Watermelon Rind Preserves

Peak summer. The Marlene cherry tomato is producing like it has a quota — dozens of small red fruits every week, more than we can eat, which means I'm giving them away, leaving bags on neighbors' porches the way I leave zucchini, the agricultural Santa Claus of suburban Des Moines. The neighbors don't complain. Cherry tomatoes named for a dead grandmother are not the kind of thing you complain about. You eat them and you say thank you and you accept that the Holloway garden has exceeded reasonable production limits and the excess is a gift.

I made tomato sauce from the larger tomatoes — Romas and Mortgage Lifters and Brandywines, all cooked down with garlic and onion and basil, simmered for four hours until the sauce was thick and dark and concentrated, the flavor of August reduced to its essence. Twelve jars. The first canning of the season, done alone in the Des Moines kitchen, without Marlene at the table, without her voice saying "the lids aren't tight enough" or "you're processing too long." I filled the jars and wiped the rims and listened for the pop and the pop came and nobody said anything and the silence where her corrections should have been was the silence I'm learning to live in, the new normal of the kitchen, the soundtrack of a woman cooking alone for the first time in her life.

Not alone. Jack was there. Jack is always there during canning. He stood on his stool and he labeled the jars and he watched the gauge and he said, "Mom, the pressure is at eleven." The correction. The timing. The voice at the stove saying the thing that needs to be said. Jack is becoming the voice in the kitchen. Not Marlene's voice — Jack's voice, different, younger, agricultural where hers was domestic, but a voice nonetheless, a presence at the stove, a person who notices when things need adjusting. The chain. The chain holds.

After those twelve jars of tomato sauce sealed and cooled on the counter—each pop a small ceremony I received in silence—I found myself wanting to stay in the ritual a little longer, to keep my hands busy and the kettle hot. Watermelon rind preserves felt right: sweet where the sauce was savory, pale gold where August tomatoes are deep red, but made with the same patience and the same faith that the seal will hold. Jack labeled these jars too, in his careful handwriting, and the chain held another link.

Prep Time: 30 minutes + overnight soak | Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes | Total Time: 2 hours + overnight | Servings: 6 half-pint jars

Ingredients

4 pounds watermelon rind (white part only, green skin and pink flesh removed), cut into 1-inch cubes
1/4 cup pickling salt or kosher salt
4 cups cold water (for soaking)
4 cups granulated sugar
2 cups water
1 lemon, thinly sliced and seeds removed
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick (3-inch piece)
1/2 teaspoon whole allspice berries

Instructions

Soak the rind. Place cubed watermelon rind in a large bowl. Dissolve salt in 4 cups cold water and pour over rind. Cover and refrigerate overnight or at least 8 hours. This firms the rind and draws out excess moisture.
Rinse and parboil. Drain rind thoroughly and rinse under cold water. Place in a large pot, cover with fresh cold water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes until rind is just tender when pierced with a fork. Drain and set aside.
Make the syrup. In the same large pot, combine sugar and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add lemon slices. Tie cloves, cinnamon, and allspice in a small piece of cheesecloth and add the spice bundle to the pot.
Cook the preserves. Add drained rind to the syrup. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, until rind is translucent and syrup has thickened enough to coat a spoon.
Prepare jars. While preserves cook, sterilize 6 half-pint canning jars, lids, and bands in boiling water. Keep jars hot until ready to fill.
Fill jars. Remove and discard spice bundle. Using a slotted spoon, ladle rind evenly into hot jars. Pour hot syrup over rind, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Tuck a lemon slice into each jar. Wipe rims clean with a damp cloth.
Process. Apply lids and bands fingertip-tight. Process in a boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes (adjust for altitude above 1,000 feet). Remove jars and set on a towel-lined surface without touching. Listen for the pops. Let cool 12 hours undisturbed before checking seals.
Check seals and store. Press center of each lid; it should be firm and not flex. Any unsealed jars should be refrigerated and used within 3 weeks. Properly sealed jars may be stored in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year.

Nutrition (per serving, approximately 2 tablespoons)

Watermelon Rind Preserves — When the Jars Pop and Nobody Says Anything