Its the freaking weekend folks! Time to celebrate with some sweet treats from a jar! This weeks Foodie Friday is all about preserving summer & the class Phil & I took at Sur la Table. 
We made spicy plum chutney, peach & rosemary jam, blueberry ginger preserves & pickled watermelon rind…SOOO yummy! With the exception of the preserves, which has a shelf life of about a year, the delightful summer treats will stay fresh for 1-1 1/2 months in the refrigerator.
While I would love to share all the recipes we learned, the pickled watermelon rind was definitely the most interesting, so here goes…!
Pickled Watermelon Rind
- 4lb watermelon quartered
- 8 cups water
- 2 heavy tbsp coarse salt
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 1/4 cups apple cider vinegar
- 8 whole black peppercorns
- 1 cinnamon sticks
- 1/2 teaspoon pickling spice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 jalapenos (seeded and sliced)
Start by putting 8 cups of water & salt in a large pot onto stove to boil. Prep watermelon by removing pulp from rind (try to keep a small light pink layer on the rind) & cutting off the green skin. Cut into 2 in pieces, add to boiling water & cook for about 5 minutes (until tender). Remove from heat and transfer to metal bowl. Combine second set of ingredients into a sauce pan and bring to a boil (stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved). Pour pickling liquid over rind pieces and cover. Allow to cool in the fridge & enjoy!
*Best if allowed 8 hours in pickling liquid*
Especially in the summer, pickled watermelon rind is a nice addition to cheese plates and bbq dishes!
‘Til next time, keep smiling!
Livingleen 