I tried the Watermelon Pickles (included below) from Saveur which were much sweeter than the ones CathyZ linked to (thanks Cathy!) but mine were not very crisp. Flavor was great however.
Ed has his mother's recipe scrapbook from the 1930's and 40's with recipes pasted from newspapers and magazines like Progressive Farmer, Woman's Home Companion, Better Homes & Gardens, PIC, Home Life, Look, Life, etc. The Watermelon Pickle and Watermelon Preserve recipes include a soaking in a solution that includes lime to make the watermelon rind crisp. Has anyone used lime before? Is there anything I need to be concerned with? The preserves will be refrigerated and not processed for storage.
* Exported from MasterCook *
Watermelon Pickle Recipe _ SAVEUR
Recipe By :
Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Condiment
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
1 cup kosher salt1 watermelon -- (8-10-lb.) rinsed and quartered
5 cups sugar
4 cups white vinegar
2 sticks cinnamon
2 tbsp. whole cloves
(I added 2 tbsp. Allspice Berries, 2 Allspice leaves from my tree, 1 tbsp black peppercorns)
Dissolve salt in 8 cups cold water in a large bowl. Cut off red watermelon flesh from white-green watermelon rind and save for another use. Trim off and discard thin green skin, leaving white and pale green part of rind intact, then cut into 1" pieces (you should have about 7 cups). Add pieces of rind to salt water, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
The following day, boil sugar and vinegar together in a medium nonreactive pot over high heat, stirring often, until sugar dissolves, 4-5 minutes. Add cinnamon and cloves, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until reduced by one-third, 25-30 minutes. Meanwhile, drain rind, then put into a large pot, cover with water, and boil until translucent, about 15 minutes.
Drain rinds and add to pot with vinegar syrup. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring often, until syrup has reduced again by one-third, about 2 hours. Discard cinnamon and cloves.
Fill 5-6 hot sterilized pint canning jars with hot pickle and syrup to 1/4" from the top. Screw on the hot sterilized lids and process in a canning pot of gently boiling water for 20 minutes. Remove jars from pot and set aside to cool completely. Refrigerate after opening.
S(Internet Address):
"http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Watermelon-Pickle"
Yield:
"6 Pints"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 5528 Calories; 22g Fat (3.4% calories from fat); 29g Protein; 1399g Carbohydrate; 34g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 90386mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 22 1/2 Fruit; 1/2 Fat; 71 Other Carbohydrates.
Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0
***************************************************************
* Exported from MasterCook *
Watermelon Preserves
Recipe By :
Serving Size : 64 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
2 1/2 pounds prepared watermelon rind1 tablespoon lime
1 tablespoon ginger root -- crushed
2 each lemons
2 1/2 pounds granulated sugar
Cut watermelon rind in 1-inch bars; peel off green skin and cut off pink part; cut in slices 1/2-inch thick, or any other size not too large.
Soak over night in water to cover, about 3 quarts, in which lime has been dissolved. Next morning, drain thoroughly through a sieve and wash in several waters. Do not let lime go down the sink pipe. Weigh rind. (Guess I've ruined my sink pipe--author)
Place washed rind in a large preserving kettle and to each pound of rind add 1 pint of water. Add root ginger which has been crushed with a hammer. Boil until rind is tender--about 1 hour.
Add sugar and lemons, sliced, removing seeds. Bring to a boil and simmer until rind is clear and tender, adding a little water occasionally if syrup gets too thick.
Remove from fire, cover and let stand until cold or overnight.
Next morning bring to a boil and simmer until syrup thickens a little. Remove from fire and let stand again until cold or the next morning.
Bring to a boil and let simmer gently until syrup thickens. Remove lemon skins.
Sterilize jar and top by placing in cold water and boiling for 10 minutes. Fill hot jar with hot rind; remove air bubbles with a long handled silver knife. Cover with boiling syrup and seal.
2 1/2 pounds of prepared rind is about 1/2 medium-sized melon. Makes 1 quart. If there is any syrup left over, use for sweetening iced tea or lemonade or on waffles.
Yield:
"1 quart"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 168 Calories; 8g Fat (42.4% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 21g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 18mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1 1/2 Fat; 1 Other Carbohydrates.
NOTES : This comes from Ed's Mother's recipe scrapbook. Source is unknown.
Variations:
An optional variation for the ginger flavoring is to omit the ginger in the first boiling and substitute 1/2 pound of red cinnamon drops for 1/2 pound of sugar, when sugar and lemons are added. This colors the rind also and is suitable for Christmas gifts.
Adding the lemons helps to keep the heavy syrup from crystallizing. Fresh mint leaves or oil of peppermint and green coloring is another variation.
Nutr. Assoc. : 5478 0 0 0 0
Ed has his mother's recipe scrapbook from the 1930's and 40's with recipes pasted from newspapers and magazines like Progressive Farmer, Woman's Home Companion, Better Homes & Gardens, PIC, Home Life, Look, Life, etc. The Watermelon Pickle and Watermelon Preserve recipes include a soaking in a solution that includes lime to make the watermelon rind crisp. Has anyone used lime before? Is there anything I need to be concerned with? The preserves will be refrigerated and not processed for storage.
* Exported from MasterCook *
Watermelon Pickle Recipe _ SAVEUR
Recipe By :
Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Condiment
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
1 cup kosher salt1 watermelon -- (8-10-lb.) rinsed and quartered
5 cups sugar
4 cups white vinegar
2 sticks cinnamon
2 tbsp. whole cloves
(I added 2 tbsp. Allspice Berries, 2 Allspice leaves from my tree, 1 tbsp black peppercorns)
Dissolve salt in 8 cups cold water in a large bowl. Cut off red watermelon flesh from white-green watermelon rind and save for another use. Trim off and discard thin green skin, leaving white and pale green part of rind intact, then cut into 1" pieces (you should have about 7 cups). Add pieces of rind to salt water, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
The following day, boil sugar and vinegar together in a medium nonreactive pot over high heat, stirring often, until sugar dissolves, 4-5 minutes. Add cinnamon and cloves, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until reduced by one-third, 25-30 minutes. Meanwhile, drain rind, then put into a large pot, cover with water, and boil until translucent, about 15 minutes.
Drain rinds and add to pot with vinegar syrup. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring often, until syrup has reduced again by one-third, about 2 hours. Discard cinnamon and cloves.
Fill 5-6 hot sterilized pint canning jars with hot pickle and syrup to 1/4" from the top. Screw on the hot sterilized lids and process in a canning pot of gently boiling water for 20 minutes. Remove jars from pot and set aside to cool completely. Refrigerate after opening.
S(Internet Address):
"http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Watermelon-Pickle"
Yield:
"6 Pints"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 5528 Calories; 22g Fat (3.4% calories from fat); 29g Protein; 1399g Carbohydrate; 34g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 90386mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 22 1/2 Fruit; 1/2 Fat; 71 Other Carbohydrates.
Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0
***************************************************************
* Exported from MasterCook *
Watermelon Preserves
Recipe By :
Serving Size : 64 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
2 1/2 pounds prepared watermelon rind1 tablespoon lime
1 tablespoon ginger root -- crushed
2 each lemons
2 1/2 pounds granulated sugar
Cut watermelon rind in 1-inch bars; peel off green skin and cut off pink part; cut in slices 1/2-inch thick, or any other size not too large.
Soak over night in water to cover, about 3 quarts, in which lime has been dissolved. Next morning, drain thoroughly through a sieve and wash in several waters. Do not let lime go down the sink pipe. Weigh rind. (Guess I've ruined my sink pipe--author)
Place washed rind in a large preserving kettle and to each pound of rind add 1 pint of water. Add root ginger which has been crushed with a hammer. Boil until rind is tender--about 1 hour.
Add sugar and lemons, sliced, removing seeds. Bring to a boil and simmer until rind is clear and tender, adding a little water occasionally if syrup gets too thick.
Remove from fire, cover and let stand until cold or overnight.
Next morning bring to a boil and simmer until syrup thickens a little. Remove from fire and let stand again until cold or the next morning.
Bring to a boil and let simmer gently until syrup thickens. Remove lemon skins.
Sterilize jar and top by placing in cold water and boiling for 10 minutes. Fill hot jar with hot rind; remove air bubbles with a long handled silver knife. Cover with boiling syrup and seal.
2 1/2 pounds of prepared rind is about 1/2 medium-sized melon. Makes 1 quart. If there is any syrup left over, use for sweetening iced tea or lemonade or on waffles.
Yield:
"1 quart"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 168 Calories; 8g Fat (42.4% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 21g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 18mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1 1/2 Fat; 1 Other Carbohydrates.
NOTES : This comes from Ed's Mother's recipe scrapbook. Source is unknown.
Variations:
An optional variation for the ginger flavoring is to omit the ginger in the first boiling and substitute 1/2 pound of red cinnamon drops for 1/2 pound of sugar, when sugar and lemons are added. This colors the rind also and is suitable for Christmas gifts.
Adding the lemons helps to keep the heavy syrup from crystallizing. Fresh mint leaves or oil of peppermint and green coloring is another variation.
Nutr. Assoc. : 5478 0 0 0 0