Everything you need to know about watermelon, including the different varieties, how to cut watermelon, how to store it, and nutrition information.
What are watermelons?
Well this mystery is best solved by breaking it down.
Water: Watermelons are 92% water by weight!
Melon: Watermelons are very loosely defined as melons. They’re actually (scientifically/botanically) classified as a type of berry – a berry called a pepo. (But if you’re from Oklahoma, you likely don’t consider it a fruit at all, as the watermelon is the official Oklahoma state vegetable!)
Watermelon Around The World
Call it what you will, watermelons originated in southern Africa but quickly made their way around the world. In America it’s usually eaten cold as a sweet snack. In China the seeds are eaten as a snack, and the rind is cut up like a vegetable and put into stir fries and stews. In Japan “cubic watermelons” have become a bit of a novelty. The watermelon is grown in a glass box and the fruit takes the shape of the box!
Watermelons reach peak season between May and August. You’ll want to look for the most ripe melon in the grocery, because these don’t get any sweeter after being picked (like bananas do, for example). Gently thump on the melon. If it has a hollow sound, it’s ripe.
Uncut watermelons are generally good for about 10 days. Cut watermelon should be covered tightly and stored in the fridge for about 4 days.
Health Benefits of Watermelon
Watermelon is 91% water and loads of nutrients, making it a great choice for summer snacking or cooking into a number of watermelon recipes! Let’s break the nutrition down. The following watermelon nutrition information is for 100 grams of watermelon (about 2/3 cup)!
Calories: 30 calories
Watermelon is a low calorie, especially when compared to other fruits! This makes it a great option for those looking to cut calories and lose weight.
Carbohydrates: 7.6g
All of the calories in watermelon come from carbs, namely the natural sugars in the fruit. At 7.6g per serving, it’s still relatively low carb, and could be suited for a keto diet.
Fiber: 0.4g
Watermelon isn’t high in fiber…well, the fruity flesh isn’t. You can cut and cook the watermelon rind, which contains more fiber!
Protein: 0.6g
As with most fruits, watermelon is not a good source of protein.
Fat: 0.2g
Similarly, most fruits (including watermelon) are very low fat.
14% Daily Value of Vitamin C
Watermelon is a good source of vitamin C. This antioxidant helps maintain your immune system as well as helps to create collagen.
11% Daily Value of Vitamin A
Watermelon is also a good source of Vitamin A, which is essential in many components of healthy vision, as well as immunity!
Lycopene
Watermelon is also a great source of the plant compound lycopene, which is an excellent antioxidant (it has even more lycopene than tomatoes!)
Do you have a hungry dog in your life? Everything that makes watermelon healthy for humans also makes this melon healthy for dogs!
Variations of watermelon
Did you know there are 1200 varieties of watermelon? SO MUCH WATERMELON! But there are 4 main types of watermelon: icebox, picnic, yellow/orange, and seedless.
Icebox: 5 to 15 lbs (can fit in an icebox)
Picnic: 15 to 50 lbs (a big picnic I guess)
Yellow/Orange: 10 to 20 lbs with yellow skin and fruit
Seedless: Seedless watermelon are not GMO. They’re made by cross-breeding a specific male watermelon flower with a specific female watermelon flower to produce a sterile (unable to reproduce) watermelon. This variety does still have seeds, but they’re very small, soft, and white.
How to cut watermelon
Call me lazy, but one of the most motivating reasons for me not to buy a watermelon is the thought of having to cut the thing up. But with this handy trick for cutting watermelon, there’s way less mess and the pieces are easier to eat!
- Cut the watermelon in half and lay the flat side down.
- Slice into roughly 1 x 1 inch pieces.
- Serve!
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