Watermelon Rind Preserves

            1 ½ quarts prepared watermelon rind

            4 tablespoons salt

            2 quarts cold water

            1 tablespoon ginger

            4 cups sugar

            ¼ cup lemon juice

1 ½  quarts water

½ cup thinly sliced lemon

            (about 1 medium)

To prepare watermelon rind: Trim green skin  and pink flesh from thick watermelon rind; cut into 1-inch pieces. Dissolve salt in 2 quarts water and pour over rind. Let stand 5-6 hours. Drain; rinse and drain again. Cover with cold water and let stand 30 minutes. Drain. Sprinkle ginger over rind; cover with water; and cook until fork-tender. Drain.

Combine sugar, lemon juice and 1 ½ quarts water in a large sauce pot. Boil 5 minutes; add rind and boil gently for 30 minutes or until syrup thickens. Add sliced lemon and cook until the melon rind is transparent. Pack hot into hot jars, leaving ¼-inch head space. Remove air bubbles. Adjust caps, process 20 minutes in boiling water bath.

Yield: about 6 half pints

Credit for the recipe goes to the Ball Blue Book; Guide to Home Canning and Freezing. This is the recipe we always use, but there are a billion others on the web!