Throughout the years, watermelon has found itself in many pickles, jams, and other interesting situations. And now even as a carved vegetable! It takes approximately 45 minutes to carve the melon and skewer the fruit. As a centerpiece at any party celebrating something to be proud of. Fill cavity with mint leaves and fruits and berries. Enjoy!
Here is a list of fun facts you many not have known about watermelons:
Watermelon is grown in over 96 countries worldwide. In China and Japan it is a popular gift to bring a host. In Israel and Egypt, the sweet taste of watermelon is often paired with the salty taste of feta cheese. Watermelon is 92% water and official name is Citrullus lanatus of the botanical family Cucurbitaceae and it is a vegetable! It is related to cucumbers, pumpkins and squash.
By weight, watermelon is the most-consumed melon in the U.S., followed by cantaloupe and honeydew. Early explorers used watermelons as canteens. The first cookbook published in the United States in 1796 contained a recipe for watermelon rind pickles. Food Historian John Martin Taylor says that early Greek settlers brought the method of pickling watermelon with them to Charleston, South Carolina.
In 1990, Bill Carson, of Arrington, Tennessee, grew the largest watermelon at 262 pounds that is still on the record books according to the 1998 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records.
In 2001 over 4 billion pounds of watermelon were produced in the United States. Watermelon is an ideal health food because it doesn’t contain any fat or cholesterol, is an excellent source of vitamins A, B6 and C, and contains fiber and potassium.
Contrary to popular belief eating watermelon seeds does not cause a watermelon to grow in your stomach. Actually, in some cultures it is popular to bake the seeds and then eat them. Over 1,200 varieties of watermelon are grown worldwide. Every part of a watermelon is edible, even the seeds and rinds. The first recorded watermelon harvest occurred nearly 5,000 years ago in Egypt. The word “watermelon” first appeared in the English dictionary in 1615.
Author: Dr. K.B. Mallya