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Three little girls watched with wide eyes. The knife chopped, chopped, chopped through the dark green rind. Rectangles of white watermelon rind capped with a tinge of pink remained. This part of the process was complete. However, some work and time remained before we could devour the wonderful Watermelon Rind Pickles. Mother knew the recipe by heart by now; these were a family favorite. It was great fun to surprise our friends and family with the pickles; it seemed no-one could believe the delicious specialty was made from the rind from watermelons. Don't waste another watermelon rind; read on for my family's "secret" recipe and for a few other mini watermelon rind recipes tossed in for good measure.
Mother was creating Watermelon Pickles again. My family was never rich, but with all of the fresh fruits and veggies from our garden and orchard, at times we ate like millionaires. Sometimes, mother made the most fabulous things from these fruits. Our cupboards were stocked with jar after jar of many varieties of jams. Mom loved to bake pumpkin cookies and oatmeal cookies when she had the energy. Occasionally, dad and mom would bring home a huge watermelon and we would feast for days on the scrumptious fruit. Then, the Cooking of the Rinds would begin.This was usually a family event.
It seemed like it took us hours to shave the green off the white. But, was the work worth it? Oh yeah; you betcha! Not only did we enjoy the pickles but we also had fun sharing the Watermelon Pickles with surprised friends. We were usually rewarded with shocked faces as they said, "WATERMELON RIND PICKLES!!!".
The syrup is wonderfully spicy and the pickles are delicious but beware: they are in a thick, sweeter than sweet syrup. It bears repeating: Mom's recipe is sweet like thick honey but spicy with cloves and cinnamon. The combination of the taste and the translucent beauty makes the Watermelon Pickles a family tradition.
Mother is older now and so are her daughters. I'm not sure if any of us girls have braved the work of the Cooking of the Rinds. However, about a month ago, mom called me.
"Guess what I made...", she said with a bit of joy and teasing in her voice.
I guessed a few of her specialties: "Pumpkin Cookies?" "Mincemeat?" "Rice Pudding with Raisins?" "Scalloped Potatoes?". My ideas were slowly running out.
Mom gave me a hint, "Your father and I have been enjoying some Waterm..."
"AHha!" I shouted a little too loudly over the cell phone, "Watermelon Pickles".
Mom laughed and told my dad that I guessed it. LOL...that is a mom for you, she tells you and then gives you the credit for guessing. You've just got to love them mommas. Then, like a good mother, she informed me that a container of the pickles reserved were for me (um...and my husband). Oh yeah. We are on the way.
So, if you've grown a few watermelons in your Summer garden or you just hate to waste usable items, here is the recipe from my mom:
Our Favorite Sweet Watermelon Pickles
Rind of one 18-25 lb watermelon
1 gallon cold water
2 Tablespoons salt
3 cups Vinegar
7 cups Sugar
1 Tablespoon whole cloves
2 or 3 sticks cinnamon
Choose a melon with firm rind, the thicker white the better. Trim off the outer dark green skin and also the pink flesh. (We leave a thin line of pink at the top.) Cut the white rind into rectangles (example: large french fries). Discard any bad or discolored rind. Soak overnight (refrigerate) in a brine made of the cold water and salt. In the morning, rinse the rind in cold water and let stand in ice water for 1 hour. Drain. Cover with boiling water and simmer until tender. Drain rind again. In another pan, prepare a syrup of vinegar, sugar and spices (tie the spices loosely in cheesecloth). Bring to a boil over medium heat, stir occasionally so the sugar will not burn. Carefully add drained rind to the boiling syrup. Cook gently until rind is golden and transparent. Remove spice bag. Put rind and syrup into a container and refrigerate. ENJOY!
I decided to make Our Favorite Sweet Watermelon Pickles so I could take pictures of the process for you.
Wash the Watermelon. If desired, spray it with white vinegar after washing.
I was disappointed with this watermelon; it does not have a thick rind but it will work anyway.
We use an ice cream scoop to scoop out the melon. This keeps the rind clean for other uses.
Cut off the rounded end of the melon so it will sit flat. Do not cut into the pink or juice will leak out through the bottom. Note: juice will build up in the melon shell. Just pour it into a glass 1/3 full of cold tea; enjoy watermelon tea.
After the flesh is removed, cut the melon into strips. Then, remove most of the pink on one side and all of the hard green on the other side. Be careful; the green rind can be tough. I decided to process only half of the melon rind so I can write the article for you.
Now cut the strips of watermelon rind into bite size pieces. I used a crinkle cutter that I bought years and years ago at one of those expensive home parties that I refuse to go to anymore. I am not picky about perfectly shaped squares of rind; I'm sure they will taste just as good.
Place the rind in salted water and refrigerate overnight. (Cover if smelly food is in the refrigerator or if something strange is growing in the back of the fridge LOL). The water may discolor just a bit.
In the morning, rinse rind with cold water. Let stand in ice water 1 hr. (We went to the screening of the new movie "FIREPROOF", so I didn't have a.m. time. Wow. One amazing film; clean with good action.) Anyway, the rind waited in the refrigerator for 24 hours. We enjoyed eating a few at this stage. They are tender and would taste great chopped up smaller for a toss salad.
Boil water in a large pan during the last few minutes of the ice water bath. Drain rind again and carefully place rind in boiling water. Simmer until tender. This took about 15 minutes on medium heat. Drain. The rind tastes like cooked squash at this stage.
While the rind is cooking, tie the stick cinnamon and whole cloves in cheesecloth.
And prepare the syrup. (Vinegar, sugar and tied spices). Cook at medium heat; bring to a boil. Don't let the mixture burn.
The syrup will change from cloudy to translucent. CAREFULLY lower the rind into the boiling syrup. I used my long handled spaghetti server for this task. DANGER: syrup is boiling hot; use wisdom.
Cook until the pickles are also translucent. (This step will require at least 30 to 50 minutes. I lost track of the exact time because I was lost in Dave's Garden.) Remember to remove the spices.
Let the pickles cool. Place in another container and refrigerate.
Enjoy! A little goes a long way; these are very sweet.
Just as a side note, you may be surprised to find out that the white rind is used as a veggie in other parts of the world. Also, other Watermelon Rind Pickle recipes are available on the internet that are not sweet or that include other ingredients.
According to Wikipedia, watermelon rind is high in citrulline. Citrulline is an amino acid; a key in the urea pathway. It is being studied for the detection of rheumatoid arthritis and is promoted as a performance enhancing substance. Citrulline may also relax blood vessels.1
Try these mini recipes:
Prepare the watermelon rind as for pickles; do not boil and do not add to syrup. Cook in a fry pan with butter and garlic until tender. Do not burn. These taste like garlic cucumber bits.
Again, prepare the watermelon rind as above. Cut into small chunks; use only the top, soft portion of the rind near the pink. Serve immediately in a toss salad. (These taste like cucumber).
Cut the prepared rind into small chunks. Bread and cook like fried okra.
Cook medium size chunks of prepared watermelon rind in stir fry.
Cover prepared watermelon rind (cut into small pieces) with a variety of shredded cheeses. Bake until tender and cheese is melted.
If you are an artist, carve the trimmed watermelon rind into fun designs to decorate food dishes.
And mom, I know you are reading this article, because that is who you are. Thanks mom, for the Watermelon Pickles and all the other wonderful and unusual things you made. I love you (P.S. Mom: Payment can be made with Watermelon Pickles, Rice Pudding with Raisins, Scalloped Potatoes, Purple Salad, Pumpkin Cookies...LOL)
If you'd like to have more information on growing Watermelons, be sure to check out the communities on Dave's Garden. You are sure to find some novel ideas, even if you only have a very small garden space. Here are some links to other Dave's Garden watermelon articles:
Writer, Speaker, Accountant, Gardener, Teacher, Sign Language Interpreter, Friend, Inactive Real Estate Agent. I love plants but don't grow as many as I wish. The garden in my head is better than the one in my yard. However, I plant at least one tree every year and have left every home with a little more green than it had before. I hope you enjoy reading these articles as much as I enjoy writing them.
Posted by paradiseyard (from Houston, TX) on September 01, 2008 at 01:45 PM:
My Grandma and Mom used to make these when I was growing up. I don't know when this was served, but at a function watermelon rind pickles were wrapped individually in one-half strip of bacon - a toothpick was inserted to hold together - these were broiled until the bacon was done/browned. It was mana from Heaven. Try it as an appetizer at your next family gathering, etc.
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Posted by Aunt_A (from Tulsa, OK) on September 01, 2008 at 03:43 PM:
paradiseyard,
Wow...I've never heard this before. That sounds very interesting.
Thanks for reading and giving us another use for W-pickles.
April
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Subject: IT'S BEEN 55 YEARS!
Posted by docgipe (from NORTH CENTRAL PENNSY, PA) on September 01, 2008 at 11:48 AM:
I'm on my way to buy a home grown watermelon tomorrow. Great article. Thanks.
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Posted by Aunt_A (from Tulsa, OK) on September 01, 2008 at 03:42 PM:
docgipe,
Thanks so much. I hope you have a chance to enjoy the rind.
:-)
Thanks for reading and commenting.
April
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Subject: Watermelon Rind Pickles
Posted by bjburkett (from Nacogdoches, TX) on September 01, 2008 at 10:19 AM:
My mother use to make these sweet pickles but she would can them via the hot water bath method. That way we could enjoy these treats all year. Thanks for this trip down memory lane.bj
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Posted by Aunt_A (from Tulsa, OK) on September 01, 2008 at 03:41 PM:
bjburkett,
Thanks for reading and commenting. Glad you enjoyed memory lane. :-)
April
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Subject: My grandma always made these
Posted by Bookerc1 (from Mackinaw, IL) on August 29, 2008 at 06:24 PM:
and I looked forward to them every time we visited! I think hers were a different recipe, however; I suspect they had red hots in them, as they were bright pink and very cinnamon-y. I just bought a watermelon this week--you've inspired me to give it a try!
Have you ever tried processing them (ie water bath or pressure canner)? My fridge space is limited.
Angie
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Posted by Aunt_A (from Tulsa, OK) on August 29, 2008 at 09:06 PM:
Bookerc1,
I imagine they were delicious w/ the red hots in them. It is interesting how many variations of Watermelon Rind pickles there are.
I hope you do get the chance to make them; please let me know how it turns out.
My mother processed them eons ago but we haven't processed anything w/ a water bath or pressure canner in probably over 30 years so I certainly can't remember anything much about canning. I can't even remember why we stopped canning; maybe our canning supplies burned up in the house fire.
Thanks so much for reading and commenting.
April
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Posted by Bookerc1 (from Mackinaw, IL) on August 29, 2008 at 09:12 PM:
Durn it, when I cut into the watermelon, it has almost no white layer. It goes almost immediately from hard green rind to pink flesh. Wonder if the seedless melons tend to be that way, or if I just picked a poor one for pickling (say that three times fast!). Harrumph. Now I'll have to buy more watermelon!
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Posted by Aunt_A (from Tulsa, OK) on August 29, 2008 at 09:17 PM:
Bookerc1,
Maybe the seedless are worse about that since they are hybrids. Picked a poor one for pickling, picked a poor one for pickling, picked a poor one for pickling. I can write it, but I can't say it. I think I might add that to my idioms. That would sound good. If there are problems of any type on anything, I could say; Well, I guess I picked a poor one for pickling. LOL
Well, at least you'll have lots of watermelon to eat. If you put watermelon in a blender (or in my VitaMix), it makes a great juice.
April
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Posted by tomtedbear (from Chicago, IL) on September 01, 2008 at 05:47 AM:
My grandma used to make these as well, and I remember they were always a special treat when she did. Grandma was a great cook who didn't need recipes. She just grabbed a pinch of this and a handful of that and everything turned out great. I remember once when I was pretty small, I wanted to make a recipe that someone had given me. Of course, I had to have Grandma's help, but she didn't deal with the 1 1/2 cups of that, 1 teaspoon of this. It confused her and the recipe wasn't the same. Looking back I really have to admire the way she cooked. Not only was it instinctive, she had all her recipes memorized, because they weren't written down anywhere.
Here's my favorite Grandma recipe: When I was finished with my freshman year in college, Grandma had been in a coma for many months. My Mom and I visited the nursing home twice a day. Just a couple of weeks before she took her last breath, Mom and I were sitting in her room discussing the things we wished we'd done with her, talked to her about, etc. I said that I wish we had her boiled custard recipe (It's a rich, warm holiday drink, similar consistency as egg nog, but a totally different taste). No more were the words out of my mouth, than a soft whispery voice said, "Well, it's easy. You just separate a dozen eggs and put the "yellers" (that would be the yolks) in a pot with a gallon of milk (that would be whole milk, of course) and several handsful of sugar (2 cups seems to be right). Boil it for a little while (5 minutes), then whip the whites and take the pan off the stove and fold in the stiff whites. Add a little bit of vanilla (2 Tablespoons) or other "flavoring." ("Flavoring" in my tee-totaling part of the Bible Belt mean whiskey).
Grandma had not spoken a word in months and this recipe was the last thing she said. I had written it down on a piece of scrap paper and I thought it had been lost over the years. Then, recently I was getting Mom's house ready to sell, and I came across that scrap of paper. This holiday season, we'll have grandma's boiled custard. And I guess I'll have to hurry up and make her pickled watermelon rind now that I have a recipe!
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Posted by Bookerc1 (from Mackinaw, IL) on September 01, 2008 at 09:05 AM:
Wow tomtedbear, what an incredible story! Just goes to show that often those in comas are still in there somewhere, and can still hear what you say! How wonderful that you still visited her so often, over such a long period of time!
I sure wish I'd spent more time baking sweet rolls with my grandma, instead of just eating them! She'd won so many ribbons at fairs, and they were famous. Her recipes were like your grandma's...pinches, handfuls, sloshes. She could tell everything she needed to know by how it felt and looked.
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Posted by Aunt_A (from Tulsa, OK) on September 01, 2008 at 04:05 PM:
tomtedbear,
What a memory; thanks for sharing the story and her recipe. Amazing.
I understand; my grandmother made wonderful biscuits when she was old and blind AND at our house, not at her own kitchen. She said for us to just put the ingredients on the table; she would know the items by feel.
She measured by a pinch and a fist, too. The biscuits were wonderful. It is one of the last memories I have of her.
Thanks, tomtedbear, for taking me down memory lane also. I'm glad you have some recipes to share with the generations to come. I wish I had a recipe for Grandma Potter's Biscuits.
April
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Posted by tomtedbear (from Chicago, IL) on March 12, 2009 at 12:42 AM:
Here's yet another off-topic story that ties in. My Mom was already in the hospital in bad shape when she suffered a heart attack. It was obvious she was on her death bed. My sister made some remark that caused the nurse to ask us to step out of the room. She told us that recently another woman was dying and her family had gathered around her. But she hung on for a while. Eventually, someone from out of town commented that they couldn't keep missing work, but they didn't want to go all the way home then have to turn around and come back for the funeral. Then somebody got around to saying that if nobody else wanted it, they'd like to have her car. Someone else mentioned something they would like to have. And so on and so on.
As you've probably figured out, she came out. Her first words? "I'm sorry I'm not dying fast enough for you!!!"
Remember these stories whenever you have a loved one who isn't conscious. You can share your memories with them and maybe you'll get a long-lost recipe. Or you can talk about what how inconvenient the ordeal is and who gets what after they're gone and be very embarrassed (and possibly disinherited!).
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Posted by Aunt_A (from Tulsa, OK) on March 13, 2009 at 12:15 AM:
tomtedbear,
I think I'll make your grandma's recipe. What was her first name (or her last)? I'll name it ______'s Custard if anyone asks for the recipe. Would that be okay?
I'm sorry about your mom. Was this recently? My DH's dad died recently and I was upset about something someone said while standing over him as well. I'm glad the nurse told you all the story.
Blessings!
April
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Posted by tomtedbear (from Chicago, IL) on March 14, 2009 at 07:22 AM:
I think that's a lovely idea. Her name was Georgia Gibson, but everyone called her Grandma. Are you familiar with Boiled Custard?
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Posted by Aunt_A (from Tulsa, OK) on March 14, 2009 at 12:54 PM:
tomtedbear,
If my memory serves me right, I've had it a few times in my life but I don't think that the egg whites were ever folded in later.
How about Grandma Gibson's Custard or Grandma Georgia's Custard?
April
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Posted by tomtedbear (from Chicago, IL) on March 22, 2009 at 03:32 AM:
Grandma Gibson's Custard is wonderful. Thanks!
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Subject: i am so glad
Posted by taynors (from Urbana, OH) on August 29, 2008 at 02:35 PM:
oh yeah
i made some of these several weeks ago using the ball book. ( yours sounds yummer) and i was afraid i did them wrong, but so far so good i think, LOL
The pics really helped me see what it should look like.
and what great recipes you gave too. Im excited to see if mine come at as good as yours :)
next week i just might try your reciepe and compare them .
thank you so much for sharing
sue taynor
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Posted by Aunt_A (from Tulsa, OK) on August 29, 2008 at 09:08 PM:
Sue,
Thanks for reading and commenting. I hope that you enjoy both batches of the watermelon pickles. Someone commented about Watermelon Rind preserves also; now I'm thinking I might want to try that, too.
Please let me know how your pickles turn out.
:-)
April
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Posted by taynors (from Urbana, OH) on August 30, 2008 at 09:19 AM:
i think i saw something lik that in the ball book or it might have been just a jam
i will let you know on the pickles
thanks again for sharing your reciepe :)
i enjoyed the article
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Subject: Mom used to make these....
Posted by imapigeon (from Gilroy (Sunset Z14), CA) on August 29, 2008 at 01:59 PM:
They were my number-two favorites when I was a kid....her pickled carrots were my absolute number one favorite! I'll have to dig through the old wooden box and see if I can find it----thanks for jogging my memory!~~
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Posted by davis1676 (from Disputanta, VA) on August 29, 2008 at 07:50 PM:
Thanks for your timely article. I'm glad you showed the pictures, it'll help when I go to make my first batch. My mom loved these when I was a child and I'm the only one that ever bought them for her. I'm guessing she'll be surprised when I take her some & if I'm lucky they'll taste similar to the ones she used to eat. My goodness, nothing brought a bigger smile to moms face than these pickles. The recipe sounds wonderful!
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Posted by Aunt_A (from Tulsa, OK) on August 29, 2008 at 09:02 PM:
imapigeon,
Thanks for reading and commenting. I've never had pickled carrots. Were they sweet or sour? Were the chunked, sliced or whole? So welcome...stop by anytime.
davis1676,
You are very welcome. I hope you enjoy making them. They are a lot of work but well worth it. I hope your mom is tickled pink w/ your creation. Thanks for commenting. I love reading everyone's comments.
April
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Posted by imapigeon (from Gilroy (Sunset Z14), CA) on August 30, 2008 at 11:04 AM:
Mom's pickled carrots were tart and crunchy. They were an EXCELLENT companion to her sweet watermelon rind pickles. She only made them a few times when I was little, and I pestered her most of my adult life for the recipe. (Knowing my mom, it probably irritated the heck out of her.) Anyway, when she passed away, I found a recipe in the loose-leaf notebook that she started when she was first married. All the recipes in that book were typed on her old Royal portable on nice vellum paper, so I have hopes that it's the one. I haven't made them yet, but I'm hoping they'll be close to the ones I remember. She used big carrots and made them into sticks, but I'll bet the bagged baby ones we can get now would work just great.
When my grandma, (who was a Home Ec major in college in the early 1900s) died, she had a whole cabinet of recipe boxes and books. I went through it looking for the dirty cards, figuring those were worth keeping as they'd been made more than once....LOL!
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Posted by Aunt_A (from Tulsa, OK) on August 30, 2008 at 08:26 PM:
They sound good.
That is a good idea about keeping the dirty cards. :-)
I've begun writing the date and a note in cookbooks so I know when the recipe was used and if we liked it. That has been fun to look back and see it was 18 years ago that I made a cake for hubby.
April
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Subject: from a Realtor - Watermelon Preserves
Posted by bonjon (from Raleigh, NC) on August 29, 2008 at 09:33 AM:
thank you so much for your article. I, too, have family recipes for Watermelon Rind, coming from my father's home in Blue Mountain, Mississippi. Oh the memories you've brought back to me of wonderful times!
But the modern cultivars of watermelon have almost no white rind at all, and I've stopped making them. I'm wondering if anyone has an heirloom watermelon seed I could try growing - I'm tired of looking at the white of the rind and giving up because it's so thin.
For us it was watermelon preserves, jarred and sent home with us from Aunt Orene, to be eaten at Pappy's house (she was a maiden aunt who stayed behind at home on the farm to care for her father) on her incredible yeast rolls, or at home on my mom's best biscuits. Southern eating at it's best!!!
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Posted by wind (from Mount Laurel, NJ) on August 29, 2008 at 06:27 PM:
Great article ~ thank you for sharing your recipe with us!
This is the first season I've ever been made aware of using watermelon rind in any recipe. I'm really interested in trying it now that I know it has health benefit of citrulline. I look forward to making your recipe, we have never tried them before.
bonjon, I was wondering how about preserves would be. It sounds like it is good! I just noticed a recipe for it in a canning book the other day. The recipe used the watermelon rind and cooked it with ginger, sugar and lemon; I just may have to try that as well :)
~Diana
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Posted by bonjon (from Raleigh, NC) on August 29, 2008 at 08:40 PM:
wind - it wasn't my recipe, you replied to the wrong thread. go back to the articles and double check.
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Posted by Aunt_A (from Tulsa, OK) on August 29, 2008 at 08:57 PM:
bonjon,
Thanks for reading and commenting. I'm glad that it brought back good memories for you. Yes, I thought that the white rind has shrunk also. Guess someone thought no one liked it. So, were the preserves rinds chopped up like marmalade, chunks like chunky salsa, thick like jam or thin like jelly. Sounds like Aunt Orene was an accomplished cook.
Diana,
Thank you again for all of your kind comments on the watermelon rind article. Please let me know if you like the recipe. And, thanks again for the link!
April
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Posted by bonjon (from Raleigh, NC) on August 29, 2008 at 09:20 PM:
well, I'll be trying it soon - going to farmers market tomorrow!
actually, it looks very very much like your recipe only without the vinegar and slightly smaller chunks. And if they were still crispy, they hadn't been cooked enough. (I know because I've done that twice!)
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Posted by Aunt_A (from Tulsa, OK) on August 29, 2008 at 09:55 PM:
Thanks; I think I need to try that.
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Posted by bonjon (from Raleigh, NC) on August 30, 2008 at 02:26 PM:
well, tell ya what, that box of stuff hasn't come to light yet after our last move four years ago, not too surprising since I had emergency surgery after that and have never gone through 300 boxes! but I'm in the process of going through them now for a garage sale. Hoping to find something to sell, in this economy, it's necessary.
If I find it, I'll post it here.
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Posted by Aunt_A (from Tulsa, OK) on August 30, 2008 at 08:24 PM:
Thanks...I hope you sell a few houses asap.
April
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Posted by bonjon (from Raleigh, NC) on August 30, 2008 at 09:29 PM:
LOL 0 my BIC status is current, but I haven't sold a thing since my emergency surgery. Can't hardly climb stairs, and our area is so hilly, with mostly 2 level homes, so I gave up. I keep up my BIC status, keep thinking I'll use it again. With our changing laws, that status is worth big bucks now.
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Posted by Aunt_A (from Tulsa, OK) on August 30, 2008 at 11:53 PM:
Wow, bonjon.
Sorry to hear that. Must be difficult. Hope you get feeling better soon.
April
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Posted by bonjon (from Raleigh, NC) on August 31, 2008 at 03:33 PM:
your wish granted - I feel great, until I start climbing stairs or walking uphill, then I quickly tire, and my groin, point of operation, aches and aches, and finally gives out by the 3rd house. I'm going to the YMCA to exercise it, but it just gives out. So I've switched to gardening, and selling what I grow.
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Posted by Aunt_A (from Tulsa, OK) on September 01, 2008 at 12:18 AM:
Gardening is usually less stress than real estate. Most people don't really understand what hard work real estate is. :-)
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Posted by bonjon (from Raleigh, NC) on September 01, 2008 at 01:28 PM:
The cut-throat of it around here has just grown old. And I'm incredibly intelligent, great at the research and sales parts, but I don't fit the local "high priced call girl" image of what they all seem to want an agent to be. If I wanted to wear stilettos for a living, I could have made a lot more $$ than real estate provides!
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Posted by Aunt_A (from Tulsa, OK) on September 01, 2008 at 03:56 PM:
Sounds like you are a great Realtor! I wish more agents were "incredibly intelligent, great at the research and sales parts". Sigh. :-)
April
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Posted by bonjon (from Raleigh, NC) on September 01, 2008 at 09:47 PM:
would you believe I've had more senior big sales agents try to cheat me, or mislead, probably thought I was new to real estate, not knowing I had practiced on the west coast.
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Posted by Aunt_A (from Tulsa, OK) on September 01, 2008 at 09:52 PM:
So from the West Coast to the East Coast. :-) You've seen some lovely countrysides.
Do you live near where Hannah might rough up the area?
April
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Posted by bonjon (from Raleigh, NC) on September 01, 2008 at 10:20 PM:
haven't looked where Hannah is -
we routinely get hurricanes. They are actually a fair amount of our yearly rainfall, and the fact NC didn't get any major storms the last two years has contributed to our drought. At this point, we'd love a Cat 1 hurricane!!!
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Subject: How cool!
Posted by podster (from Deep East Texas, TX) on August 29, 2008 at 08:33 AM:
How fun to see this thread. Yesterday, I just finished making my third batch of watermelon pickles for the summer. I also grew up eating and enjoying these. Watermelon was a real treat in the north and we wasted little. I jokingly said we ate it down to the inside of the green rind. People eating these for the first time are apprehensive that we have literally eaten to the quick but I also cut the melon instead of gnawing. LOL
I find that in the north we called them watermelon pickles and in this area of the south they are called watermelon preserves. My recipe is very similar except I do put them in jars and use a five minute water bath. I find a stainless tea ball is handy to use for the spices and always on hand. The cheesecloth isn't easy to find locally. This year, I added shaved lemon slices cooked in with the rind. I find I like that taste also. One problem encountered lately is the melons just don't have a thick enough rind. That makes me have to eat more and more looking for just the right ones to pickle! Gee, I hate that! 8 )
I enjoy serving these when we have guests to see their reaction. I also enjoy sharing a few jars with others. This year I sent a pint of them home with a 91 year old customer. I hoped he and his wife would enjoy them. The next week he reported back that they were " almost just perfect!". How good does it get!
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Posted by Aunt_A (from Tulsa, OK) on August 29, 2008 at 09:13 PM:
Podster,
Thanks. I'm glad you stopped by and that you commented also. I love reading all the comments.
I grew up in Upstate New York so maybe that is why we called them Watermelon Rind Pickles. Yes, it is funny that people think we gnaw on the rind and then cook something from the gnawed leftovers. ROTFL
The stainless steel tea ball is a wonderful idea. I wish I'd thought of it.
What do you think about adding lemon; does it add a lemon flavor or just sweet and sour? It sounds good; I might have to try it.
Sweet that you gave them to a 91 year old customer. What kind of business do you have?
Thanks again,
April
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Posted by podster (from Deep East Texas, TX) on August 29, 2008 at 09:51 PM:
You know, I really liked the lemon. It took on a sweet taste like the pickles and is delicious to nibble. I wasn't sure how much to add at first but will definitely add more. It is added with the rind when cooking with the spices.
My MIL always thought her ripe cucumber pickles (which are made the same way) were better but my heart lies with the Watermelon Pickles. Thanks again for a fun article and giving me a grin this morning.
BTW, we are self employed in a retail store. That 91 YO man told me the next week the everything is better with lemon. Worth a try and by all means use the tea ball. I had to improvise when I couldn't find my cheesecloth and it worked good enough that I kept using it. Have a good weekend! pod
p.s. ~ let's figure out how to peel one easier! 8 )
This message was edited Aug 29, 2008 8:54 PM
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Posted by Aunt_A (from Tulsa, OK) on August 29, 2008 at 09:59 PM:
I agree!!! There must be an easier way. I wonder if the green was boiled a bit first. Do you think it would be softer?
Thanks for the lemon info.
You have a good weekend also! I hope Hannah Gustav doesn't come to visit you.
April
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Posted by podster (from Deep East Texas, TX) on August 29, 2008 at 10:08 PM:
Preparations for Gustav are under way even where I am ( inland 100 miles). I am charging all the rechargable batteries, lights, etc. Also doing up laundry as it is nice to have clean drawers at stressful times! 8 )
Folks are already panicbuying gas, water and food as we had experience with Rita coming over us. She brought us evacuees as well as rain, wind and power outages. We are all dreading what this one might bring.
Do you think a tater peeler on the melon before it is cut would work? * ))
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Posted by Aunt_A (from Tulsa, OK) on August 30, 2008 at 02:09 AM:
podster,
Wow, even 100 miles inland. I hope Hannah and Gustav don't merge. It sounds like someone's first and last name. I just googled Hannah Gustav (-storm in advanced search) and it looks like there are some people named Hannah Gustav.
I remember Agnus; she ran smack into New York State and flooded upstate NYS as well as everything else. What a mess.
I heard gov't agencies in Oklahoma are scouting out evacuee centers, just in case people need a place to stay again. (We had a lot of Katrina evacuees).
Maybe a strong tater peeler would work; my weak one would not.
Blessings to you. Be safe.
April
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Subject: Wonderful
Posted by MitchF (from Lindsay, OK) on August 29, 2008 at 08:13 AM:
Thank you so much again for a wonderful article and the great memories from my childhood eating at Grandmas.
Mitch
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Posted by Aunt_A (from Tulsa, OK) on August 29, 2008 at 09:57 PM:
Mitch,
Ah, what a wonderful thing to say. I hope Grandma reads your post; it will make her happy.
Thanks again for reading my articles and for always commenting.
YOU are a TREASURE!
Aunt April
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Posted by MitchF (from Lindsay, OK) on August 30, 2008 at 07:27 AM:
Does she get on here?
Send me your addy and I have a DVD for you - dmail it over ok?
Those are so good... going to have to find me a watermelon now and give them a try!
Mitch
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Posted by Aunt_A (from Tulsa, OK) on August 30, 2008 at 08:21 PM:
Sometimes I send her a link to my articles; I think I sent g-ma and pa a link to yours also.
Sure...will send it. Thanks so much!
Aunt April
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Posted by MitchF (from Lindsay, OK) on August 31, 2008 at 02:36 PM:
Very cool - I used Daves in my classroom a lot with http://www.texasstar.org - it was great to ahve the kids here and know it was safe.
I still get goosebumps when I see my articles on here!
Mitch
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Posted by Aunt_A (from Tulsa, OK) on September 01, 2008 at 12:17 AM:
Yes, I do understand that feeling. Thank you! :-)
Mom and Dad read this article today. I also showed them how to see all of my articles and your articles. So, they have some new sites under favorites now.
Dad said to be sure and tell you that they are reading your articles also. They are proud of you.
Aunt April
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Posted by MitchF (from Lindsay, OK) on September 01, 2008 at 09:27 AM:
Thank you :-)
I still have a disk for you but I sent over the sight in an email. Dont get tooooo excited.
I have always loved that we are a family that supports each other - always a great thing.
Mitch
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Posted by Aunt_A (from Tulsa, OK) on September 01, 2008 at 03:53 PM:
It is great! You are talking about the garden and the cutting of the roses. Good word picture! Love the HAT principal, too.
I forgot to send you the addy, I guess. However, I'm SO glad for the link.
We never supported you enough, but we love you. Always have. :-)
Thanks!
April
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Posted by MitchF (from Lindsay, OK) on September 01, 2008 at 08:21 PM:
Took me forever to get the T in the HAT but once we had it together we just knew it was God.
Over all I think I have a great family with no more or less short comings than any other, and better than so many I have seen.
Mitch
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Posted by Aunt_A (from Tulsa, OK) on September 01, 2008 at 09:22 PM:
Thanks, Mitch.
That is a beautiful thing to say.
Aunt April
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Posted by MitchF (from Lindsay, OK) on September 01, 2008 at 10:35 PM:
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Subject: Thanks!
Posted by catmad (from Pelzer, SC) on August 29, 2008 at 07:55 AM:
I'll never look at watermelon the same way again! Thank you so much for giving me another "productive" way to play in both garden and kitchen:)
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Posted by Aunt_A (from Tulsa, OK) on August 29, 2008 at 09:56 PM:
catmad,
You are so welcome. Hope you enjoy your new look at watermelon. Be sure you get one with plently of white rind. :-)
Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
April
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Posted by pajaritomt (from Los Alamos, NM) on June 12, 2009 at 01:39 PM:
Thanks from me as well. I love anything that has to do with a watermelon. I love watermelon pickles and will definitely make some using your recipe. Previously I only bought them. My mother did not do preserves or jellies. But I do!
I survived on watermelon juice in Thailand. They serve it everywhere. So refreshing!
A friend makes a watermelon and strawberry salad with lettuce and vinegar and oil. Superb.
Thanks for all this info and new ideas.
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Posted by Aunt_A (from Tulsa, OK) on June 12, 2009 at 06:56 PM:
pajaritomt,
Thanks for reading and commenting.
I love Watermelon Juice as well; can really drink up a melon fast in my VitaMix. LOL
I might try the wmelon strawberry salad; sounds good. Thanks for a new recipe to try.
April
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Subject: Oh Wow!
Posted by Sharran (from Calvert City, KY) on August 29, 2008 at 01:43 AM:
Gorgeous layout, wonderful subject, excellent writing.
Hmmm...did I leave anything out?
I think not. Oh, my address. You did say you would share, didn't you?
Thanks, April, wonderful article..
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on August 29, 2008 at 11:13 AM:
Yes, beautifully done! I loved the step by step photos and instructions with the recipe. Watermelon rind pickles are a tradition in our family, too!
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Posted by Aunt_A (from Tulsa, OK) on August 29, 2008 at 08:48 PM:
Sharon,
Thank you for your warm as sunshine and sweet as peaches comments. I wouldn't dare send them, the mailman might eat the watermelon pickles on the way and then you'd just receive the empty jar. (No offense to any mailman; just joking.)
Thanks for reading and commenting.
Critterologist,
Thank you also for reading the article and for your wonderful comments. I had fun taking the pics. Isn't it a surprise how many people remember watermelon pickles as a tradition?
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on August 29, 2008 at 10:05 PM:
I've got a little melon in the fridge right now, and I"m wondering how thick the rind will be... :-)
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Posted by Aunt_A (from Tulsa, OK) on August 30, 2008 at 02:02 AM:
Critterologist,
I hope it is thick enough for you to make...
WATERMELON PICKLES!
LOL
Enjoy...
April
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on August 30, 2008 at 08:34 AM:
That's my hope as well, April!
:-)
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on August 30, 2008 at 08:56 AM:
PS. Got cucumbers? See today's article! Your step by step photos inspired me... not to do the same, LOL, but I did go back in and add a photo of slicing a cucumber using the mandoline!
:-)
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Posted by Aunt_A (from Tulsa, OK) on August 30, 2008 at 08:23 PM:
Critterologist,
I wrote a message on your article today; was busy so hadn't read them all.
For some reason I thought you were slicing a cucumber using the musical instrument. I had to read your article today without fail. I thought; "What in the world???". LOL
You did a great job!
April
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on August 30, 2008 at 08:31 PM:
Haha! That would be much trickier...
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Subject: Might try it if I can scale it down
Posted by sallyg (from Anne Arundel Co., MD) on August 19, 2008 at 10:15 PM:
I just started cutting a whole but small watermelon tonight and remembered this article. I've never eaten these but it makes sense- the rind looks just like cucumber, so why not use it like one? Well done article. I know you worked hard getting all those pictures for it!
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Posted by Aunt_A (from Tulsa, OK) on August 29, 2008 at 01:27 AM:
sallg,
Thanks so much for reading and for the nice comment. It was fun taking the pictures, but I continually stopped my progress for picture taking.
I made half a batch and it worked fine. We still have a few left in the refrig, even after taking a bowl to the office last week.
