Cool down with a juicy watermelon.

30 July 2010 in Delicious!

Watermelon is for everyone all year round. It is sweet, juicy, bright and fun! It’s not just for summer. It’s not just for slicing.  I prefer a cold slice of watermelon on a hot summer day.   Iremember eating watermelon at my grandmothers house and watching her dump a ton of salt on her slice.  I think it’s a southern thing, but I have also I heard that people drizzle balsamic vinegar over strawberries as well.  To each their own.

A watermelon that is ripe will have a healthy sheen, a dull rind and a dull yellow spot on its underside on which it touched the ground. To confirm that the melon is completely ripe, thump it and the sound should be dull and hollow while the weight of the watermelon should be heavy considering its size.

FYI – Seedless watermelons were invented over 50 years ago, and they have few or no seeds.  When we say seeds, we are talking about mature seeds, the black ones. Oftentimes, the white seed coats where a seed did not mature are assumed to be seeds. But this isn’t the case! They are perfectly safe to swallow while eating, and don’t worry – no seeds will grow in your stomach.

WATERMELON

WATERMELON

Watermelon Facts:

  • There are more than 1200 varieties of watermelon
  • Watermelon rinds are also edible, and sometimes used as a vegetable
  • A watermelon contains about 6% sugar and 92% water by weight.
  • Watermelon is thought to have originated in southern Africa
  • In Vietnamese culture, watermelon seeds are consumed during the Vietnamese New Year’s holiday as a snack.
  • The Oklahoma State Senate passed a bill on 17 April 2007 declaring watermelon as the official state vegetable, with some controversy surrounding whether a watermelon is a fruit.
  • Watermelon is actually a vegetable and not a fruit. It is also related to the pumpkin, cucumber and the squash.
  • The watermelon (Citrullus Lanatus) are the natives of the Kalahari desert found in Southern Africa.
  • Watermelon consists of 92% water and 8% sugar.
  • The watermelons were brought to China across the Mediterranean sea in merchant ships. Incidentally, China is the largest producer of watermelons in the world today.
  • The watermelon was brought into America across the Atlantic oceans by African slaves.
  • As watermelon is about 92% water, early explorers used watermelons as a canteen.
  • Every part of the watermelon, including the seeds and the rind is edible.
  • Watermelons are ideal for the health as they do not contain any fat or cholesterol and are high in fiber content and vitamins A and C and are also a good source of potassium.
  • Over 1200 varieties of watermelon are grown in approximately 100 countries across the world.
  • Watermelons are very fragile and cannot be harvested with the help of machines. Instead they are carefully tossed by workers on a relay that runs between the fields and the truck.
  • Unripe watermelons should be avoided as they can be slightly acidic.
  • The first recorded watermelon harvest was in Egypt and it took place nearly 5000 years ago. This is depicted in the Egyptian hieroglyphics that is found in ancient buildings. As a matter of fact, watermelons were also placed in the tombs of kings to help them nourish in the after life.
  • The largest consumption of watermelon is in the United States when considered by the weight of the watermelon.
  • The first cookbook that was published in the United States in 1176 contained a recipe for watermelon rind pickles.
  • Watermelon is a popular gift for the host In China and Japan.
  • In Israel and Egypt, the sweet of watermelon
  • Bill Carson of Arrington, Tennessee grew a 262 pound watermelon in 1990. This feat found a place in the 1998 edition of the Guinness World Book of Records.
  • Watermelon became a part of the dictionary in 1615.

(Source – Wikipedia, Nationalwatermelon.org, buzzle.com)

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30 July 2010 Delicious!

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