Wacky ways with watermelon

What’s your favorite summer melon? If you said “Watermelon!” then you are among friends. Most everyone, young and old alike, enjoys an ice cold slice of juicy red watermelon on a sweltering summer day. But just because watermelon is traditionally served for dessert, don’t just think of it as a sweet treat. It can be equally delicious in salads, salsas and cocktails.

As children, many of us enjoyed seeing who could spit the watermelon seeds the furthest across the backyard. If you don’t enjoy spitting seeds then a seedless melon is a good option. But, what are those little white “seeds” in a seedless variety? According to watermelon.org, the little white seeds are white seed coats that have not fully developed into mature black seeds. They are safe to eat. Don’t worry about swallowing any of the melon seeds – mature or not. We were often told as children that swallowing the seeds would cause watermelons to grow in our stomachs. Not true! Gardeningchannel.com  lists Jason Schayot as holding the world record for watermelon seed spitting at 75 feet 2 inches, set in 1995.

Watermelons are full of surprises. What’s not surprising is that they consist of 92% water. The What About Watermelon website has a lot of interesting facts about our favorite summer fruit. For instance, it may surprise you to find out that watermelons are not always round. The Japanese started growing them in glass boxes to make them a cube shape. Now that’s a wacky watermelon! Watermelons are always red, right? Wrong! Yellow and orange varieties can be found in the summer at your local farmers market. These colorful watermelons taste just like the traditional red watermelon with a touch of honey and apricot.

Every bit of a watermelon is edible, except the seeds are not the most delicious part. Gardeningchannel.com explains that watermelon seeds are nutritious because they contain magnesium, zinc and protein. Have you ever eaten a watermelon rind pickle? YUM! In the Southern United States we like to sprinkle our watermelon with salt and pepper.

Looking for fun ways to serve watermelon this summer? Sprinkle crumbled feta cheese over chunks of watermelon, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, garnish with fresh mint to make a dazzling fruit salad. Margarita Watermelon is refreshing and just a little boozy. Marinate watermelon slices in tequila, sugar, lime juice and salt for a fun adult picnic treat! If you are in the mood for a watermelon cocktail, Southern Living Magazine has recipes for Watermelon Sangria made with sparkling rose and watermelon mojitos and margaritas. It’s fun to freeze melon balls to use in place of ice cubes for summer drinks too.

Watermelon makes a refreshing salsa and pico de gallo. Damndelicious.com has a yummy recipe for Watermelon Mango Pico de Gallo. Especially delicious served with lime tortilla chips. Watermelon gazpacho is another favorite for melon lovers. Ever thought about making a watermelon pizza? Good Housekeeping has a recipe for a big round “pizza slice” of watermelon topped with fresh berries and drizzled with With a creamy honey-ricotta topping.

What new wacky way will you serve watermelon this summer?