Watermelon Rind Pickles

Don’t toss those watermelon rinds! Turn them into crisp, sweet-and-sour pickles with this classic southern recipe.

Ingredients

• 4 cups watermelon rind, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 cups water
• 1 cup vinegar
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 tbsp pickling salt
• 1 tsp whole cloves
• 2 cinnamon sticks

Instructions

1. Peel the green skin from watermelon rinds and remove most of the pink flesh. Cut into uniform pieces.
2. Soak rind in salted water overnight. Drain and rinse well.
3. In a pot, bring vinegar, sugar, cloves and cinnamon sticks to a boil. Add rind pieces.
4. Simmer until rinds become translucent and tender, about 30 minutes.
5. Pack hot rinds into jars, cover with syrup, leaving 1/2-inch headspace, and process in a boiling-water bath for 10 minutes.

These nostalgic pickles are delicious alongside fried chicken or chopped into potato salad.