Willing Watermelon Rind Preserves Food

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.

WATERMELON RIND PRESERVES

Steps:

• Peel off the green part of the watermelon rind, and slice into 2 inch pieces. Soak the rind in a solution of 1 gallon water and 1/2 cup salt overnight. Remove rind from the salt water, and place in a stockpot with clean water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and cook for about 30 minutes, or until the rind is tender. Drain. In a large pot, combine the sugar, 8 cups water, and sliced lemons. Tie the cinnamon and cloves into a cheesecloth bag, and place in the pot. Bring the syrup to a boil, and boil for 5 minutes. Add the rinds, and cook until transparent. Remove spice bag. Stir in red food coloring, if using. Ladle preserves into hot sterile jars, and process to seal.

WATERMELON RIND PRESERVES

Steps:

• Peel off the green part of the watermelon rind, and slice into 2 inch pieces. Soak the rind in a solution of 1 gallon water and 1/2 cup salt overnight.
• Remove rind from the salt water, and place in a stockpot with clean water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and cook for about 30 minutes, or until the rind is tender. Drain.
• In a large pot, combine the sugar, 8 cups water, and sliced lemons. Tie the cinnamon and cloves into a cheesecloth bag, and place in the pot. Bring the syrup to a boil, and boil for 5 minutes. Add the rinds, and cook until transparent. Remove spice bag. Stir in red food coloring, if using. Ladle preserves into hot sterile jars, and process to seal.

WATERMELON RIND PRESERVES OLD TIME

Steps:

• Trim green peel and red flesh from watermelon. Cut rind into small cubes (14-16 cups).
• Place cubed rind into stainless steel pot (Dutch oven size) and add one part sugar to two parts rind (I use little less sugar in my recipe). Let sit until sugar dissolves, a couple or hours or overnight (preferably overnight). Rind and sugar should have made its own liquid.
• Start cooking on medium, checking and stirring until it starts to boil, about 20-30 minutes.
• Add thinly sliced lemon, juice and zest of the other lemon. Stir in ground or whole spices of your choice.
• Turn down heat to low and cook on low heat until rinds are translucent, checking and stirring often (don't want the sugar to burn). (Approximately 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours more or less, until rinds are translucent).
• If using red food coloring, add a few drops to desired color at this point, stir well.
• Seal in prepared jars, clean jars, lids and rings placed in boiling water until ready to fill. Approximately (8) 1/2 pint jars, (16) 1/4 pint jars, or (4) pint jars.
• Immediately after filling jars I like to turn them upside down for 5-10 minutes, supposedly to help them seal.
• Optional instead of ground spices add with lemons:
• Cinnamon sticks (eight short pieces, 1 for each jar).
• Whole cloves (16-32 cloves, 2-4 for each jar).
• Grated fresh ginger (1 tablespoon).
• Red food coloring.

WATERMELON RIND PRESERVES

Steps:

• To prepare watermelon rind: Trim green skin and pink flesh from thick watermelon rind.
• Cut into 1" pices.
• Dissolve salt in 2 quarts water and pour over rind.
• Let stand 5-6 hours.
• Drain; rinse and drain again.
• Cover with cold water and let stand 30 minutes.
• Drain.
• Sprinkle ginger over rind; cover with water and cook until fork-tender.
• Drain.
• Combine sugar, lemon juice and 7 cups water.
• Boil 5 minutes; add rind and boil gently for 30 minutes.
• Add sliced lemon and cook until the melon rind is clear.
• Pack hot into hot jars, leaving 1/4" head space.
• Remove air bubbles.
• Adjust caps.
• Process 20 minutes in boiling water bath.

WATERMELON RIND PRESERVES

Steps:

• Dissolve salt in 2 quarts of water.
• Pour over rind and let stand 5 to 6 hours.
• Drain, rinse and drain again.
• Cover with cold water and let stand 3 minutes.
• Drain.
• Sprinkle ginger over rind.
• Cover with water and cook until fork tender.
• Drain.
• Combine sugar, lemon juice and 7 cups water.
• Boil 5 minutes and add rind.
• Boil adn cook until rind is clear.
• Pack into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace.
• Wipe jar rims and adjust lids.
• Process 5 minutes in a boiling water bath.

ROSY WATERMELON RIND PRESERVES

Steps:

• Remove rind from watermelon.
• Peel off outside skin.
• Cut rinds into three inch strips (about 12 cups).
• Place strips in large jar and cover with cold water.
• Add the cup of salt.
• Let stand overnight.
• Drain off all the water.
• Place watermelon rind in 2 quarts of fresh water in a large sauce pan.
• Boil 10 minutes and then strain.
• In a 6 quart kettle bring vinegar, cherry juice and sugar to a boil.
• Add ground cloves and ground cinnamon.
• Spiced cooked rind with cloves.
• Drop cooked rind into hot syrup and cook until syrup is thickened.
• Add a piece of cinnamon stick into hot pint jars.
• Fill with boiling hot preserves and syrup.
• Adjust lids.
• Process in a boiling hot water bath (212F) for 15 minutes.
• Remove jars and let cool in a draft free area.
• Makes 8-10 pints.

WATERMELON RIND PRESERVES

Steps:

• To prepare watermelon rind - trim green skin and pink flesh from thick watermelon rind; cut into 1-inch pieces. Dissolve salt in 1 quart water and pour over rind. Let stand 5 to 6 hours if salt is used. Drain; rinse and drain again. Cover with cold water and let stand 30 minutes. Drain.
• Sprinkle ginger over rind; cover with water and cook until fork-tender. Drain. Combine sugar, lemon juice and 7 cups water. Boil 5 minutes. Add rind and boil gently for 30 minutes. Add sliced lemon and cook until the melon rind is clear.
• Pack, boiling hot, into hot Ball jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space. Adjust caps. Process half pints and pints 20 minutes at 180 - 250 degrees F in hot water bath.