Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
What-a-melon!
Sweet summer gourd can be enjoyed with more than just salt
There’s a lot of truth to the statement that all you really need to enjoy a watermelon is a knife, but a shaker of salt and a big wad of napkins sure come in handy. Cut into wedges and served with a light sprinkle of salt is the quintessential way to enjoy this summer favorite, but this sweet edible gourd is good for so much more.
With its variegated green exterior and vibrant pink (or yellow) flesh, the watermelon is as much feast for the eyes as it is a quencher for the palate.
Consisting of more than 90% water, watermelons are one of the most refreshing foods.
Watermelon, or Citrullus lanatus, is a member of the Curcurbitaceae family, along with cucumbers, pumpkins and squash.
Hundreds of varieties of watermelon are grown throughout the Americas, most fall into two categories: seeded or seedless. Seedless watermelons are the result of cross-pollination and hybridization — not genetic modification, according to the Watermelon Board (watermelon.org). Because
seeded watermelon plants are needed to pollinate the seedless plants, most watermelon farmers grow both varieties, however seeded melons make up only about 8% of harvest and sales with seedless melons making up the remaining 92% in the United States.
Watermelons are believed to have originated in southern Africa’s Kalahari Desert, and Egyptian hieroglyphics depict the fruit being harvested almost 5,000 years ago. Watermelons, like many staple foods in the South (barbecue, peanuts, okra, black-eyed peas, rice), came to North America via the slave trade.
The United States ranks in the top 10 in watermelon production with China, Turkey, Iran and Brazil topping the list. Americans, on average, consume 16 pounds of watermelon per person every year, most of them seedless.
The entire melon is edible — from its prized juicy flesh to its black seeds and rind.
Pickles are the most common way to use watermelon rind, but the rind can also be sliced and cooked into stirfries and even candied.
Selecting a watermelon can be tricky business. The following suggestions can make the process a little easier.
■ Look for firm, symmetrical melons free of bruises, cuts or dents.
■ Select melons that are heavy for their size.
■ The underside of the melon should have a creamy yellowish patch, where the melon rested on the ground. Ripe melons sound hollow and “ring” when thumped. Skin color isn’t an indicator of ripeness, Black Diamond watermelons, for example, have deep, dark green skin while Jubilees have dark green stripes on a lighter green body.
Always wash the exterior of a watermelon before cutting into it. Even though the thick skin protects the flesh, any grit, bacteria or residue present on the rind can be transferred by a knife when cutting.
Roasted Watermelon Seeds: One 10-pound watermelon will yield about 2 tablespoons of seeds. Soak seeds in heavily salted water (1 tablespoon salt per cup of water) for one hour. Drain and pat dry. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Toss dried seeds with a few drops of olive oil and arrange in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until seeds are lightly browned. Immediately transfer seeds to a cool baking sheet to stop the cooking; let cool. Seeds will keep in an airtight container for about a week.
Watermelon Wedges With Salt, Red Chile and Lime
1 to 2 teaspoons coarse salt such as kosher salt or sea salt (we like Diamond Crystal kosher salt)
1 lime, zested and juiced,
divided use
1 teaspoon Red chile flakes, such as Aleppo or Chimayo or crushed red pepper (cayenne) flakes, if you like a lot of heat, or to taste 1 average-size watermelon, cut into ½- to 1-inch thick wedges
Combine the salt, lime zest and red chile and mix well. Sprinkle over watermelon wedges. Drizzle with lime juice.
Watermelon Caprese
8 ounces fresh mozzarella
cheese
1 pound watermelon, cut into ½-inch thick slices (triangles or rounds)
8 to 10 leaves fresh basil,
whole or cut into ribbons Salt and ground black pepper 1 to 2 tablespoons thick
balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive
oil
Cut mozzarella into ½-inch thick slices. If desired trim mozzarella slices to the same size/shape as the watermelon.
Arrange watermelon on a platter. Place a slice of mozzarella atop each slice of watermelon and top each stack with a leaf of basil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with balsamic and olive oil. Serve immediately.
Alternate serving suggestion: Substitute 8 ounces drained ciliegine (cherry-sized) mozzarella balls and cut the watermelon using a melon baller. Toss mozzarella, watermelon and basil together in a bowl, season with salt and pepper and dress with balsamic and olive oil.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Watermelon-Jicama Salad
4 cups diced watermelon (we used a combination of red and yellow-fleshed watermelon)
2 cups diced peeled jicama 1 cup diced seedless
cucumber
Zest and juice from 2 limes Handful fresh mint leaves Handful fresh cilantro leaves Small handful fresh basil
leaves, torn or chopped ½ to 1 teaspoon coarse salt Thinly sliced fresh chile or dried chile flakes, optional to taste
Toss together all ingredients in a serving bowl. Serve immediately or cover and chill until ready to serve.
Makes about 8 servings.
Watermelon Agua Frescas
Flesh from ½ average-size watermelon (we used a yellow-fleshed watermelon) ¼ cup sugar
½ cup boiling-hot water 1 ½ cups cold water Fresh mint sprigs or lime
wedges, optional garnish
In a food processor or blender, puree watermelon until completely smooth. Strain through a sieve — to remove any bits of seed — into a large pitcher. You should have about 6 cups of juice. Exact yield will vary depending on the size of the watermelon.
Combine sugar with boiling water and stir until sugar is dissolved. Add sugar syrup to watermelon puree. Stir in cold water. Cover and chill until ready to serve. Serve over ice. Garnish with mint or lime, if desired.
Makes about 8 servings. Variation: To turn this quencher into an adult beverage, rub the rim of each glass with a lime wedge, then dip in salt. Fill glasses with ice and add 1 ½ to 2 ounces tequila and about ½ ounce of lime juice. Top with Agua Frescas and garnish with a lime wedge or jalapeno slice.
Watermelon Granita With Rosewater
½ cup sugar
¼ cup boiling-hot water
1 ¼ pounds watermelon, chopped
Up to 1/8 teaspoon rosewater (extract)
Combine the sugar and boiling water in small bowl and stir until sugar dissolves; set aside.
In a blender or food processor, puree the watermelon until liquefied. Strain into a 9-by-13-inch glass dish or metal pan. Stir in rosewater and sugar syrup. Place pan in freezer and freeze until icy around edges, about 25 minutes. Using fork, stir icy portions into middle of pan. Freeze until mixture is frozen, stirring edges into center every 20 to 30 minutes, about 1 ½ hours. Using fork, scrape granita into flaky crystals. Cover tightly and freeze.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Watermelon Rind Candy
3 cups water OR watermelon
juice
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups (½-inch dice) watermelon rind, white part only with outer green rind removed
1 ¾ cups sugar, divided use ½ cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a large pot, combine water or juice and salt. Add watermelon rind. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and boil for 10 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat and drain well.
In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup of the sugar, the lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla extract. Stir in drained watermelon rind. Cook over medium-low heat for 15 to 20 minutes or until mixture is thick, stirring often.
Spread ½ cup of the remaining sugar on a 12-by-12inch sheet of wax paper.
Drain mixture and drop by teaspoonfuls onto sugar. Dust tops with remaining ¼ cup of sugar.
Gently roll candy pieces in sugar, completely coating. Cool for 10 minutes and then roll in sugar again. Cool completely before serving. Store in an airtight container.
Makes about 2 dozen candies.