“Amazing pickles! And who would have thought from watermelon rinds? My Mom quit making them because she didn’t eat enough watermelon on her own to collect 7 pounds of rind. This is another one of those recipes with strange ingredients that turn out really special.” – Calla Ferre
“My friend, Angie, who worked at Salem General Hospital with Dorothy, brought these rather unique pickles to a holiday party I attended.” – Jean Hansen
Watermelon Rind Pickles
Ingredients
- 7 Pounds Watermelon Rinds
- 3 Quarts Water
- 3/4 Cup Non-Iodized Salt
- 7 Cups Sugar
- 2 Cups Vinegar
- 1/2 Teaspoon Oil of Cloves
- 1/2 Teaspoon Oil of Cinnamon
Instructions
- Trim off green rind and pink portion of watermelon rind. Cut into 1- inch cubes or any size desired.
- Soak in salt water at least 12 hours or overnight. Drain.
- Rinse and cover with cold water. Cook until fork-tender but not soft. Drain and pat off excess water with towels.
- Combine sugar, vinegar, oil of cloves and oil of cinnamon. The oil of cloves and oil of cinnamon keep the rinds clear and translucent.
- Heat to boiling. Pour over rinds and let stand overnight.
- Next morning heat rinds in syrup. Optional: Green or red food coloring may be added and will make pretty pickles for the holidays.
- Pack into hot, sterilized jars leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles, clean rims of jars and attach two piece lids. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
- Makes 7 pints.
Notes
For this recipe, you will need to purchase a watermelon WITH seeds. Seedless watermelons have too thin of a rind to be useful for making these pickles. For reference, I bought a 27 pound watermelon and it yielded 7 pounds 1 ounce trimmed rinds.
1955 Recipe – Jean Hansen
