I’ve been wanting to make pickled watermelon rind and am delighted to have an organic melon for just that purpose. Can I convince you to give pickling a try?
Martha McMillin of The Preserving Place suggests wrapping pickled watermelon rind in prosciutto for a great Southern twist on the traditional melon-prosciutto combination. Yum.
Ingredients:
2 quarts watermelon rind, green rind removed, pink flesh eaten, cut the rind into small strips or squares, your preference 3 quarts water 3/4 cup salt 5 cups granulated sugar 3 cups white vinegar 3 cups water 1 tablespoon (about 48) whole cloves 6 cinnamon sticks 1 tablespoon allspice berries 1 lemon, thinly sliced, with seeds removed
Preparation:
Stir up the 3 quarts water and 3/4 cup salt and make a brine. Put the watermelon rind strips or cubes into the brine and refrigerate overnight. You can do this in a bowl or a well-sealed plastic bag. After its soak, drain and rinse.
Put the watermelon into a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and cook until melon is tender, about 15 minutes. Don’t overcook. Drain and put in a large bowl.
In that same saucepan, combine sugar, vinegar, 3 cups water, cloves, cinnamon sticks and allspice. Bring to a boil and cook 5 minutes, then pour this over the melon. Add the lemon slices and again, refrigerate overnight.
The next day (last day, I promise), put everything back into the saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook one hour. Pack the hot pickles into canning jars and cover with syrup. Be sure to leave 1/2 inch head room. Allow to cool and then keep refrigerated until you eat them all. You aren’t canning these, so they’re not stable for shelf storage.