Nothing Says Summer Like A Slice Of Juicy Watermelon

When summer is at its hottest there is nothing more delicious than a cool slice of watermelon. My parents had a huge garden when I was growing up and we always had watermelon fresh off the vine.We would pick the one that looked the best. My dad would get out a huge knife and cut giant slices. The smell that comes from a fresh cut watermelon is divine. My brother and I would both try and elbow our way to the take the first slice! My brother loved to spit the seeds at me and would antagonize me until my dad would make him stop!

So if you love watermelon as much as I do read on for delicious watermelon recipes, and interesting information on this wonderful summer fruit.

The Watermelon Slicer is the easiest way to slice melons! It creates 12 uniform pieces with just one push. Ideal for small melons like cantaloupes, mini watermelons, pineapples and honeydews, it has easy-grip handles to provide leverage as you slice. 18/10 Stainless steel and plastic. Approx. 12-1/2" x 8-7/8" x 2-5/8". Dishwasher safe. The simple way to enjoy fresh melon! Works with other tough-to-slice fruits, too! Delicious fruit in seconds

One of the biggest questions about choosing a watermelon is how to determine how ripe it is. I have found that that it is extremely difficult to tell if a watermelon is ripe by just looking it must be examined.

With an open palm thump it. If the watermelon sounds hollow the melon is usually ripe. This technique isn't perfect though because the dull sound you hear doesn't indicate if the melon is overripe.

The thump test doesn't work on smaller melons. So check the bottom and the small patch should be yellow not white.

Look for the spot where the melon rested on the ground. If the spot is yellow-white, yellow or a cream-yellow color this suggests ripeness. A white or pale green spot indicates that it is not ripe yet.

One method I have seen a few people use is to press on the melon and if it gives a little then it's ripe. I think this method ruins the fruit.

The first recorded watermelon harvest occurred nearly 5,000 years ago in Egypt

Early explorers used watermelons as canteens

Watermelon is grown in over 96 countries worldwide

Watermelon is an ideal health food because it doesn't contain any fat or cholesterol

Every part of a watermelon is edible, even the seeds and rinds.

This recipe is so simple and healthy. Very cool and refreshing on a hot day.

On a recent trip I tried something new. A yellow watermelon! I have eaten my share of the red ones but I had never heard of a yellow variety. The flavor when I ate this fruit was sweet and had a slight honey taste. The color was a vibrant yellow and there were only a few black seeds.

It tasted so good so I decided to learn more about this variety of watermelon. The first thing I found out is that the fruit is yellow in color because of the absence of a Lycopene which makes fruits and vegetables have a red color. They were originally grown in Africa. Now they are grown in the warm southern climates.

Use the yellow variety in any recipe that calls for watermelon for an added pop of color and sweet flavor.

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Prep Time: 10 minutes

Serves: 8

Mmm...there's nothing more irresistible tan the aroma of food cooking on the grill.