Watermelon Pickles

[glossyp]

Aloha all,

It's watermelon season here in Hawaii and whilst enjoying a deliciously refreshing one this morning I thought about making watermelon pickles. My grandmother used to make wonderful ones and I would assist her but I remember nothing about how she made her pickling syrup, etc.

If anyone has a good recipe or method, please do share. There is nothing in the Recipe section.

Thanks so much!

[fifi]

I will have my sister look and see if she can find my dad's recipe. It was killer! I do remember that the rinds soaked in pickling lime for a time. The syrup was sweet sour and had spices in it.

[Soup]

Is it me or have the rinds gotten thin?

[touaregsand]

My mom treats the rind like cucumber.

[larousse]

Very simple and easy, it gets better with time. The liquid is great for ceviches or vinaigrettes:

Skin pinneapple and cut fruit off and set aside. Bring rice wine venegar, sugar, pinneapple skins and a couple thai chilis with the stem cut off to a boli. Remove from heat and let steep for 5 minutes. Strain. You want the pickle to be balaced between sweet and sour so add some sugar if needed (which will also help mellow the spice. SOmewhere in the neighborhood of 1/3 cup sugar per liter of vinegar. Anyway clean a jar out by boiling it in water for 5 minutes and let it dry. Put pinneaaple in the jar with a couple thai chilis with the stem cut off. Bring the liguid back to a boil and pour it over the fruit. Once its cool refridgerate covered for up to a couple months. Enjoy

[fifi]

Is it me or have the rinds gotten thin?

←

I don't think it is just you. Most of what I see in the grocery these days are the seedless hybrids. They do seem to have rather thin rinds. My dad's recipe calls for only the white part of the rind. Looking at a ruler, the pieces were at least 3/4 of an inch thick.

[eje]

My grandma's recipe.

Pickled Watermelon Rind

2 pounds watermelon rind

2 cups vinegar

2 cups water

4 cups sugar

1 stick cinnamon

1 teaspoon whole cloves

1 teaspoon whole allspice

1 lemon, sliced thin

Pare watermelon rind and remove all pink portion. Cut rind into pieces 2 x 1 inches and 1/2 inch thick. Weigh. Soak rind overnight in brine made by dissolving 1/4 cup salt in each quart water. Drain rind, wash in fresh water and drain. Cook rind in fresh water until tender. Combine remaining ingredients and boil together 5 minutes. Add rind a few pieces at at time and cook until rind is clear. Pack rind in hot sterilized jars, cover with boiling sirup and seal. Makes 2 pints.

Cantaloupe rind, pumpkin or winter squash may be cut into pieces in the same way.