Just thought I'd post a quick follow-up. I actually got some ripe melons this year. Most of them were tiny though. Maybe i planted too many close together. Oh, well. It was still fun. It's been hard to identify which ones did the best, since i planted them all landrace style (And hoping for some to cross). Anyway, the best red variety goes to Blacktail Mountian by far. I had a few other reds, but i don't know what varieties. Some of the reds seemed like they were struggling to ripen though too. Whats surprising is that i got quite a few yellow ones. And i'm not sure if it was my imagination or not, but the yellow ones seem to be able to ripen much easier than the reds. Plus they tasted better. I had three different yellow varieties (because they all had different sized and colored seeds). Yellow-Doll is a strong possibility. Hopi Yellow is another. Tohono O'odham Yellow Meated? Desert King? (i dont think i saw any Desert King based on pictures of the rind, but who knows) Maybe even Orangelo, but i only saw yellow, not orange. The worst melon was "Malali" (or possibly "Osh Kirgizia", but i think it was "Malali". It was a splitter! Not only that, but they kept splitting way before they were ripe! It had very distinctive pattern on rind. Very round. Will not grow this type again. Still if i had to recommend two varieties for Northern or Colorado gardens, they would be Blacktail Mountain and Yellow Doll. (i still suspect the yellows ripen better).

I just make my own round labels and cover the writing on the lids. Here's what my labels for the dills look like: I just didn't have them on yet when I took the picture. And Lynn, here's the recipe I use. Chase's Dills ============= You can usually count on between 6-8 dills (cukes) per 1 quart jar, depending on size. Use 3" to 4" cukes that have just been picked. Place the cukes in ice cold water (I use my bath tub!!) and add a bag or two of ice to the water. The cukes should stay in the ice water for a minimum of 2 hours but no more than 8. Refresh the ice as required. I make the brine in great big batches using this ratio: 2 cups white vinegar 6 cups water 1/3 cup coarse pickling salt For each jar of dills you will need 2 nice size garlic cloves peeled and cut in half (4 pieces) and two dill heads. Leave the cukes whole. I sterilize my jars using the sani cycle of the dishwasher (you could boil the jars instead) When they are really hot, almost at the end of the cycle I place them in a oven at 150 degrees to keep them good and hot. Make the brine and bring the brine to a full and rolling boil. Place the rings and lids in a large saucepan with water and bring them almost to the boil. Then turn down but keep them hot. Place the cukes, garlic and dill in the hot jars. I do garlic, dill, cukes, garlic, dill. Pour brine over the cukes. Only do 2 jars at a time, leave the rest in the oven to keep them hot. Wipe the rim really well, this is critical to sealing, and place lid and ring on and screw to finger tight. Let sit 6-8 weeks before eating! And, yes, I know the vinegar/water ratio isn't "approved". My choice to use the recipe. Deanna

Well, I too had never thought of using the watermelon rind for anything but pickles or preserves. My old Ball Blue Book has the two I always used -- one for sweet pickles and one for preserves. To the best of my memory, the preserves did not call for any vinegar at all, and when I made them one year I found them cloyingly sweet. Since I and DD are the only ones who like sweet pickles and we're both trying to stay away from sugary things, the only reason I would make watermelon pickles would be for gifts, and I always have trouble figuring out what's the best way to cut the rind. Strips? Squares? Maybe long strips, about dill pickle length, would look prettier in the jar and would be easier to put on a sandwich. I've always done little squares before but they do tend to fall out of a sandwich. Those of you who post on this forum are so smart and I really like how you think outside of the box. I have learned a lot here, so keep up the good work! The next time we have watermelon, I will save that rind and prepare it for cooking. I have a FP that has julienne blades that would be perfect, I think (do you?), after I've cut the rind in 3" square chunks. I'm looking forward to trying this! I wonder how this freezes? Has anyone tried it? How about dehydration?

just did a search and found this recipe which would account for the sweetness... Cherries add a little extra color to these watermelon pickles. Ingredients: 2 pounds watermelon rind 1/4 cup pickling salt 4 cups water 2 cups sugar 1 cup white vinegar 1 tablespoon broken stick cinnamon 1 1/2 teaspoons whole cloves 1/2 lemon, thinly sliced 5 maraschino cherries, halved,optional Preparation: Trim the dark green and pink parts from watermelon rind. Cut rind in 1-inch cubes and measure 7 cups. Soak watermelon rind overnight in a mixture of the pickling salt and water. If it takes more to cover, use the same proportion salt to water. Drain and rinse watermelon rind. Cover rind with cold water in a large saucepan; cook just until tender. Meanwhile, in a 6 to 8-quart kettle or Dutch oven, combine sugar, vinegar, cinnamon, whole cloves, and 1 cup water. Simmer mixture 10 minutes, then strain. Add drained watermelon rind, lemon slices, and maraschino cherries, if using. Simmer the mixture until watermelon rind is translucent. Fill hot half-pint jars with watermelon rind and syrup mixture, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Adjust lids. Process in boiling water bath for 5 minutes. Makes 2 1/2 pints.