[Sca-cooks] Watermelon Rind Pickles

[Sam Wallace]

Christianna,

Those look tasty! I know these are not within the SCA's period of interest,
but I was wondering how far back watermelon rind pickles can be traced. As
far as I can tell, these are a late 18th century creation. Here is the
recipe from American Cookery (1798) by Amelia Simmons (not at all from the
South).

The American Citron.
Take the rine of a large watermelon not too ripe, cut it into small pieces,
take two pound of loaf sugar, one pint of water, put it all into a kettle,
let it boil gently for four hours, then put it into pots for use.

http://digital.lib.msu.edu/projects/cookbooks/html/books/book_01.cfm

Guillaume