Watermelon Rind Relish Food

WATERMELON RIND RELISH

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients except red onions in medium saucepan.
• Bring to boil on medium heat, stirring frequently; simmer on medium-low heat 8 to 10 min. or until most of the liquid is cooked off, stirring frequently. Cool completely.
• Stir in red onions before serving.

WATERMELON RIND RELISH

Steps:

• Bring 3 quarts water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add rind; cook 3 minutes. Drain well.
• Combine sugar and remaining ingredients in pan; bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 2 minutes.
• Stir in watermelon rind; simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes or until most of liquid is absorbed, stirring frequently.
• Cool; pour relish into airtight containers.
• Note: Refrigerate Watermelon Rind Relish in airtight containers up to two months.

CANDIED WATERMELON RIND

Steps:

• Place watermelon rind in a deep pot and add the sugar.
• Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight (at least 4 hours) to macerate.
• In the morning, bring to a simmer, stirring to thoroughly dissolve the sugar.
• Add the remaining ingredients, cover and simmer for 2 1/2 hours. Cubes will be translucent when done.
• Uncover and bring to a boil. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring often, to reduce the syrup to a thick caramel-like liquid.
• While still hot, ladle into sterilized jars and process in a waterbath for 30 minutes (the original calls for turning the jars upside down for a minute to create a seal but to correlate with the US safety guidelines I suggest waterbath canning for shelf-storage. If you're keeping it in the fridge, skip this part!).

WATERMELON RIND PRESERVES

Steps:

• Trim green skin and pink flesh from watermelon rind; chop enough rind to yield 6 cups. In a large bowl, stir salt and 2 quarts warm water until salt is dissolved. Add 6 cups chopped rind. Cover and refrigerate 5-6 hours. Drain and rinse in cold water; drain. Cover rind with cold water and let stand 30 minutes. Drain. Transfer rind to a large saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until just tender, 10-15 minutes; drain., To make preserves, in a stockpot, combine sugar, lemon juice and 7 cups water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes. Stir in rind. Place cinnamon, cloves and cardamom on a double thickness of cheesecloth. Gather corners of cloth to enclose seasonings; tie securely with string. Add to stockpot. Return to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until rind is clear, 30-45 minutes. Discard spice bag., Remove from heat. Ladle hot mixture into 6 hot sterilized half-pint jars, leaving 1/4-in. headspace. 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 water simmering, ensuring that they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil; process 5 minutes. Remove jars and cool.

CHUNKY CAJUN WATERMELON RELISH

Steps:

• Place rind, peppers, and onion in a large bowl toss in the salt and cover with ice cold water. Chill for 8-12 hours.
• Prepare jars and water bath for canning.
• Rinse very very well and drain set aside.
• Place the remaining ingredients in a large stainless steel pot. Bring to a boil to dissolve sugar. Once dissolved add the drained rind and veggies.Bring back to a boil then reduce to a simmer over medium low flame. Simmer covered for 25 minutes.
• Pack into hot jars leaving 1/2 inch head space. Wipe rims adjust lid placing screw bands on. Process in hot water bath for 10 minutes.
• Cool jars out of draft for 12 hours check for seals. label and store. Or give as gifts.

PICKLED WATERMELON-RIND RELISH

Steps:

• Using a sharp knife, slice watermelon in half lengthwise; scoop out flesh, and reserve for another use. Scrape rind with a large metal spoon to remove all traces of pink. Cut rind crosswise into 1-inch-wide strips. Using a sharp knife, peel green skin from rind, and discard; cut away any bruises or bad spots. Slice rind into 2-inch lengths.
• In a large nonreactive bowl, combine the water and salt. Add watermelon rind; let soak overnight, covered, at room temperature. Rinse 2 or 3 times in fresh cold water, and drain well in a colander.
• Heat sugar and vinegar in a nonreactive stockpot over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Add the remaining ingredients and the watermelon rind, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer; cover, and cook 30 minutes. Remove from heat, and let stand overnight at room temperature.
• Transfer watermelon relish to jars or airtight containers; cover, and store in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks.