"watermelon" news and stories

My grandfather grew watermelons, and one of my fondest childhood memories involves chilling a melon in the brisk running water of a creek and later sharing it with friends and family with nothing but a fork and a salt shaker.

You won't find watermelon called for in many classic cocktail books. The watermelon martini grew in popularity at the turn of this century. I will never forget my first watermelon martini (made with equal parts citrus vodka and watermelon juice and a teaspoon of simple syrup) in a patio garden bar in Manhattan in 2000.

Watermelon is practically the essence of summer itself, so take a hot, hazy happy hour to the next level by serving a watermelon punch in a carved out watermelon.

In today's salad, watermelon takes a break from the slice-and-munch role. There's so much more to it than being eaten out of hand. Photographer mary.w.e. combines the cool fruit with sliced tomatoes and crumbled feta, the watermelon complementing the acid and saltiness. Yellow watermelons (like the round 'Sunshine' variety) are often sweeter than their pink cousins, and the 'Amarillo' variety is seedless, too (although you might think that spitting the seeds is half the fun).

Try these Kitchen Daily recipes for a watermelon-and-goat-cheese salad with citrus vinaigrette, and a sweet-and-tangy watermelon salad with cucumber, cilantro and roasted peanuts.

Become a member of the Slashfood Flickr pool for a shot at having your photos featured in Feast Your Eyes.

Thanks to a Panama produce company, square watermelons start entering the U.S. today. How exactly does one grow a square watermelon? Before you conjure up visions of Dr. Moreau and genetic mutations, rest easy: The melons are grown inside cube-shaped glass boxes.

The new form was invented several years ago by farmers in Zentsuji, Japan, who decided to grow square watermelons that fit exactly into Japanese refrigerators. In this age of carbon-footprint sensitivity and conserving gas, it's actually a terrific idea -- square melons take up less room to transport than round ones.

Being the first kid on the block slurping down a slice of square melon is going to cost you, however. They're priced at around $75 each. Alternatively, if you're really interested and horticulturally adventurous, you can grow your cubed gourd. Instructions are available on Instructables.com.

Purchase a whole watermelon? Learn how to use up the extra.

Photo: Moryce, Flickr

Watermelon inspires utter devotion in some and utter nonchalance in others. Like pickles or mayonnaise, it is not one of those "middle ground" foods.

This photograph of the ruby-hued fruit seems designed precisely to make the watermelon lover lose track of whatever else she was working on: "Would I eat one slice? Two?"

Even the typically stodgy "The New Food Lover's Companion" seems smitten: "The watermelon is considered less sophisticated than other categories of melon because it lacks flavor complexity and has a watery texture. But there are those who wouldn't trade a slice of watermelon on a hot summer day for anything."

Or -- to paraphase this Very Serious Encyclopedia of Culinary Knowledge -- "Watermelon: It Rules."