Watermelon

Produce Corner: Watermelon

Think you can't find watermelon in winter? Think again! Watermelon can be found year-round in just about every corner of the globe. Mindy found them in Nebraska in January. Lise found them in Poland in December. If your local grocer does not have watermelon – request it! Get to know your produce manager at the supermarket and start making requests. You’ll be surprised at how responsive they can be.

You may think watermelon is nothing but water, right? Well, you’re wrong. It is high in lycopene (a strong antioxidant), trace minerals, chlorine, bromine, sulfur, potassium and even protein. Most important, it is literally going to help flush out all the fat we’ve been burning up on the diet.

Make sure to eat some seeds, too. Contrary to what your mother told you, a watermelon will not grow in your stomach if you do so. Just be sure to chew them before you swallow them. Seeds are the most important part of any fruit. They’re the source of the nutrients and the focus of the enzymes. They’re the living, breathing part of the fruit. If you plant them, they’ll grow (but not in your stomach). They are energy, pure and simple.

Seedless watermelon is far too altered and does no good at all. You MUST have seeded watermelon. Seedless varieties are more akin to the honeydew or cantaloupe families. You can stuff yourself all day with seedless watermelons and they will do no good.

Here are some hints for picking the best watermelon:

1. Look at it - choose a firm, symmetrical watermelon that is free of bruises, cuts and dents. *

2. Lift it up - the watermelon should be heavy for its size. Watermelon is 92% water, that accounts for most of its weight. *

3. Turn it over - on the underside of the watermelon there should be a creamy yellow spot from where it sat on the ground and ripened in the sun.*

4. Listen to it – a ripe watermelon in Summer has a deep “thump” like a drum; in the Winter, it makes a higher “ping” as it is picked under-ripe prior to shipping and will ripen in the store.

*For more information on picking a great watermelon any time of the year, check out the video and tips on watermelon.org.