Email to Cat      

Watermelon, Cucumber, and Jalapeño Pickles

Source of Recipe

From "The All New Ball Book of Canning and Preserving"


Recipe Introduction

"A classic watermelon rind pickle taken to new heights with jalapeño slices and cucumbers."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 6 tablespoons Ball® Salt for Pickling and Preserving, divided
â—¦ 9 cups water, divided
â—¦ 1 (8-pound) watermelon
â—¦ 2 pounds medium pickling cucumbers, such as Kirby
â—¦ ½ pound jalapeño peppers
â—¦ Ice cubes
â—¦ 2 tablespoons pickling spice
â—¦ Cheesecloth
â—¦ Kitchen string
â—¦ 4 cups sugar
â—¦ 3 cups white vinegar (5% acidity)
â—¦ 1 ½ teaspoons mustard seeds
â—¦ 18 whole cloves
â—¦ Ball® Pickle Crisp (optional)


Recipe

Dissolve ¼ cup pickling salt in 1 quart water in a large bowl. Trim green peel and pink flesh from thick watermelon rind. Cut rind into 1-inch pieces to measure 8 cups. Add rind to salt water, adding additional water, if necessary, to cover rind. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand 6 hours.

After 3 hours, dissolve remaining 2 tablespoons salt in 1 quart water in another large bowl. Scrub cucumbers under cold running water. Cut cucumbers into ¼-inch-thick slices to measure 6 cups. Remove stems from jalapeños; cut into ½-inch-thick slices to measure 2 cups. Place cucumber and jalapeño slices in salt water in second bowl. Cover with a thick layer of ice cubes. Cover and let stand 3 hours.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Drain rind, discarding brine; rinse. Drain. Rinse bowl. Add drained rind to boiling water. Cook 5 to 6 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain. Rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain; return rind to rinsed bowl. Drain cucumber mixture, discarding brine and any unmelted ice cubes. Rinse cucumber mixture; drain.

Place pickling spice on a 4-inch square of cheesecloth; tie with kitchen string. Bring sugar, vinegar, spice bag, and remaining 1 cup water to a boil in a 6-quart stainless steel or enameled Dutch oven; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Add rind and cucumber mixture. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove and discard spice bag.

Place ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds and 3 whole cloves in a hot jar. Using a slotted spoon, firmly pack rind mixture in jar, leaving ½ inch headspace. Ladle hot pickling liquid over rind mixture, leaving ½ inch headspace. Add â…› teaspoon Ball® Pickle Crisp to jar, if desired. Remove air bubbles. Wipe jar rim. Center lid on jar. Apply band, and adjust to fingertip-tight. Place jar in boiling-water canner. Repeat until all jars are filled.

Process jars 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Turn off heat; remove lid, and let jars stand 5 minutes. Remove jars and cool.

Makes about six 1-pint jars