Watermelon Rind Pickle
Source: Martha McCulloch-Williams, 1913
History
"Watermelon Rind Pickle" is recorded in Martha McCulloch-Williams's "Dishes & Beverages of the Old South" (1913). The soaked rind is scalded in strong ginger tea and left barely simmering two minutes, then skimmed out into another kettle with equal quantities of cloves, mace, allspice and cinnamon, half as much grated nutmeg, the same of whole peppercorns, several pods of Cayenne, and white mustard and celery seed. It is covered with cider vinegar — "the only sort that will keep pickles well" — brought just to the boil, put down hot in jars, tied down after cooling and set in a dark, cool place.
That insistence on cider vinegar is the kind of detail that comes from having lost a batch to the wrong sort.
The historical record does not document a specific earlier origin for this particular pickle.
"Dishes & Beverages of the Old South" is a mixture of recipes and plantation reminiscence. McCulloch-Williams was a white writer born near Clarksville, Tennessee, who grew up on a plantation before the Civil War; the book's dedication is "to our Mammys," and much of the cooking it records is the work of enslaved and formerly enslaved Black women it does not name.
Ingredients
- watermelon rind
- ginger tea
- cloves
- mace
- allspice
- cinnamon
- 1/2 as much nutmeg
- 1/2 as much whole peppercorns
- Cayenne pepper
- white mustard seed
- celery seed
- cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 pounds sugar
Instructions
- Scald the soaked rind in strong ginger tea, and let stand two minutes barely simmering.
- Then skim out and lay in another kettle, putting in equal quantities of cloves, mace, alspice, and cinnamon, half as much grated nutmeg, the same of whole pepper corns, several pods of Cayenne pepper, white mustard and celery seed.
- Cover with cider vinegar — the only sort that will keep pickles well — bringing just to the boil.
- Then put down hot in jars, tying down after cooling, and setting in a dark, cool, airy place.
- For sweet pickle, prepare and season as above, then to each pint of vinegar put one and a half pounds of sugar.
- Boil together one minute, stirring well, and skimming clean, then pour over rind and spices.
- Keep hot for ten minutes without boiling, then put into jars.
- If wanted only a little sweet, use but half a pound of sugar.