Sweet Watermelon Pickles - cooking recipe

Ingredients

6 to 8 lb. watermelon rinds, outer rind peeled off and cut into small pieces (1 to 2-inch sq.)
2 Tbsp. salt
2 c. cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. whole cloves
2 to 3 sticks cinnamon

Preparation

Soak watermelon overnight in weak brine made by dissolving salt in 1 gallon cold water.
Rinse with cold water and let stand in ice water for 1 hour; drain.
Cover with boiling water and simmer until tender enough to be pierced with a toothpick.
Drain and drop into hot syrup made by cooking together vinegar and sugar.
Add spice bag holding cloves and cinnamon sticks.
Cook gently until rind is clear and transparent.
Remove spice bag and let rind stand in syrup 24 hours.
Pack attractively in hot, sterilized jars, adding a few spices for each jar.
Heat syrup to boiling.
Pour over pickles in jars and seal.
Eight pounds yields about 8 pints.