Watermelon Rind Pickles

Making watermelon rind pickles today. I love this recipe, it comes from my Ball Blue Book guide to preserving, so it's my go to recipe for these pickles. I love that you can make use of something that you would other wise throw away. Most everyone that tries theses pickles, likes them. 

                    Watermelon Rind Pickles
4 quarts 1-inch cubed watermelon rind (white portion only)
1 cup Ball pickling salt
2 gallons water, divided
3 cinnamon sticks
1 tablespoons whole cloves
1 tablespoon whole allspice
1/4 teaspoon mustard seed
7 cups sugar
1/2 cup thinly sliced lemon (about 1 medium)
2 cups vinegar

Cover watermelon rind with pickling salt and one gallon of water, stirring until salt is dissolved. Let stand over night. Drain; rinse, set aside. Place spices in a spice bag or cheese cloth. Place spice bag, sugar, lemon slices, and vinegar in a large non-metal pot. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes or so. Add the watermelon rind to liquid mixture, simmer until the rind becomes transparent in appearance. Remove the spice bag. Pack hot rind pickles with liquid into hot jars, leaving 1/2-inch head space. Adjust the two-piece jar caps. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. This recipe is slightly adapted for the original.

Give them a try

   Making Homemade Pickles

I have an abundance of cucumbers coming in so I thought I would make some homemade pickles. Today I'm making Lime Pickles, about a two day process, but so worth it. I had theses pickles growing up as a child, and they where like candy to me. The taste of these pickles are as fresh in my mind as if I had them just yesterday. One of my fondest childhood memories, I still remember what they looked like. Beautiful chunks of cucumber somewhat transparent with a emerald green color. Like little gems. The green color comes from adding food coloring to the recipe. I opted not to add the food coloring because I may enter some of these pickles into the local fair next year and they do not allow food coloring. But the food coloring does make them pretty.

                            Lime Pickles
8 lbs. pickling cucumbers, washed and sliced into thick chunks
2 cups hydrated pickling lime (I used Mrs. Wages)
2 gallons water
Syrup:
2 1/2 cups white vinegar
5 1/2 pounds sugar
1 tablespoon pickling salt (I used Mrs. Wages)
1 tablespoon celery seed
2 cinnamon sticks, broken into 2 -inch pieces
1 teaspoon whole cloves

Soak the cucumber chunks in lime and water mixture, in a non-metal container for 24 hours, in the refrigerator. Stir several times during the 24 hour period. After 24 hour, rinse cucumber chunks 3 times. Drain and place in a non-metal container. 

For Syrup: Place vinegar, sugar and pickling salt, into a large non-metal saucepan. Place spices into cheesecloth and tie, place spice bundle into vinegar mixture. Bring to a boil; stirring until all sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Pour mixture over cucumber chunks, allow to set for 24 hours, covered and refrigerated. After 24 hours pour cucumbers and liquid into non-metal pot, bring to a boil, boil for one hour. Pack into 10 to 12 prepared pint jars, leaving 1/2-inch head space. Place seals and rings on each jar, process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

     New Kid, Another Mouth To Feed

Just got an 8 week old Nigerian dwarf buckling. He was one of triplets. He is still taken some milk twice a day and will for about another month or so. We just picked him up yesterday, he did not eat well for us on first try, strange place and I'm sure missing his mama. This morning he took 8 ounces of Kid Milk (milk replacement for goats), and again this afternoon 8 ounces. He caught on like a champ.

All done

                    Nature's Beauty

Is there anything more beautiful than a butterfly? Maybe there is, but for me these are beautiful and I enjoy each and everyone. One of my favorite photograph (taken by me) is a butterfly on a Day Lily. Today I'm sharing them with you, hope they bring some beauty to your day!

My favorite, this one is now framed and hangs on my living room wall

                      Baked Beans

4 - 15 oz. cans Van Camp's pork and beans
1 1/2 cups ketchup
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons prepared mustard
1 tablespoon molasses
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
1/2 cup finely chopped green pepper (optional)
1/2 pound Applewood bacon cooked, drained and cut into small pieces
cooking spray

Place bacon on a foil lined cookie sheet, bake at 350 for 35 to 45 minutes, until desired crispness is reached. Drain on paper towel.
Drain pork and beans, set aside. Place in a large bowl. Add next four ingredients and mix well. Add chopped onions and/or green peppers. Place mixture in a baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Top with bacon. Bake at 350 for 40 to 45 minutes.
I been making this baked bean recipe for years.

                 Bag Worms - Yikes!!

These little guys (bag worms) can destroy a tree in no time flat. They make their home in a cocoon (bag) that is attached to the tree limb with web like fibers. When they get hungry they stick their little heads out of the cocoon and proceed to make a meal of the host tree while growing larger with more of an appetite each day, until the tree is dead. A real nuisance, the best way to rid the tree of these pest is to hand pick them off. I wear gloves when doing this, and drop them into a empty milk jug. If you throw them on the grown, they will crawl back the the host tree with cocoon in tow to set up house again. You may have to pick the bag worms off the tree several times. As they grow they are much easier to see. The first couple of times you do this it is easy to miss some. They start out very tiny. Creepy yes, but if you do not deal with them you will lose a tree.

Cocoon they live in

If you look closely you can see the black head sticking out

This one is really coming out for it's meal

Trying to crawl out of the jug, with cocoon in tow

Look how many, I'm starting to get the creeps!

Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread, So Easy, So Good!!

I made potato rolls the other day and had some dough left over and decided to make a quick Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread with it. Just like cinnamon rolls, but faster. Quick and easy. I made a simple glaze to go on top. So good!!! This pull-apart can be made using frozen bread dough or ready made biscuit dough, for an even faster treat.

Warm out of the oven

Ready for the glaze

Ready to enjoy, with a cup of coffee

Chocolate Chip Cookies - Ice Cream Sandwiches

I have made this recipe twice, the second time was at the request of my husband. They turned out great both times. I then made them into delicious ice cream sandwiches for dessert, by adding vanilla bean ice cream. Either way, you can't go wrong.

  

Ice cream Sandwich, with homemade cookies

For complete recipe please visit:
http://www.stuckonsweet.com/bakery-style-chocolate-chip-cookies/