Juicy Secrets: Tips for Picking & Cutting Watermelon

There’s nothing better than fresh, juicy watermelon on a sunny summer day. Learn how to pick the perfect watermelon and tips for cutting them in different ways.

Tips for Picking Watermelons

• Look for the large yellow spot on the underbelly of the watermelon. This is where the watermelon was laying in the field. Make sure it’s a decent size and has a nice creamy yellow spot to ensure ripeness.
• Give it a good thump. Give it a tap or knock to make sure your perfect melon has a hollow deep sound.
• Make sure the outside of the watermelon looks dull and not shiny. A shiny watermelon means it’s not ripe. The green stripes should be a deep dark green while the white strips should be a light yellow/cream.
• Lift it up. Make sure it’s heavy for its size, which means it has a ton of water in it. This indicates a good pick.
• The best watermelons have a sweet aroma. Scratch a bit off the green skin. You should be able to smell a sweet aroma through the rind of the melon.
• Avoid watermelons that are shiny, and have soft spots, bruises, dents, or irregular bumps.

Cutting Watermelon

Cubes

1. Cut your watermelon in half lengthwise.
2. Cut each half in half (lengthwise again) to make 4 quarters of watermelon.
3. Take one of the quarters and make cuts from the top part of the melon all the way down to the rind.
4. Make 1-inch slices from one side of the melon to the other side.
5. Take your knife and slice 1-inch strips down the length of the melon. (You are essentially making a crosshatch pattern on each quarter of the watermelon.)
6. After the cuts are made, start from one edge of the melon and cut along the rind. The cubes should easily fall out of the rind!

Sticks

1. Cut the watermelon in half.
2. Flip the watermelon over after cutting it in half so that the flat surface is facing down on the cutting board. This way it is much more stable and easy to cut.
3. With half of the watermelon upside down on the cutting board, cut off the four edges to create a square.
4. Then, slice it lengthwise about 1″ apart. 
5. Once you have cut the entire melon lengthwise, cross-cut it every 1″.

Triangles

1. Cut the watermelon in half.
2. Flip the watermelon over after cutting it in half so that the flat surface is facing down on the cutting board. This way it is much more stable and easy to cut.
3. Cut the half watermelon one more time into quarters lengthwise.
4. Then, cut those quarters down the middle lengthwise into eighths.
5. Next, crosscut the watermelon about 1″ apart until you have cut the entire melon.

References

Lil Luna