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Title: Pickled Watermelon Rind - Martha Stewart Living
Yield: 7 Pints

Ingredients

      1 lg watermelon (about 25 lb)
      2 tb kosher salt
      3 c  sugar
      2 c  cider vinegar
    1/2    inch length of fresh ginger,
           - peeled
    1/2 ts ground mace
      2 sm cinnamon sticks
      1    lemon, thinly sliced

Instructions

1. Cut watermelon in half; remove flesh and seeds. Using a metal spoon,
scrape rind to remove all traces of pink. Cut rind crosswise into
1-inch-wide strips. Using a vegetable peeler or a small sharp knife, peel
the green skin from the rind. Cut away any bruises or bad spots. Cut rind
into 2-inch lengths.

2. In a large nonreactive bowl, combine salt and 1 gallon cold water. Add
rind; let soak in brine overnight. Rinse rind 2 or 3 times in fresh cold
water and drain well.

3. Combine sugar and vinegar in a large nonreactive pot and heat until
sugar is dissolved. Fold an 8-by-16-inch piece of cheesecloth in half to
make a square; rinse and squeeze dry. Place, ginger, spices and lemon on
the cheesecloth. Tie cloth dosed with one end of a 12-inch piece of cotton
string. Tie a loop in the other end and slip it over the handle of a wooden
spoon. Suspend spice bag in the vinegar syrup by placing the spoon across
the top of the pot. Add the rind and return to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer
for 30 minutes, and let sit overnight. Discard spice bag.

4. Wash 7 one-pint canning jars, lids, and screw bands with hot, soapy
water and rinse well. Place jars upright on wire rack in the bottom of a
large pot. Fill pot with hot water until jars are submerged by 1 to 2
inches, and bring to a boil. Boil for 15 minutes. Turn off heat, leaving
jars in water. Sterilize lids according to manufacturers instructions.

5. Using stainless-steel tongs, remove jars from water and place on a layer
of clean towels. With a slotted spoon, transfer rind to jars, leaving 3/4
inch of space beneath the rim. Pour hot syrup over rind, covering it by 1/4
inch and leaving 1/2 inch of space beneath the rim. Slide a clean plastic
chopstick or wooden skewer along inside of each jar to release any air
bubbles. Wipe mouth of jar with a clean, damp cloth. Place hot lid on jar,
turn screw band tightly without forcing.

6. Place a wire rack in the bottom of a large pot and fill part way with
hot water. Using a jar lifter, place jars upright on rack. Add enough hot
water to cover by 2 inches, and bring to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes.
Remove jars from water bath; let stand on clean dish towels for 24 hours.
Check cool jars for the slight indentation in the lids that indicates a
vacuum seal. Jars that do not seal properly or that leak during processing
should be stored in the refrigerator and pickles con- sumed within a week.
Allow sealed pickles to mellow in a cool, dry place for 2 to 3 weeks. Store
opened jars in the refrigerator.

Martha Stewart Living/October/94 Scanned & edited by Di Pahl &
Posted to MM-Recipes Digest V4 #036 by John Merkel on
Feb 3, 1997.

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