As we start to see the potential for the heat of summer to dissipate, we are also in our last dash to have the ultimate hero of hydration and taste – the watermelon. With their vibrant green exterior and juicy, ruby-red center, watermelons are the symbol of summer, heat, refreshment and indulgence.
Watermelons are nature’s gift to beat the scorching heat as they are composed of 92% water, 6% sugar, a wee bit of fiber, and some good-for-ya vitamins. To be specific, they are bursting with antioxidants beta-carotene, vitamin C, and lycopene that boost your immune system, with extra copper and potassium to boot.
So, why are they not safe you may ask? After you casually pick one at the market, give it that classic thump to gauge its ripeness, and, voila, you’ve got your gourd. But what happens if your crisp turns to soggy, sweetness turns to funk, or worse, it starts literally foaming? Or, oh gracious, actually is bursting with antioxidants! Yep, if bacteria sneaks in, has a party with the sugar and yeast, it can start to ferment. And not good fermentation like with wine or even kombucha, no, this is foaming exploding enzymatic action. Should you end up with such a scene, please discard or compost the watermelon immediately!
Did you catch the gourd comment above? Did you think watermelons were a fruit?? Technically speaking, watermelons are known as Cucurbitaceae, a gourd family comprised of plants that produce food with hard outer shells or rinds. The pumpkin, cucumber, squash, gerkin, and honeydew are all siblings to our precious watermelon. So while it may commonly be referred to as a fruit, make no mistake that this gourd is a vegetable. In fact, in 2007 Oklahoma declared the watermelon its official state vegetable.
If you want to really celebrate this quenching delight, make sure to visit one of the many watermelon festivals nationwide. Someone has taken the time to build a website that is a compilation of all watermelon-centric festivals in 2023 and additional info as well. https://pickyourown.org/Watermelon_Festivals.htm
If Only Jokes:
A watermelon proposes to its sweetheart: “Honeydew, want to get married?”
“Oh yes” she replies, “but we cantaloupe!”
John has 20 watermelons and Tim has none. John threw one watermelon at Tim. What does Tim have now?
A concussion.