Many people don’t buy a whole watermelon just to make watermelon pickles from the rind but that’s what I did. I bought a 10 pound watermelon scrapped down all the meat from one side and realized that I should try for a third time a watermelon jelly. I just won’t let it beat me. I ran the flesh through a strainer to try to get the juice of the watermelon and set aside for my watermelon jelly. I cut off the green outer skin all the way down to the white and sliced off any remaining pink from the inside. I had the other side of the watermelon that I cut up and remember that I saw someone do a watermelon dried so I even put watermelon slices in the dehydrator.
When I checked the dehydrator this morning they turned out fantastic. I put the slices 1/4″ thick and set the dehydrator to 135 degrees for 8 hours. They have a soft supple texture and the sweet watermelon flavor is so good with every bite. I was amazed how good these are and no sugar, no preservatives and so much better than a fruit roll up.
I had made them last year but since we are on a roll doing recipes from the Better Homes and Garden magazine I thought I would do their version.
Watermelon Pickles
Ingredients
- 1 10 pound watermelon
- 6 cups water
- 1/3 cup pickling salt
- Cold water
- 3 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 1/2 cups white vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 15 inches stick cinnamon, broken
- 2 t. whole cloves
Instructions
- Cut rind from the watermelon (you should have 4 1/2 pounds rind) Trim off the pink flesh and the green and pale green outer portions of the watermelon rind; discard those portions. Cut the rind into 1 inch squares or other 1 inch shapes. Measure 9 cups rind.
- Place the 9 cups rind in a large nonmetal bowl. In another large bowl combine the 6 cups water and pickling salt; pour over rind, add more to cover if needed. Cover bowl and allow to stand at room temperature overnight.
- Pour the rind mixture into a colander set in sink. Rinse mixture under cold water; drain well. Transfer rind to a 4 quart heavy pot. Add enough cold water to cover rind.
- Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer covered for 20 to 25 minutes or until rind is tender; drain.
- Meanwhile, for syrup, in a 6 to 8 quart stainless steel, enamel, or nonstick heavy pot, combine sugar, vinegar, the 1 1/2 cups water, the stick cinnamon , and cloves.
- Bring to boiling stirring until sugar dissolves; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes. Strain mixture through a sieve or use a slotted spoon to pick out cloves and cinnamon. Return liquid to the same pot.
- Add watermelon rind to syrup in pot. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered for 25 to 30 minutes or until rind is translucent.
- Pack hot rind and syrup into hot sterilized half pint canning jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.
- Wipe rims, adjust lids.Process filled jars in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes at a full boil. Remove jar. Makes 6 half pint jars.
- For the final portion of the watermelon, the juice, I put together the watermelon jelly. I used a basic recipe from the pectin package and making sure that I used the correct ratios so that it would set this time.
Watermelon Jelly
Ingredients
- 6 cups watermelon juice
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 T. bottled lemon juice
- 4 1/2 T. Ball Flex batch no sugar/low sugar pectin (You can use one package of Low sugar Sure-Jel)
Or for a firmer set:
- 3 t. Pomona Pectin
- 3 t. Calcium water (included in Pomona pectin box)
Instructions
- Use the juice from the watermelon by pressing the watermelon flesh through a fine mesh strainer or use a blender and strain through the mesh strainer afterward.
- In a 6 to 8 quart stainless steel pot combine the watermelon juice, sugar and lemon juice. Bring the mixture to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly.
- Stir in the pectin all at once. Return mixture to a full rolling boil, boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly with a wire whisk to avoid clumping of the pectin. Take off heat. Skim off foam.
- Ladle jelly into sterlized jars leaving 1/4" head space. Process in a boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes at a full boil.
- Makes 6 half-pints.
Or for a firmer set:
- *Pomona Pectin is available at the SB Canning store
- Use the juice from the watermelon by pressing the watermelon flesh through a fine mesh strainer or use a blender and strain through the mesh strainer afterward.
- In a 6 to 8 quart stainless steel pot add the watermelon juice. Bring the mixture to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly.
- Add the calcium water to the lemon juice and add to pot. Next mix the pectin with the sugar and add the pectin/sugar mix as you are stirring.
- Return mixture to a full rolling boil, boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly with a wire whisk to avoid clumping of the pectin. Take off heat. Skim off foam.
- Ladle jelly into sterilized jars leaving 1/4" head space. Process in a boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes at a full boil.
- Makes 6 half-pints.
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