canning » Stories from the Farm

Watermelon Rind Pickles

I don’t remember my Grandmother Hazel canning, but most of what I remember was after her five sons had moved out and she was living alone. Corey’s great-grandmother however, canned everything! As she had either forgotten that all her children had left the nest or found it hopeless to convince PawPaw White not to plant their larger garden.

This is another one of Corey’s grandmothers, Nanny Bea. She was the cafeteria manager at the local high school for over thirty years. And in her day, every bit of food that came out of the school cafeteria was homemade with the freshest ingredients from hot cross buns to green beans seasoned with pork to cinnamon scented baked apples. And she lived her preference for real food at home with a garden the size of our entire backyard. Then again, she lived in a time when all food was real food.

This is Nanny Bea’s recipe for Watermelon Rind Pickles, an absolute I-will-not-share favorite of Corey’s.

Watermelon Rind Pickles

1 large watermelon
3 tablespoons salt
6-8 sticks of cinnamon
2 tablespoons whole cloves
2 quarts white vinegar
16 cups sugar

Slice watermelon into one inch sections and remove all of the pink fruit. Using a potato peeler remove the green peel from rind so that you are left with only the white section of the rind. Cut rind into one inch squares.

Add to a large pan and cover with water. Add salt and bring to a boil. Simmer until rind is tender.

Drain. Chill rinds in very cold water preferably overnight but for at least two hours. Drain water. Set aside.

In another large pan, add vinegar and sugar. Bring to a boil. Once boiling add cinnamon sticks, cloves tied in cheesecloth, and the drained watermelon. Simmer at a low boil until rind is clear and transparent.

Remove spice bag and cinnamon sticks. Pack the rinds into hot sterilized jars. Cover with the boiling hot syrup and seal immediately. Makes 6-8 pints.

Note: Depending on the size of the watermelon you may need more or less of the vinegar/sugar mixture. This is fine. Just be sure to keep to a 2:1 ratio of two parts sugar to one part vinegar.

These pickles do not need to be processed in a water bath. Using hot jars and boiling hot syrup is sufficient to cause the jars to seal. After jars cool, test seals by pressing the center of each lid. If lid does not pop up and down it is sealed. If any lids do not seal properly within 24 hours, refrigerate and eat promptly.

I love this time of year and the ample supply of fresh food off the farm. It begins when asparagus first peaks out of the warming soil and strawberries are begging to be harvested and then continues through dirt grown tomatoes, juicy ripe peaches, and the smells of autumn ushering in the apple harvest.

Until I break down and finally plant our own small fruit orchard, I am blessed to be spoiled by Emily at Black Rock Orchard. This past Sunday the boys brought home a bushel of gorgeous peaches from the Dupont Circle Farmers Market. So Jordan and I cleared our schedule and spent the day canning peach halves and peach jam. We even had enough to freeze a little peach sorbet.

In my experience, late season cling free peaches make the pretties jars of canned peach halves (and it never fails those gems always ripen to perfection the week of our county fair!).

Whenever I work with a batch of peaches, I always start out making canned peach halves and am ready to adjust to peach jam if I find it difficult to pit the peaches. As I did today.

Canned Peach Halves

Add water to canner, cover, bring to boil. Keep water simmering. Heat jars and lids in hot, not boiling, water until ready to use. (I wash my jars in the dishwasher, timing it so it hits the dry cycle when I am ready for jars. Then I simply dip lids into hot, almost boiling, water I keep simmering on the stove to sterilize.)

In a separate pan, mix together 2 cups of sugar with 4 cups of water to make light syrup. Bring to a low boil and keep warm. Make more as necessary.

Wash and peel fruit. Dip peaches into boiling water and then cold water for easier peeling. Halve and pit peaches. Prepare enough to pack and fill one jar at a time. Add 1 teaspoon of Fruit Fresh per quart.

Cover fruit with syrup leaving 1/2 inch of head room. Clean rim using a clean, damp cloth to remove any syrup. Place lid on jar and apply band. Adjust until fingertip tight. Repeat with remaining fruit.

Add prepared jars of peaches to water bath and process pints for 20 minutes, quarts for 25 minutes. Make sure water covers top of jars by at least 1-2 inches. Remove from water bath and set on counter to cool.

After cooling, test seals by pressing the center of each lid. If lid does not pop up and down it is sealed. If any lids do not seal properly within 24 hours, refrigerate and eat promptly.

Peach Jam

4 cups peaches, chopped
1/3 cup lemon juice
7 1/2 cups sugar
1 pouch liquid pectin

Add water to canner, cover, bring to boil. Keep water simmering.

Heat jars and lids in hot water until ready to use.

Dip peaches into boiling water and then cold water for easier peeling. Combine 4 cups of chopped peaches (about 9 regular size peaches), lemon juice, and sugar in heavy bottom pan. Mix well. Bring mixture to a full rolling boil (one that cannot be stirred down) over medium heat, stirring frequently.

Add liquid pectin. Continue hard boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Skim foam if necessary.
Ladle hot jam into hot jars, leaving ½ inch head room. Clean rim using a clean, damp cloth to remove any jam. Place lids on jars and apply bands. Adjust until fingertip tight.

Add prepared jars of jam to water bath and process for 10 minutes. Make sure water covers top of jars by at least 1-2 inches. Remove from water bath and set on counter to cool.

After cooling, test seals by pressing the center of each lid. If lid does not pop up and down it is sealed. If any lids do not seal properly within 24 hours, refrigerate and eat promptly.

Peach Sorbet

4 lbs of peaches (roughly 15-16 regular size peaches)
3 cups simple syrup (see below)
Juice from two lemons

Dip peaches into boiling water and then cold water for easier peeling. Pit peaches and rough chop. Puree peaches in a food processor or blender. Stir in simple syrup and lemon juice. Taste and adjust to your preference. Freeze in ice cream maker as instructed by manufacturer.

Simple Syrup: 2 cups water + 2 cups sugar. Bring to boil. Let syrup cool before using. Leftover syrup can be stored in glass jar.

Enjoy!