 tsp. pickling spice in a saucepan. Create a sweet spice mix by combining 1 tsp. allspice, 1 tsp. ground cloves and 1 tsp. ground cinnamon. Add this mixture to the brine and stir to combine.
5. Boil the brine for 15 minutes and pour it over the watermelon rinds. Set a glass pie plate on top of the rinds to hold them in the brine. Cover the bowl and place in a refrigerator for 24 hours.
6. Remove the watermelon rinds from the refrigerator and pour them into a large kettle. Bring the rings and brine to a boil. Turn the heat down and simmer for 60 minutes. Prepare the four pint-sized canning jars by boiling them in water for five minutes or using a dishwasher set to hot water wash. Set up the canner while waiting for the jars to clean.
7. Place the lids in a small saucepan and boil them for two minutes to soften the rubber.
Fill the jars with rind up to 1/2-inch from the top and stick a 1-inch piece of cinnamon stick in each jar. Ladle some liquid into the jars to fill the empty space and cover all the rind. Wipe the rims with a clean, damp towel.
8. Place a lid on the jar and screw the ring snug to hold the rubber tight to the jar. Avoid screwing the ring too tight as this makes them difficult to remove.
9. Place the jars into the canner with boiling water, making sure to submerge the top of the jar. Boil the jars for 10 minutes to process them for shelf storage. Process the jars for 15 minutes at altitudes over 1000 feet.
10. Remove the jars from the canner and place them on a towel to cool. Jars processed properly will pull the center of the lid tight as they cool. You will hear the jars pop when that happens. Refrigerate any jars that do not seal.
Tags: watermelon rind, five minutes, jars minutes, outside watermelon, rind into, watermelon rinds, watermelon with