Nothing marks the official beginning of Summer like a good watermelon, but how many times have you stood over a bin of watermelons in the store wondering which one to choose? The stakes are high... choose wrong and you're stuck with 15-20 pounds of gritty, bitter, or unrripe fruit that will either be reluctantly eaten or thrown away- neither of which is a desirable option.
Watermelon is full of so many incredible nutrients that help balance your body's fluid levels, reduce inflammation and muscle soreness, and support heart health, don't miss out on these great healing properties by choosing a melon you won't eat.
Here are our tips to choosing a great melon every time, plus a delicious watermelon slushy recipe!
How to pick a good watermelon
1- Check the stem.
If the stem of the watermelon is green, that means it was picked green. If the stem is brown, then you know it was ripened on the vine!
2- Pick an ugly one.
I know this seems silly, but as a general rule, the uglier the melon, the better the flavor! What we mean by this is:
- Look for a big yellow spot. The darker the yellow spot, the longer the melon has been sitting, ripening in the field.
- Look for brown webbing/patches. These marks are pollination points- the more of them you see, the better the melon.
- Black spots within the webbing is some of that delicious natural sugar seeping out- look for these and you will always have a sweet melon!
- Don't pick a shiny melon. Melons that are dull and have a little bit of give when you press on them have been ripened on the vine. Melons that are shiny and firm/hard have been picked green and will not have as good of a flavor or texture.
3- Pick it up.
If your melon feels heavy for its size, that means it is full of water!
4- Give it a knock.
Tap on the melon and listen- if it sounds hollow, then it will taste fantastic.
(This looks like a great melon!)
Since discovering these tips, I've never picked a bad watermelon. I hope this knowledge makes a difference for you too!
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Now, lets say you bought a watermelon and your family ate half, but there's no way you'll eat the whole think before it starts to absorb the flavors from your refrigerator... what should you do?
Watermelon Lime Slush
Start by chopping your watermelon and spreading it on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Place this into your freezer and freeze for 24 hours.
Add to blender:
- 4 cups frozen watermelon
- Juice of 1/2 lime
- 1 banana
- 2 tbsp fresh mint or basil leaves
- Agave, honey, maple syrup or natural sweetener of your choice to taste
- 1 cup water or sparkling water
Blend until smooth, adjust sweeteners and water to create desired consistency and flavor.
Do you have any tips we missed for choosing a good watermelon? leave us a comment below!
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