I don’t like watermelon.
I know what you are thinking right now.
“What? You don’t like watermelon? I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t like watermelon!”
Yeah, I’ve heard that all my life. I don’t know what it is, but watermelon does absolutely nothing for me. People will tell me…Oh, if you just had a really good one, then you would like it! Or….if you just had a really cold one, then you would like it. Put it in a cold river, then you would like it.
Nope.
Don’t like it.
So why would I be posting about watermelon? Because my family loves it! My favorite son LOVES watermelon! He could eat an entire watermelon for dinner. In fact, I think he might have tried that once.
P.S. In case you are worrying about me saying that I have a favorite son, truth is that I only have one son. So he has been my favorite son for his whole life. It’s kind of our thing.
So how do I pick a good watermelon for my family to eat?
Taking direction from The Food Channel I look for these five things:
1. I look for watermelons that are nicely shaped and ones that feel firm. Make sure that they don’t have any cuts in them either.
2. Pick your watermelon up to see if it feels “heavy”. Watermelons are 90% water, so the riper ones will have more water and weigh more
3. I look for watermelons that have a bright skin and vibrant green color
4. I used to not pick a watermelon that has a yellow side but have since found out that this yellow spot is a good thing and should be creamy looking. This is where it laid on the ground to ripen instead of being picked too early.
5. When “thumping” your watermelon, a solid sound means it’s not ripe enough, if it’s too ripe, it will sound thick but if it sounds hollow, that’s the one you want!
Below is a picture of the coveted “yellow spot”!
Now that you’ve found your perfect watermelon, how do you cut it?
Here are two EASY ways to get a beautifully cut watermelon!
The first method comes from a pin that I pinned from Fifteen Spatulas. First cut the bottoms off both ends of the watermelon:
Then stand it on one end:
Taking a knife, slice down and cut off the rind:
After removing all of the rind, cut into disks and then into strips and then into cubes:
Look how beautifully cubed the watermelon turned out!
Next up is a great way to cut watermelon if you have little bodies with little fingers as this takes out all the mess of eating sliced watermelon! This great idea comes from Mama Say What. The above method of cutting does a better job with larger melons. This next method works best for small to medium sized watermelons.
Cut your melon in half:
Lay the watermelon flat side down and cut into strips about 1 to 1/2 inches wide:
Then turn your watermelon and cut in the same size strips in the opposite direction:
What you will end up with are watermelon “strips” perfect for just picking up and eating!
Well, I’d love to sit around and eat watermelon with you (NOT) but my favorite son is calling.
Change the way you cut a watermelon, because This Pin Rocks!
It’s a Par-tay with these great sites today!
The Recipe Critic – Home Stories A to Z – ShareAtopia – A to Z Celebrations – Lady Bug Blessings – Chef in Training – Memories by the Mile – Nap Time Creations – Hun What’s for Dinner? – Cupcakes and Crinoline – Sugar Bee Crafts – Mandy’s Recipe Box
Great tips Debbie! My oldest doesn’t like water melon either, LOL. Thank you for sharing at Simple Supper Tuesday.
Good tutorial – I hate cutting up watermelon. They are so messy!! 🙂
Laura – I so agree! I’ve always hated cutting them because of the mess but seriously, this is the way to go! Deb – The Oldest Sister
I’ve avoided the yellow spots, too! Thanks for setting the straight for me!
Hi Michelle! Me too! I never knew until just lately! But now we are both experts…haha! Deb – The Oldest
I LOVE this post! I have been eating watermelon all my life, but I haven’t known the “right” way to pick or cut one. Those strips and cubes are great!
Do you like cantaloupe? I can’t stand it, but I love watermelon. I’m very meh on honeydew, but I don’t seek it out.
Hi Andi! I can stomach cantaloupe but like you, am very MEH about honeydew. I am in LOVE with how to cut a watermelon though after I’ve learned these tricks! Thanks for stopping by! Deb – The Oldest Sister
I’m quite allergic to melons but this is good information.
Hi Linda! Yes, sometimes we are unable to eat things but still need to fix them don’t we? I’m sure that this will work for you! Deb – The Oldest Sister
Fabulous post! Pinned! Great Tips! Visiting from Tuesday Trivia and following you via Bloglovin’!
I don’t like any kind of melons. I don’t hate them, but don’t see an reason to eat them. Thanks for the tutorial. It will help with family gatherings this summer.
Ellen, you are my kinda woman! Deb – The Oldest Sister
I find that if you rap them with your knuckles they should vibrate (feel not visual) if they’re good.
Ellen….thanks for sharing your tip! I’m going to try that next time! Deb – The Oldest Sister
i was JUST talking to my sister about picking a good watermelon bc we end up getting horrific ones!! passing this on to her and can’t wait to get to the store to find a good one this time! thanks for sharing and so happy to have found your site!!
Hi Amanda! Thanks for stopping by! In the past I always tried to get one WITHOUT the yellow spot. Now we both know! Deb – The Oldest Sister
That works if you have a lot of watermelon eaters but I love watermelon, my son likes it sometimes (he’s 3) and my husband hates it so I’d have to eat a lot of watermelon in one go!
Yes, this method would be great for a crowd! Deb – The Oldest Sister
Just re-posted this on my blog, http://www.couture31.org ! LOVE IT 🙂 Thanks!
Thanks so much for stopping by! Left a comment on your darling blog! Deb – The Oldest Sister
Thanks for the watermelon tips! I found the “favourite son” comment amusing, as that is my only son and I’s thing too. I say “Your my favorite son” and he replies “I’m your only son”….he is grown now, however, this has remained with us into adulthood.
Colette, we are kindred spirits! My son is also grown and to this day it is still a “thing” between us! Thanks so much for your kind comment. Deb
I love watermelon. I think it’s refreshing & delicious.
for the record:
I get those looks&comments (just try this one, etc) when I turn down cantaloupe. Yuck! I even hate the smell.
Bonnie, I feel your pain! Cut up some watermelon this last weekend but couldn’t eat it. Sigh…..
I love water melon. It is so refreshing in the summer. But I disagree with ‘how to pick…..No. 5. if it sounds hollow, that’s the one you want!’ Wrong !!! If it sounds hollow and light, REJECT IT. It is over ripe and horrible inside. I used to grow and pick watermelons for the market. So, here are my points for choosing a good fruit.
1. A dark colour is best. Ignore the yellow patch. That’s where it was lying on the ground.
2. With your nail scratch a bit of the green skin. If it peels off easy it is good and ripe. My ultimate, easiest test.
3. Pick up 2 or 3 watermelons and feel the weight. Ignore the too light one(over ripe) and the too heavy one(unripened)
4 Taping and listening to sound is good advice but not easy to identify.
5. If you are strong, lift the fruit up, next to your ear and squeeze with both hands. If you hear a noise inside, take it.
As far as slicing it, I cut the top with the stalk, as shown, I half it lengthwise. then quarter it( or make it into 8 if fat). Then take a SLIM knife and and cut loose along the end of the red flesh, best on both sides. Then cut downwards, slicing into triangles about 2cms. thick. Serve on the plate or store in the fridge.
If you are out in the Countryside and it is sunny and warm, cool your watermelon in the sun!!! When you cut it into 2/4 leave it out in the sun for 10 minutes. As the water evaporates it cools the flesh!!! Dushe away!!!!!!!
Great tips! Thanks so much for sharing!
A good friend of mine was a watermelon farmer and the yellow spots aren’t from laying on the ground but from where the fields have been disturbed and the big leaves that provide shade for the melons get disturbed. It’s essentially a sunburn! It doesn’t affect the fruit, but it’s not the prettiest looking melon.. Great tips on cutting them! I’ll have to try those soon!