On Saturday afternoon while slicing a watermelon I planned a proper Sunday lunch. Matching flavors or taste to create a menu was an interesting process. The fare was to include an eight-pound ham, a bowl of potato salad, 24 deviled eggs and a pot of collard greens.

As I carved the watermelon, I remembered a recipe my mom made from summers past pickling or preserving the rinds. Pickles are always top on my list, but a preserve was more in order for breakfast with the ham and biscuits or a lunch of Effie’s wheat crackers, Camembert and a slice of cold ham.

• Peel the rind from half a medium watermelon, and cut into 1 x 3-inch pieces.
  • Dissolve a ½ cup of salt and two quarts of water in a Dutch oven. Submerge the rinds in salted water and set overnight.
    • The next day I boil the rinds in the saline solution for about 15 minutes.
      • Drain and rinse.
        • Add rinds back into pot with two cups of water, ½ cup of lemon juice, cinnamon sticks, cloves and two cups of sugar.
          • Bring to a medium – medium low boil for two hours, until the rinds are translucent.
          • Place in fridge [for up to two months] or can in Mason jars.

Bon appétit,
Kathleen