I came in to read my mail, having just put up some watermelon rind pickle! Nice surprise to see this article and read others' comments on their recipes. My grandmother used no specific measurements, just proportions. If she couldn't get Lilly Lime, she'd used 1/3 cup of salt in 3 cups of water to soak the pealed and diced rind for 10 hours to break down the harder plant fibers. Then It goes into a water bath for several hours - 3 or 4 -to leech out the extra saltiness. Rinse well with clear water and place in a saucepan with water to cover an inch or two above the rind. Start with a cup of apple cider vinegar and 2 cups granulated sugar. Toss in a tablespoon of cloves, a couple of cinnamon sticks and a bit of allspice - maybe a teasp. of the whole berries. Let it come to a boil and add the rinsed rind. Bring to a boil again and then decrease heat to simmer. Keep an eye on this - it cooks down fast. When the melon pieces are fork tender and translucent you can can and water-bath the whole shebang or put it into a clean jar, cool and store int he refrigerator. We eat it year round, and every couple of months I make a new large batch.
I came in to read my mail, having just put up some watermelon rind pickle! Nice surprise to see this article and read others' comments on their recipes. My grandmother used no specific measurements, just proportions. If she couldn't get Lilly Lime, she'd used 1/3 cup of salt in 3 cups of water to soak the pealed and diced rind for 10 hours to break down the harder plant fibers. Then It goes into a water bath for several hours - 3 or 4 -to leech out the extra saltiness. Rinse well with clear water and place in a saucepan with water to cover an inch or two above the rind. Start with a cup of apple cider vinegar and 2 cups granulated sugar. Toss in a tablespoon of cloves, a couple of cinnamon sticks and a bit of allspice - maybe a teasp. of the whole berries. Let it come to a boil and add the rinsed rind. Bring to a boil again and then decrease heat to simmer. Keep an eye on this - it cooks down fast. When the melon pieces are fork tender and translucent you can can and water-bath the whole shebang or put it into a clean jar, cool and store int he refrigerator. We eat it year round, and every couple of months I make a new large batch.