First pickles of summer

Each year I calmly await the arrival of decent watermelons, not for the watermelon but for the rinds to make my childhood favorite pickles. These are a sweet pickle with just a hint of tang, stiff on ginger and cloves. Easy to make, easier to eat.

I just finished stuffing 4 jars and now only have to wait another week, then the eating begins.

My Grandmother made batch after batch of these during the summer months when I was a kid. They are easily my favorite summer sweet-pickle.

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one of my favorites as well !
any chance you could share your recipe??

Here ya go bud…..

Recipe:

Slice a thumb of peeled ginger root into nickle sized pieces, add 1/2 stick of cinnamon and 1 Tbsp of whole cloves into a saucepan and add 1 1/2 cups of sugar and a full cup of cider vinegar. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes, then take off heat and allow to stand until needed in two days. Cut watermelon rind into 1″ strips, then pare the dark green skin off the outside. Its ok to leave about 1/4 inch of the pink flesh on the rinds but no more. Cut the pared rinds up into 1/2″ to 3/4″ pieces, place in a bowl and add about 3/4 cup of CANNING salt to cover. Mix the salt into the slices and put in the fridge overnight. Use a larger bowl and colander to rinse the salted rinds with several rinses of water allowing the rinds to stand in clear water about 10 minutes each rinsing. I do three rinsings then I add plain water and simmer the rinds until most of them are fairly clear. Drain and rinse in clear water, then strain the brine into the rinds and cover and simmer for 40 minutes on low heat. Get the jars ready while the rinds cook in the brine, then spoon the rinds into each jar, one jar at a time leaving the pan on the heat between jars, and cover and band. I flip the jars upside down as they are filled for ten minutes, then turn them right side up. Two days in the jar and they’re ready to eat.

Thanks !!! now I know what to do with the melons I use for target practice !!
less work cutting them up that way.
hope the cordite doesnt overpower the ginger lol,just kidding.

appreciate the recipe,cant wait to try it out !

How long will it last unopened? Can it remain un-refrigerated in that condition?

I can mine boiling hot into hot jars with lids right out of boiling water. As soon as I snug the band I invert the jars for maybe 10 minutes, then upright them to cool. Once cool I wipe the jars down with a damp cloth so any of the syrup that may have gotten on the jars won’t attract ants, then store them in a dark cupboard or pantry area. I generally eat these pickles within a year. Keep in mind that these shown are only the first batch. I’ll likely make another 4 or so batches thru the summer. These will store for well over a year though.

On a similar note, cucumber slices can be done with the same brine and basic recipe except do not boil and store the pickles in the fridge. For cukes we simply slice them and some sweet onions and salt them in an ice cream pail in the fridge. After a day of salt, rinse well several times, then add the sweet brine that is used for the watermelon pickles, making sure the slices are fully covered with the brine. Cover the ice cream pail and set in the back of the fridge for a week, then dig in.