W is for Watermelon

Hi everyone . Hope you’re all doing well. Things have been a bit hectic around here with going out of town for the concert (which was AMAZING!). We’ve also had a death in the family-Isaac’s great grandfather.

I’ve been cooking as usual, but nothing really new. Lots of crockpot meals and last minute dishes. But with the start of summer I decided that now would be a great time to share some info on a great summertime fruit-watermelon!

Watermelons are related to canteloupe, pumpkin, and squash. Many people think that watermelons are all water and not very much nutrition. While watermelon does contain 92% water, it is also packed with nutrients. Two cups of diced watermelon contains only 80 calories (great snack!). This serving also contains about 30% of the Daily Value for vitamin A and 25% for vitamin C. These two vitamins are best known as antioxidants, which have been shown to be very beneficial to our health.

Summertime is the season for watermelon, which  makes them more affordable as well as tastier. I’m not sure what the weather is like where everyone is, but it’s HOT in New Orleans. It’s perfect weather for some watermelon to quench thirst! I like to melon ball watermelon for Isaac or sometimes I even use cookie cutters to make fun shapes.

Selection: Choose symmetrical watermelons that are heavy for size with dried stems and yellowish undersides.

Storage: Store whole watermelons at room temperature. If cut, they can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Trivia: Did you know that the watermelon rind is also edible? In some countries, people cook the rind like a vegetable. They’re often stir-fried, pickled, or stewed.

Do you eat watermelon? Do you have any fun recipes for them?

I hope everyone has a great Fourth of July weekend. We’ll be spending lots of time with family since Great Grandad’s funeral is tomorrow. We’ll also be going out on my dad’s boat for one or two days. Isaac just LOVES riding in the boat. And while looking through my pics, I came across one of Isaac last year eating watermelon on the boat. Perfect!

Have a great weekend!

Sources: Fruits & Veggies More Matters and Watermelon.org

Selene