Watermelon Manna

James Peale -  c1820

____________________

Watermelon Vinegar  from American Agriculturist - 1873
—By Mrs. F. E. R.—Perhaps it is not generally known that a very fine white vinegar can be made from the Juice of watermelons. We had a very great quantity of melons last season, and, after we had cut out their crimson cores for eating, scraped the shells, from which we gained a large amount of juice. This we carefully strained, and put into jugs with small glass bottles in their mouths. We set the jugs out into the sun, and in time had a fine-flavored, clear, strong, white vinegar. The vinegar at a certain stage will be very bitter, but, when perfected, loses this and acquires a true vinegar taste.

______________________

Recipes   from American Agriculturist -1879

"Mrs. E. M. 8." sends us the following recipes, which she says she has used for a long time, and I they have always given satisfactory results:

Sweet Pickles of Watermelon

• Peeled Water Melon Rind, 7 lbs.
• White Sugar, 2 lbs.
• Vinegar, 1 pint
• whole Cloves, 1 tablespoonful
•  few bits of Cinnamon

Add a tablespoonful of Alum to 2 quarts of water, and boil the melon rinds in it until a broom splint will readily pierce them. 

Pour off the water, add the sugar, the vinegar, and the spices, boil for twenty minutes, when it is ready to can for use. This will make four quarts.

___________________________________

SUGAR FROM WATERMELONS     from American Agriculturist - 1857

A friend has shown us a private letter, dated Sept. 4th, from a brother in San Francisco Co., Cal., from which we make the following extract.

I intend presenting (to the Mechanics' Institute of San Francisco,) some specimens of syrup and sugar from the watermelon. I consider this melon as the best source of syrup that has ever been tried—far more convenient than the cane or beet. All that is necessary is to press out the juice and boil; then strain through flannel, and evaporate to a proper consistence. One gallon of juice from the pulp yields one pint of syrup or three-fourths of a pound of sugar."
We are promised further particulars which will be given to the readers of the Agriculturist.

Remarks.—If half that has been said of the enormous growth of watermelons in California and also in Kansas be true, there may be some plausibility in the idea of making watermelon syrup and sugar profitably. Even in this vicinity, on Long-Island and in New-Jersey, they are grown of enormous size and in great quantities—at the cost of one cent each, it has been estimated. In Vol. XIV at page 250 we published the following item:

A correspondent writes: "I endeavor to raise a good watermelon patch. They are a healthy and delightful fruit. I cultivate the Icing variety; plant early in May, and again towards the close of the month, so that they may come in succession. When they begin ripening we commence cutting and using thpm freely during the hot weather. When the weather becomes cool in September, we bring a quantity of them to the house, split them open, with a spoon scrape out the pulp into a colander, and strain the juice into vessels.

We boil it in an iron vessel to a syrup, then put in apples or peaches like making apple-butter, and boil slowly until the fruit is well cooked; then spice to the taste, and we have something that most people prefer to apple-butter or any kind o. preserves. Or the syrup may be boiled without fruit down to molasses, which will he as fine as the sugar-house molasses. We have made in a single Autumn as much as ten gallons of the apple butter (if I may so call it) and molasses, which I kept in a fine condition until May."

___________________________________

This was the first African-American cookbook in the United States! 1881

Gosh, this sounds good with the ginger and lemon, but such work!
I grew up with watermelon pickle my Gram made...I wonder if I can find her recipe.
_____________________________