HomeWHATWhat To Do With Unripe Watermelon

What To Do With Unripe Watermelon

My husband does most of our grocery shopping and he often ignores our list and buys items he thinks will be a special treat. In these COVID-19 times, any little treat makes a difference. He knows I like watermelon, so he purchased a one for me, though the price was higher than he thought it should be.

I began to have doubts about the watermelon when it seemed way too hard to cut. Where was that wonderful sound from a ripe watermelon when you start to slice and it almost opens on its own, making a sort of unzipping sound? Imagine my disappointment when I finally got it cut in half and sampled it; it tasted just like a cucumber with not an iota of sweetness. Jim might as well have thrown that $6 out of the car window.

Not quite ready to give up, I made an online search and found that watermelon and cucumber are distant cousins. That’s why my watermelon had that cucumber taste.

I also found some suggestions for using unripe watermelon, many of them involving adding vodka. Several sites said you can use the rind to make preserves, whether the watermelon is ripe or not. Some said blend the watermelon and add simple syrup made with equal amounts of sugar and water for a refreshing drink.

Refer to more articles:  What Fuse Would Stop A Car From Starting

I found a salad recipe that caught my interest and that is what I decided to make with some that watermelon. We enjoyed the salad, but I ruefully discarded the remainder of the watermelon into the compost pile. Some recipes similar to the one below add olives or feta cheese to the salad. I think the recipe would be especially delicious with a ripe watermelon.

Watermelon Salad

2 cups thinly sliced watermelon

1 cup thinly sliced cucumbers

½ cup thinly sliced onion

2 tablespoons chopped mint or basil

Vinaigrette dressing or Balsamic vinegar and olive oil

On a serving platter, alternate slices of the watermelon, cucumbers and onion. Sprinkle the chopped mint over the slices. Top with a vinaigrette dressing or simply balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Lost a recipe? Have a recipe to share? Send your favorite recipe to [email protected]. If your recipe is used in this column, I will give you a free cookbook from my collection. You will need to pick up the cookbook at The Tuscaloosa News office.

RELATED ARTICLES

Most Popular

Recent Comments