Watermelon Rind Pickles, Mango Jam, and Banana Nut Bread - Summer In My Heart

Summer's at my grandparents' home still fill my head with some of the most wonderful memories of mychildhood.

My parents moved to South Jersey from Orlando, FL - my birthplace - in the fall of 1981. Every summer when school let out, my younger brother and I were flown to Jupiter, FL to spend a wonderful three months with my grandparents.

Aside from all the fun we had, we also were taught many great things - how to cut a lawn, change oil in a car, painting a house, etc. But there were those days where we went to the beach, the park, theme parks, movies, etc.

All those memories still remain strong in my mind and heart. But I have to say, nothing rings stronger or more true than my grandmother's summer delights.

My grandfather was huge on fruits. In his yard alone (front and back), he had grapefruit trees, mango trees, avocado trees, an orange tree, and he grew bananas. He even grew mint leaves on the side of his house.

One summer, I believe it was 1986, we arrived at my grandparents home and my grandmother had a watermelon in the fridge. She had it all cut up and ready to eat, but she insisted that we don't throw away the rinds. She said she liked to keep them (in a large plastic baggie) because she was going to use them later. We didn't know for what. I was 10 and my brother was 6 and neither of us cared what she would use them for. We just loved to eat sweet, juicy watermelon.

Also during the summer, mangoes were ripe and falling off the trees. So much so that people would constantly stop off at their home throughout the week and ask to pay them to collect mangoes off their trees. The two trees out front were massive. Each morning my grandfather would get up early and walk out front to collect the mangoes that had fallen that were still intact, throw out the ones that were damaged or bruised along with those that were eaten by the nearby critters (mostly raccoons).

Then there were the bananas. There were so many bananas growing that by summer's end, my brother and I were sick of them and didn't care if we didn't see another banana again until the following summer.

One afternoon, my grandfather had taken us away for the day. We went to Merritt Island to visit the Kennedy Space Center. It was quite the experience. But upon returning home that afternoon/evening, Grandmother had been busy the whole day. She had been busy making watermelon rind pickles, mango jam, and banana nut bread. The way the house smelled when we walked in almost made you want to grab whatever was closest to you and consume it because it was instant hunger!

There were jars all over the kitchen, half of them contained the pickles, the other half mango jam. And on the stove top were two loaves of freshly made banana nut bread. The best part about the watermelon rind pickles was listening to the noise of the jars "popping." When we heard that noise, that meant they were ready.

Now I know what you are thinking - watermelon rind pickles?

Yes!

You have never tasted a treat so intense and mouth-watering before. I'm sure you have had pickled something in your life - regular pickles, pickled jalapenos, pickled green beans, pickled okra...whatever. But my oh my, what a treat. They went great on salads. They were amazing eating out of the jar. It was like a cross between a sweet pickle and a cinnamon apple. And our friends who ate them went nuts over them, but we made sure to not be too giving because that took away from our own satisfaction. Yes, we were gready when it came to them.

But let's also talk about the mango jam. Fresh mango jam. It was seriously (and to this day) the absolute best jam I've ever had.

And fresh banana nut bread?

Good lord!

We would get up in the morning and my grandmother would heat up the banana nut bread and put a small layer of mango jam on top. What a way to start the morning and the flavors were outstanding!

Every summer for several years, these were treats we looked forward to having. Each year as it got closer to the summer, we would have our weekly phone calls and get excited for some fresh watermelon rind pickles, mango jam, and banana nut bread.

As the years went on, the supply became less and less. My grandmother was aging and the preparation and time consumption that went into it were taking a toll on her physically. Eventually she handed over the recipes to us and told us if we were to follow them exactly, we would create what she created.

Yeah, that didn't happen. We were never able to replicate the expert way in which she made them - perfect every time and always the same consistency.

My grandparents have been gone for several years. I have also given up trying to emulate her brilliance with those concoctions. My brother has pretty much mastered the banana nut bread. But neither of us has come close to the jam or pickles.

Those are the moments I miss. I miss them and the wonderful times we spent together. But there are times in life when I come across a scent or a smell that whisks me back to the days of old, when we would sit at the counter staring out the window, stuffing our faces with warm banana nut bread covered in mango jam. Or those moments when we fought our grandfather over the last jar of watermelon rind pickles and who would get the last few.

As I sit here writing this, I can still smell and taste the delicacies that my grandmother created and how much I miss those moments - especially during the summer months.