Quantity: 4 or 5 pints

Jar size: Pints

Ingredients:

3 quarts (about 6 pounds) watermelon rind, unpared
¾ cup salt
3 quarts water
2 quarts (2 trays) ice cubes
9 cups sugar
3 cups 5% vinegar, white
3 cups water
1 tablespoon (about 48) whole cloves
6 cinnamon sticks, 1 inch pieces
1 lemon, thinly sliced, with seeds removed

Instructions:

1. Wash and rinse canning jars; keep hot until ready to use. Prepare lids according to manufacturer's directions.
2. Trim the pink flesh and outer green skin from thick watermelon rind. Cut into 1 inch squares.
3. Cover with brine made by mixing the salt with 3 quarts cold water. Add ice cubes. Let stand 3 to 4 hours.
4. Drain; rinse in cold water.
5. Cover with cold water and cook until fork tender, about 10 minutes (do not overcook). Drain.
6. Combine sugar, vinegar, water, and spices (tied in a clean, thin, white cloth). Boil 5 minutes and pour over the watermelon; add lemon slices. Let stand overnight in the refrigerator.
7. Heat watermelon in syrup to boiling and cook slowly 1 hour.
8. Pack hot pickles loosely into clean, hot pint jars.
9. To each jar add 1 piece of stick cinnamon from spice bag; cover with boiling syrup, leaving ½ inch headspace.
10. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace if needed. Wipe rims of jars with a dampened clean towel; apply two-piece metal canning lids.
11. Process jars immediately in a boiling water or steam canner according to the chart. Let cool, undisturbed, 12-24 hours and check for seals.

Processing time:

Processing Times for Boiling Water Canner or Steam Canner

Source:

So Easy to Preserve, 6th ed, 2020