Watermelon!

Brigitte Fouch, L'Etoile Cook

Watermelons are the quintessential summer fruit: 100% fun, refreshing and reminiscent. A summer isn’t complete until I’ve eaten almost an entire watermelon in one sitting, spitting the seeds into the lawn and letting the juice run down my hands. It’s one of those things I simply can’t resist.

Luckily, watermelon is a guilt free indulgence! In fact, we might do well to indulge a little more often! They are packed with vitamins, especially A and C, and contain the most lycopene, a cancer fighting antioxidant, than any other fresh fruit. They are their own delicious multivitamin!

Watermelons, like pumpkins and squash, grow on sprawling vines with broad leaves. They can be round or oblong with crisp flesh that can be pink, yellow or even white! They range in size from just a few pounds (like our personal-size melons) to upwards of 90 pounds! The watermelon that holds the Guinness World Record is 268 pounds, although some unofficial records show melons weighing in at up to 290! Though they look quite tough, watermelons have to be hand harvested. Store your uncut melon at room temperature for several days and keep any extra cut melon covered and in the fridge.

Tips for choosing a watermelon

1.    Check the shape of the melon. A good watermelon has a symmetrical shape. It doesn't matter if the fruit is round or oval in shape, as long as it is symmetrical.

2.    It is also a good idea to press the skin of the watermelon in many different spots to test for firmness. Good watermelons will not have soft spots.

3.    Dark green melons tend to be sweeter than those that are lighter in color.

4.    Choose a melon that feels heavy for its size.

5.    Look on the bottom of the melon. You will find a discolored spot where the melon was in contact with the ground while it was growing. If this spot is light green, the melon is not yet ripe. If the spot is a yellowish-white color, the melon is probably ripe.

6.     You can also tell if a watermelon is ripe by thumping it, if you know what you are listening for. When you thump the side of a ripe watermelon, it will sound as if the fruit is hollow. If you hear a thud or a tone that is high in pitch, look out! You're dealing with a fruit that isn't ripe!

Don't buy a watermelon that you know isn't ripe thinking it will be ripe by the time you eat it. It won't happen. Watermelons do not continue to ripen once they have been picked.

Watermelon is great simply sliced and eaten, but there are many ways to enjoy watermelon. Because they are 92% water, they are a natural for blending and incorporating in to margaritas, spritzers, or lemonades and frozen into popsicles, granites or sorbets. One of my favorite summer drinks is watermelon aqua fresco: blended watermelon, mint, sugar and citrus juice. Add a little vodka and you've got a party!

Watermelon flesh is easy to cut and can be presented in cubes, balls, triangles, batons, or large, thin slices. Cookie cutters can even be used to cut more elaborate shapes!

Not many people know that even the rind and seeds are edible. Once pickled, the rind is a great addition to salads, with pork chops or as a crunchy snack on its own. In Asian countries, roasted watermelon seeds are either seasoned and eaten as a snack food, or ground up into cereal and used to make bread.

Growing up, my Grandpa (aka Papa) would always sprinkle salt on his watermelon; a practice I could never understand. I still haven't warmed up to the idea of salting my melon, but I do love to eat it with feta! The saltiness of the cheese brings out more of the melon's sweetness. If you are in need of a quick side dish to bring to a picnic, cut up watermelon and toss with crumbled feta cheese, thinly sliced red onion and mint. (Papa would probably still sprinkle some salt on it though).

If you are feeling extra creative, watermelons are popular for carving. Visit www.watermelon.org for instructions and design templates.

What interesting things have you been doing with watermelon this year??