Instant Watermelon Rind Pickle Recipes

WATERMELON RIND PICKLES

Steps:

• Place rind in a large nonreactive bowl; stir in water and salt. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Rinse and drain well., In a Dutch oven, mix sugar, vinegar, 2 cinnamon sticks, cloves and peppercorns. Bring to a boil. Add rinds; return to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes or until tender. Discard cinnamon sticks., Carefully ladle hot mixture into 4 hot 1-pint jars, leaving 1/2-in. headspace. Add a remaining cinnamon stick to each jar. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding hot mixture. Wipe rims. Center lids on jars; screw on bands until fingertip tight. , Place jars into canner with simmering water, ensuring that they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil; process for 10 minutes. Remove jars and cool.

PICKLED WATERMELON RINDS

Steps:

• 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 into a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Cover with fresh water, then 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 into 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.

INSTANT WATERMELON RIND PICKLE

Steps:

• Mix the vinegar, yuzu juice, honey, juniper berries, and salt until the honey is dissolved. If you have a vacuum sealer, pour the pickling solution into a vacuum bag, add the watermelon rind, and seal on high pressure. (This can also be done in Mason jars in a chamber vacuum machine.) The watermelon rind will go from opaque to translucent and is ready to eat instantly, though it will mature over a few days.
• Alternatively, you can combine the vinegar, yuzu juice, honey, juniper berries, and salt in a lidded jar, refrigerate, and age the rind for 3 days before using. The pickles will not be as bright and translucent as the vacuum-sealed pickles, but they will still taste delicious. The flavor will continue to improve over time.

WATERMELON RIND PICKLES

Steps:

• Pare watermelon rind and remove all pink portions.
• Cut rind into 1 x 2 inch pieces about 1 inch thick or into 3/4 by 1 inch cubes.
• Weigh.
• Soak rind overnight in brine made by dissolving 1/4 cup salt in each quart of water (make enough brine to cover).
• Drain rind, wash in fresh water and drain.
• Combine remaining ingredients and boil together 5 minutes.
• Add rind a few at a time and cook until rind is clear.(simmer about 30 Min.).
• Pack rind in hot sterilized jars.
• Cover with boiling syrup and seal.
• Spices may be tied in cheesecloth bag if desired.
• Cantaloupe rind, pumpkin or winter squash rind may be cut into pieces and pickled in the same way.

WATERMELON PICKLES

Steps:

• Stir canning salt into 1 gallon water in a large container until dissolved; add watermelon rind. Cover the container with plastic wrap or a lid and let sit 12 hours. Drain and rinse completely.
• Combine drained watermelon rind and 1 gallon water in a stock pot. Bring the water to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until the rind is tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour; drain and set aside.
• Put cinnamon sticks, allspice, and cloves in cheesecloth or spice bag. Combine vinegar, sugar, spice bag, maraschino cherries, and lemon slices in the stock pot; stir until sugar is dissolved. Add watermelon rind to the pot; bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until the rind is transparent, about 5-10 minutes. Remove the spice bag and set aside.
• Sterilize the jars and lids in boiling water for at least 5 minutes. Put one whole clove into each jar. Break cinnamon sticks into pieces and put 1 piece into each jar.
• Pack the watermelon rind with the vinegar mixture into the hot, sterilized jars, filling the jars to within 1/4 inch of the top. Run a knife or a thin spatula around the insides of the jars after they have been filled to remove any air bubbles. Wipe the rims of the jars with a moist paper towel to remove any food residue. Top with lids and screw on rings.
• Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill halfway with water. Bring to a boil and lower jars into the boiling water using a holder. Leave a 2-inch space between the jars. Pour in more boiling water if necessary to bring the water level to at least 1 inch above the tops of the jars. Bring the water to a rolling boil, cover the pot, and process for 10 minutes.
• Remove the jars from the stockpot and place onto a cloth-covered or wood surface, several inches apart, until cool. Once cool, press the top of each lid with a finger, ensuring that the seal is tight (lid does not move up or down at all). Store in a cool, dark area.

GRANDMA'S PICKLED WATERMELON RIND

Steps:

• Place watermelon rind in a glass bowl; add water to cover. Stir in pickling salt. Cover and refrigerate in the brine for 8 hours to overnight.
• Rinse watermelon rind 2 to 3 times to remove excess salt from the brine. Taste and keep rinsing until desired level of saltiness is achieved. Drain.
• Transfer watermelon rind to a large saucepan and cover with cold water; bring to a boil. Cook until tender, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, inspect 2 quart-sized jars for cracks and rings for rust, discarding any defective ones. Immerse in simmering water until watermelon rind is ready. Wash new, unused lids and rings in warm soapy water.
• At the same time, combine sugar, 2 cups water, vinegar, cloves, cinnamon, and allspice in a large pot. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and maintain a low simmer for 10 minutes. Pour mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl; discard any solids.
• Drain watermelon rinds and pack into hot, sterilized jars. Ladle vinegar mixture into each jar, filling to within 1/2 inch of the top. Wipe rims with a moist paper towel to remove any residue. Top with lids and screw rings on tightly.
• Let jars cool to room temperature, 30 to 45 minutes. Store in the refrigerator.