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Watermelon

Fruits · Melons

Watermelon

Huge, green-striped melon with sweet, crisp, watery red flesh; eaten chilled, in salads and drinks.

Also called: karpuz, tarbooz, sandía

5 recipes with it

Photo: liz west from Boxborough, MA, USA, via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-2.0)

What it is

Watermelon has a thick, hard green rind, often striped, around very juicy red or yellow flesh with black or white seeds (seedless types have only soft pale ones). It is crisper and more watery than other melons. A ripe one sounds hollow when tapped and has a creamy-yellow ground spot.

Citrullus lanatus

How it’s used

  • Eaten in chilled wedges
  • Cubed with feta and mint in salads
  • Blended into juices and agua fresca
  • Rind pickled in the Southern US

Characteristics

Taste
Sweet, fresh and mild.
Texture
Crisp, grainy and very juicy.
Sold as
fresh
Cooking uses
Usually eaten raw

Storage

At room temperature. Keep whole at room temperature for about a week; refrigerate cut pieces covered and eat within a few days.

Diet, allergens and safety

No major allergens in typical versions.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Nut-free
  • Soy-free
  • Caffeine-free
  • Wash the rind before cutting so surface bacteria are not carried into the flesh; refrigerate cut melon.

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy
30 kcal
Protein
0.61 g
Carbohydrate
7.55 g
Fat
0.15 g
Fibre
0.4 g
Sugars
6.2 g

USDA FoodData Central: Watermelon, raw.

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Recipes with watermelon

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