Vickie's Watermelon Rind Pickles

On summer barbeques like the one we alwasys had on the Fourth of July, my Grandma Vickie used to always have home-made watermelon rind pickles on hand for the occasion, they'd be served with the olives and other snack condiments. They have a sweet but sour taste to them, always a special treat. Every year she'd remind us the trick to making good watermelon rind pickles is you have to get the watermelons with the thickest skin you can find, the pickles don't turn out as good if the rind is too thin. This is one of those old fashioned recipes the way Grandma used to make it!

Ingredients:

6 lb
 Watermelon rind [About 3 quarts]
6 cups
Vinegar [White Wine Vinegar?]
6 cups
Water
12 cups
Sugar
3 sticks
Cinnamon
3 tsp
Whole Cloves [Approx 48]
3 tsp
Whole Allspice
3
 Lemons (sliced thin)

makes 6 pints

Directions:

  1. Remove pink flesh and green skin from rind. Cut rind into pieces 2"x1"x1/2". Weigh.
  2. Soak rind overnight in brine made by disolving 1/2 cup salt in each quart of water.
  3. Drain rind. Wash in fresh water. Drain.
  4. Cook rind in fresh water until tender. [10-20 min?]
  5. Combine remaining ingredients. [Spices may want to be left in a cheesecloth or mesh feeder??]
  6. Boil together--5 min.
  7. Add rind a few pieces at a time and cook until rind is clear.
  8. Pack rind into hot sterilized jars. Cover with boiling syrup and seal.

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