Watermelon is very popular at my house. Living with two picky eaters (husband Garry and daughter Sophia) keeps me on the lookout for ripe watermelon as they both love it.
Sophia always reminds me that watermelons only taste good when it is “peak of season,” which is late spring, early summer. Every time I buy them outside that window, we are all disappointed with the flavor.
A few weeks ago, I was eyeing the “personal-sized watermelons” from Dulcinea. Since I know the folks at Dulcinea, I am aware of the hard work they put into finding the best seed, growing areas and farmers to grow the melons. And their watermelons are ALWAYS ripe.
| Dulcinea’s PureHeart® Mini-Seedless Watermelons. Photo: Dulcinea Farms |
I know the produce personnel at my store are great resources, so I asked one of the guys, “How do the watermelons taste?” I was so excited when he nodded and said, “Good.” But he did tell me that the cantaloupes were not sweet yet (I appreciate his honesty).
When I got home, I immediately put them in the refrigerator since watermelon seems to taste best cold. If they sit for too long on my counter, they become mushy rather than crisp.
Since these mini watermelons are easy to cut and yield the perfect amount for my three-person household, I always cut up the entire melon into 1-inch chunks and store them in a Tupperware® container. Since the watermelon is so good, it barely lasts us two days!
At Frieda’s, we are now receiving yellow watermelons! They have been around for over 40 years, and when my mom started selling them, produce buyers were in disbelief that they existed! But with all the colorful produce you can find these days, yellow watermelon isn’t so strange anymore.
| Frieda’s Yellow Seedless Watermelon |
Yellow watermelons will be available closer to July in your upscale supermarkets. Orange watermelons won’t be available this season due to problems with the seed variety, but wouldn’t it be fun to serve all three colors of watermelon for dessert?
Remember, your produce manager is a great resource. Don’t be afraid to ask if it is “peak of season” for watermelons or any other melon.
Read my blog post for a refresher course on how to pick a good melon!
By the way, July is “National Watermelon Month” and there are Watermelon Queens crowned in many states, as well as a National Watermelon Queen. It is also the 100th birthday of the National Watermelon Association!
| Katelyn Kelly, National Watermelon Queen 2012. Photo: National Watermelon Association |
And, of course, there are still watermelon seed spitting contests!
No wonder people believe that the watermelon should be the official fruit of the USA. I would vote for that!
Enjoy!
Karen