We’re halfway through our theme week on all things summer! Today we’re talking about a refreshing summer treat – watermelon!
Watermelons are 91% water, and originally were grown and stored to be eaten during dry seasons. They were also used as a method of storing water. Watermelons were being cultivated in India by in the 7th century and in China by the 10th century. They spread to Europe and were widely planted there in the 17th century. Colonists introduced the fruit to the New World. Early watermelons weren’t like the sweet, juicy fruit we enjoy today. They were bitter, with a yellowish-white flesh, and they were also difficult to open.
Watermelons can be considered both a fruit and vegetable. Botanically, they’re classified as a fruit because they have seeds and they originate from flowers that have been pollinated by bees. But watermelon is a member of the gourd family, which also includes veggies like cucumbers, squash, and pumpkin. It’s even the state vegetable of Oklahoma!
There are 1200 varieties of watermelon. You may have heard that seedless watermelons are genetically modified. But that’s not true. Seedless watermelons were developed in 1939 through hybridization, a perfectly natural and safe process. Initially seedless varieties were rare because they weren’t disease resistant. But now they make up 85% of total watermelon sales in the U.S.
Watermelons can be grown in a variety of shapes. In Japan, farmers have been growing square watermelons for 40 years. The melons are grown in square boxes, and the fruit takes the shape of the container. They were originally developed to be easier to store in the fridge and to cut more easily. But to keep them their square shape, the melons have to be harvested before they’re ripe, so they’re pretty inedible. They’re essentially ornamental, and they’re pretty expensive, selling for as high as $200.
There are 3 simple steps to choosing the perfect watermelon at the grocery store:
- Pick a heavy melon. The heavier it is, the more juice it has.
- Look for a yellow splotch. This is where the watermelon has rested on the ground. When the splotch is a creamy yellow, it’s ripe.
- Give the watermelon a tap. If it sounds hollow it’s perfectly ripe. If it sounds dull, that means it’s under or over ripe.
Learn more here.