Watermelon means summer. Juicy, sweet, crisp, yum. Is it even summer until you’ve had your first water of the season? Watermelon is tasty as is. But have you ever used it in a recipe? salads, appetizers, drinks? National Watermelon Day is August 3rd, so pick out a recipe and celebrate!
Do you know how to pick the perfect watermelon? Make sure you scroll to the end to read my 8 BEST tips for selecting the perfectly delicious and sweet watermelon.
Do you have a watermelon knife? While I’m trying to be more minimalistic with my kitchen tools, I do love a great gadget. Some a just so perfect for their use that I have to have them. Here are my favorite kitchen gadgets to use with watermelon:
- watermelon knife
- watermelon wedge slicer
- melon baller
Which of these recipes will you try first?
11 Watermelon recipes perfect for summer
- Sleep Tight’s Cantaloupe, Honeydew, and Watermelon Popsicle
- Home Cooking Memories’ Watermelon Harvarti Bites
- Cincy Shopper’s Watermelon Lemonade
- Layered Watermelon Berry Fruit Cake – Creative Green Living
- DIY Candy’s Peach and Cucumber Watermelon Salad
- Cincy Shopper’s Watermelon Sorbet
- and another by Cincy Shopper – Fresh Watermelon Salsa
- Reuse Grow Enjoy‘s Watermelon Salad
- A Virtual Vegan‘s Minted Watermelon Cucumber Salad
- Watermelon Kiwi Pops – Thrifty Jinxy
- Watermelon and Tomato Salad – Honey and Lime
How to pick the BEST watermelon? 8 Tips for picking one that is ripe and sweet
- Field Spot – Look for the field spot (the round spot where the watermelon was sitting on the ground). This area should be a creamy-yellow color. The more yellow it is, the sweeter it is (left to ripen on the vine)
- Shiny – The watermelon should look dull and not shiny
- Color – A perfect watermelon will be dark green in color
- Shape – Look for a consistent shape. Oval is round is good but shouldn’t be uneven in shape.
- Webbing – look for weblike brown spots or several circles – this means that bees pollinated the fruit several times and more pollination, means a sweeter fruit. The brown webbing is scarring that occurs as a result of pollination.
- Stem – inspect the stem if it’s still attached. A dried tail indicates it’s ripe. A green one indicates it was picked too soon.
- Give it a thump – Pick it up and give it thump with your knuckle. The surface should feel hard and not starting to soften. Listen for a solid sound and avoid a dull thud.
- Pick it up – Pick the heaviest one for its size. If they’re light, they have started to dry out.
Looking for even more watermelon recipes? We’ve got a lot more to share:
- Watermelon Fruit Infused Water – Quirky Inspired
- Watermelon Infused Tequilla – Sidewalk Shoes
- Strawberry Watermelon Smoothie – Sidewalk Shoes
- Sweet and Salty Watermelon Salad – Intelligent Domestications
- Watermelon Lime Slushie – Cincy Shopper
- Watermelon Pico de Gallo – The Thrifty Couple
- Refreshing Watermelon and Goat Cheese Salad – Mama Likes to Cook
- Grilled Watermelon with Hatch Chili – Mama Likes To Cook
- Watermelon Agua Fresca Float – Thrifty Jinxy
- Refreshing Watermelon Cooler Punch – Honey and Lime
How to store a watermelon?
Uncut can be store on the counter or in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks.
If you’re only using a portion, store the remaining watermelon in the fridge with plastic wrap over the cut section. This will prevent it from drying out and absorbing fridge orders. Use within 3-5 days. It is best to only cut what you need and leave the rest intact.
If you can’t eat it all before it spoils, cut up and freeze up to 6 months. You can use it for smoothies, popsicles, cocktails, and mocktails.
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