Mouth Watering Watermelon Tips

We are on vacation this week.  Traveling to my birth place of Pecos Texas.  Granny M and Dear Hubby are with me too.  So I will be sharing some great Texas rites as I travel.  Today I wanted to share about Watermelons.  They are one of Granny M's favorite fruits.  She even has watermelon parties with Princess Emma.  I am lucky to have Dawn Bryan here to help me out.

Watermelons (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Dawn Bryan, founder of The Qualipedia, offers tips on how to pick the right melon and what you can do to spice up how you serve it up

Watermelons are considered to be the quintessential summer food staple. With so many choices out there, finding, storing, preparing, and serving a melon can be daunting.  Here are Dawn’s tips:

watermelon (Photo credit: imagelane)

SELECTION:

• To find your juiciest watermelon you first must look at the coloring: it should have bright firm skin, be symmetrical, and free of cuts, major bruises and scars
• Pick up the watermelon to feel whether it is heavy. The heavier the melon the more water it contains, which translates to a very luscious fruit
• Make sure that you pick a melon that is the right size for your needs -- you don’t want to waste any juicy bite
• The last test you need is the thumping method. You want to hold the watermelon close to your ear, thump it, and listen for a hollow sound. This means that you’ve got yourself a good melon

HOW TO RIPEN AND STORE:

Seedless watermelon  (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If your watermelon isn’t quite ready to cut open and serve, make sure that you store it at room temperature, giving it time to reach its prime ripeness. However, if you have a melon that’s ready to eat you can cool it off in your fridge for a couple of hours so that when you’re ready to serve it, it's ice cold and delicious. Be sure to wrap all your leftovers in plastic and keep them in the refrigerator.

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

USES AND RECIPES:

There are a variety of ways you can eat-- and drink—this tasty fruit. While biting into an icy chunk ofwatermelon is very refreshing, there are also new recipes you can try to spruce up the ways you enjoy this summertime staple. Here are a few recipe links to help you cool off on these hot summer days:

• Watermelon Mojito Popsicles so you can cool down and cut loose
• Watermelon Keg great for those late evening outdoor soirées
• Watermelon Smoothie that help brighten your skin and your day
• Watermelon and Feta Salad a light and refreshing summer meal

Now that you have the know how on picking, storing, and using your watermelon get out there and embrace the summer heat with a slice or a sip of your mouth-watering treat.

Have a delicious summer from The Qualipedia!