Who knew. All of these years I have been throwing away food.
My husband told me recently that he remembers eating pickled watermelon rind at his grandmother’s house as a child. That was a new one on me.
But it’s funny. After you’re exposed to a new recipe for the first time, you tend to see it everywhere.
For our fourth day of watermelon blogs this week, here’s a recipe for Sweet Watermelon Rind Relish.
Happy Independence Day!
SWEET WATERMELON RIND RELISH
This recipe calls for watermelon rind with the thin outer dark green skin removed. The easiest way to do that is to use a paring knife to cut away the red flesh, then use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin.
Start to finish: 1 hour
Makes 3 cups
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1 teaspoon whole allspice
4 cups watermelon rind, green skin removed, cut into 1/4-inch chunks
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
2 cinnamon sticks
2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into chunks
1. On a 6-inch square of cheesecloth, combine the cloves and allspice. Tie the cloth into a bundle.
2. In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the watermelon rind, sugar, vinegar, salt, cinnamon sticks, ginger and spice bundle. Bring to a simmer and cook for 1 hour, or until the watermelon rind is tender.
3. Allow the watermelon to fully cool in the liquid. Remove and discard the spice bundle, cinnamon sticks and ginger. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a month.
Try serving on cream cheese with crackers.
(AP Photo/Matthew Mead
