Instant Watermelon Rind Pickle Food

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.

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.

WATERMELON RIND PICKLES (CRISP VERSION)

Steps:

• To prepare watermelon rind: Trim dark skin and pink flesh from thick watermelon rind; cut in 1-inch pieces or as wanted.
• Dissolve lime in 2 quarts water, pour over rind.
• If needed, add more water to cover rind.
• Let stand 2 hours.
• Drain: rinse and cover rind with cold water.
• Cook until just tender; drain.
• Tie spices in a cheesecloth bag.
• Combine spices with remaining ingredients and simmer 10 minutes.
• Add watermelon rind and simmer until clear.
• Add boiling water if syrup becomes too thick before rind is clear.
• Remove spice bag.
• Pack, boiling hot, into sterilized mason jars, leaving 1/8-inch head space.
• Adjust caps and allow to seal.

WATERMELON RIND PICKLES

Steps:

• Day 1. Prepare the rind:
• Cut the watermelon into 3/4-inch slices. Trim the rind away from the pink flesh; make sure no pink is left on the rind. Trim away the outer skin. Cut the rind into approximately 3/4-inch cubes. Toss with the pickling salt in a large bowl and refrigerate overnight.
• Day 2. Prepare the jars and lids:
• Wash all jars and lids thoroughly with soap and water and rinse well. Fill your canner with enough water to cover the jars by at least 1 inch and bring to a simmer. Using a pair of canning tongs, lower the jars in gently, tilting them to fill with the hot water. In a small saucepan, keep some water warm but not boiling; place the lids in the water. Have an additional kettle of water on to boil.
• Pickle the rind:
• Rinse the rind thoroughly and drain, twice. In a large stockpot, combine the vinegar, sugar and cloves, and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the rind to the brine, bring back to the boil, reduce to a low boil and cook uncovered until the rind is translucent, about 20 minutes.
• Fill and close the jars:
• Using canning tongs, remove the jars from the canner, carefully pouring the water back into the canner. Set next to the stockpot with the pickled rind. Turn the heat under the canner to high. Use a ladle to pour the pickled rind into the jars through a canning funnel, leaving 1/2-inch headspace at the top. Run a clean chopstick around the inside of the jar to dislodge any trapped air. Wipe the rims of the jars with a damp paper towel. Place the lids on, and screw on the rings until just finger-tight.
• Seal the jars:
• Using canning tongs, gently transfer the jars to the canner, taking care to keep them vertical. When all the jars are in the canner, there should be at least 1 inch water covering them; if you need more, add water from the kettle until the jars are sufficiently covered. Bring the water to a full rolling boil, and process for 5 minutes.
• Remove and cool:
• Using canning tongs, gently remove the jars from the canner and transfer them to a kitchen towel or cooling rack, again keeping them vertical. Do not set hot jars directly on to cool counter surfaces. Leave to cool, undisturbed, for at least 12 hours. If any of the jars do not seal when cool, reprocess using the method above, or refrigerate and use immediately.
• Label and store:
• Add a label to the lid or side of your jar, noting the date it was canned. Remove the rings and store jars in a cool, dark place for 3 weeks before opening. Jars can be stored for up to a year. Refrigerate after opening.

PICKLED WATERMELON AND WATERMELON RIND

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar, sugar, salt and 4 cups water over medium heat. Bring up to a boil. Place the coriander and peppercorns on a cutting board. Lightly crush the spices with the bottom of a sturdy pan, then add them to the liquid. Turn the heat down to low, and simmer for 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning. It should be a mix of vinegary, sweet and slightly salty. Shut it off to cool slightly.
• Fill a quart-size jar with the watermelon cubes and a pint-size jar with the rind pieces.
• Pour the vinegar mixture over the melon and rind and let it cool at room temperature, uncovered, for 2 hours. Place in the refrigerator and let it chill, uncovered, overnight. Then cover tightly. The pickles will be good for 2 to 3 weeks in the refrigerator.

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 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.

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.