Remember the star cut watermelon I showed you last week here.
We enjoyed it all weekend. I usually keep watermelon chunks in a the fridge throughout the summer to snack on but we kind of like having the little stars in our bowls. It's easy to plop 2 or 3 in a bowl for a just the right size refresher. A little hydrating snack throughout the day does a body good.
But whether you want stars or just plain old chunk size bites, I'm going to show you how to get the most out of your watermelon with the least amount of waste.
For years I cut my watermelon in half and stuck the two halves in the fridge, after first fighting to find room for them. Not anymore though. Now I get the most out of my watermelon and there's no wasted space in my fridge either.
Before you even start you it's important to choose the right watermelon. Many people have no idea how to select a watermelon.
- Look for a firm, symmetrical watermelon free from bruises, cuts or dents. If the watermelon has any lumps or bumps, this may mean that it received irregular amounts of sunshine or water during growing, causing dryness or inconsistency.
- Lift it up. It should be heavy for it's size, as this lets you know that it's full of water and nice and ripe. Always choose the heavier one. This advice is good for most fruit and vegetables.
- Look for the field spot. The underside of the watermelon should have a creamy yellow spot. This is where the melon sat on the ground and ripened in the sun. The darker the field spot the better. If the field spot is white, or even nonexistent, this probably means that the watermelon was picked too soon, and won't be ripe.
- Inspect the color. A perfect, ripe watermelon should be dark green in color and dull in appearance, rather than shiny. A shiny watermelon will usually be underripe.
- Give the watermelon a firm rap with your knuckles and listen. A ripe melon should sound full, think more tenor than base. You don't want a dull or deep sound, this means the watermelon is unripe.
- Look at the stripes. The more defined they are the longer the watermelon has been on the vine ripening, meaning it will be more sweet.
Cut a small piece off of each end.
It helps to sit your watermelon on the edge of a butcher block or a tray in my case and slice downward. It's not nearly as messy as you would think.
After you cut all the rind off, go back and trim the extra white off too. *Tip -if you do this in the house working on top of a garbage bag makes for easy clean up.
You can display your pretty fruit on a tray or on a stick. You will have lots of bite size pieces left after cutting out your cute shapes. Nothing goes to waste when you cut your watermelon like this. Plus, once stored in covered dishes, it's ready to eat whenever you like.
That's it in 5 easy steps.
Now here are 5 facts about Watermelon...
- Watermelon is 92% water.
- A great source of vitamins A and C and potassium
- It is a cousin to cucumbers, pumpkins and squash
- Watermelon is the most-consumed melon in the U.S., followed by cantaloupe and honeydew
- The first cookbook published in the U.S. in 1776 contained a recipe for pickled watermelon rind
There's nothing better than a nice cool salad during the hot summer, whether it's a fruit salad or a vegetable salad like my Chilled Herb Tomato Salad here.
Eat light & be happy y'all...
Go then, eat your bread in happiness and drink your wine with a cheerful heart; for God has already approved your works.
Ecclesiastes 9:7
