Uncommonly Good Cantaloupe Pickles

  Ingredients

Pickles

medium not-quite-ripe cantaloupe

Syrup

1 quart vinegar
2 cups water
2 sticks cinnamon
1tbs whole cloves
1 tsp ground mace
4 cups brown sugar

  Directions

Peel and seed the cantaloupe. Cut into 1 inch chunks and put them in a large mixing bowl.

In a saucepan, combine vinegar and water. Tie the whole spices in cheesecloth bag and put in the saucepan with the mace. Bring to a boil.

Pour boiling, spiced vinegar over the cantaloupe. Set bowl aside and let stand overnight.

Next day, drain vinegar into a saucepan and heat to boiling. Add the cantaloupe and sugar. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer about 1 hour or until syrup is clear.

Meanwhile, wash and rinse jars. Keep them hot. Prepare the lids as manufacturer suggests.

Pack hot cantaloupe into hot jars. Keep them hot in a low oven or pan of hot water.

Boil vinegar/sugar mixture about 5 minutes or until syrupy. Pour syrup over cantaloupe to within ½ inch of top. Wipe top of jars with a damp cloth. Put on lids and screw bands. Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

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