Pickled Watermelon Rinds
We bought our current home at the turn of the century - a old farmhouse with core fireplaces dating back to the 1700’s when Ethan Allen’s parents owned the property. Although the house had been rebuilt around the 1940’s (we guess) there were still many vestiges to the past… a large fireplace in the cellar with an attached bread oven, a stone smokehouse, a blacksmith shop and an outhouse (that is, a two-seater outhouse with a sign that said “Paradise” - obviously the former owners had quite a sense of humor!).
Along with the fireplace, the stonewalled cellar had a little room with bars hanging across the top. We were told that this is where they’d hang the meat but the little room also had shelves still fully-stocked with home-canned goods. (Because of the perfect ambient temperature and humidity, we soon converted this little room into a wine cellar.) Most of the home-canned goods were unmarked with seals that were still tight, a testament to the expert canning technique of the former owners.
We soon invited friends to see this “fixer-upper” in its raw state before we updated the electrical wiring and cleaned out two 40-foot dumpster’s worth of former memories. A friend who grew up on a family farm was enchanted by the stockpile of home-canned goods. I was mortified as he joined my husband in opening the seal on some of the (need I remind you - “unlabeled”) goods and tasted them. I had already entered 91 in my cellphone, ready to type in the final “1” if they seemed in distress and needed emergency medical aid. But - they were thoroughly enjoying snacking on what were purportedly “pickled watermelon rinds.”
Pickled watermelon rinds have none of the succulent, sweet watermelon flavor. After you enjoy the juicy pink flesh, cut away the green outer peel leaving the firm white rind. These are put into a pickling solution to absorb the vinegary flavors, offering a nice little crunchy snack. Just as cucumbers have a mild flavor that takes on the pickling brine, watermelon rinds retain their crunch and become a perfect little “pickle.” I must confess that I haven’t created my own recipe for pickled watermelon rinds but really enjoy making up a few batches from AllRecipes.com. Aside from being a delicious accompaniment to hotdogs and burgers, I feel very good about not wasting a deliciously edible, often overlooked, delight.
PICKLED WATERMELON RIND
(AllRecipes.com)
INGREDIENTS
3 quarts water
¾ cup salt
4 quarts watermelon rind, white part only, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons whole cloves
½ teaspoon mustard seed
10 (3 inch) cinnamon sticks, broken into pieces
1 quart apple cider vinegar
2 cups white sugar
4 drops green food coloring (Optional)
DIRECTIONS
In a glass bowl, stir together the water and salt until the salt has dissolved. Add the watermelon rinds and any additional water needed to cover them. Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight.
Drain the watermelon rinds from the salted water and place in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Cover with fresh water, place over high heat and bring to a boil. Boil rinds for 30 minutes, then drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, tie the cloves, mustard seed and cinnamon sticks in a piece of cheesecloth. Place in a large saucepan or Dutch oven along with the vinegar and sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat then remove from the heat and let stand for 15 minutes. Stir in the drained watermelon rind then return to the stove over high heat. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium and simmer until the rind is transparent and the syrup is slightly thickened, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove and discard the spices after 40 minutes. Stir in the food coloring if desired.
Ladle into hot sterilized 1 pint jars, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Seal jars with new lids and rings making sure you have cleaned the jar's rims of any residue. Process jars under 1 inch of water in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Let cool overnight then press down on the lids to make sure they are sealed before storing. Store any unsealed jars in the refrigerator and enjoy those first.