Watermelon Picklets from Grandmother Magdelena Delzer

Kaye Jacobson-Salverda, e-mail message to Michael Miller.

5 pounds watermelon rind......remove green skin and red flesh, use only the white part.
8 tsp. powdered alum
1 quart cider vinegar
1 Tbs. whole cloves
3 large cinnamon sticks
8 cups white sugar.......that's right 8 cups.

Cut white rind into small triangular pieces. Place rind in large kettle and cover with water. Simmer until rind is easily pierced with a fork. Add alum, remove from heat and let stand overnight. Rinse under running water and drain. Return rind to kettle. Add cinnamon, cloves and vinegar. Pour sugar over rind, bring to a boil, stirring constantly until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let stand overnight. Do this for five consecutive days. Pack rind into sterilized jars, cover with hot syrup and seal. Store for three weeks before tasting. Makes 6-7 pints. I think that sometimes, especially for the holidays she also added red food coloring. It says nothing about covering them when standing overnight, but with all of that sugar, I would imagine that they would have to be covered, or there would be flying protein in the kettle by morning.

They were very good.............Kaye.