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A couple years back we bought my son a storybook entitled, Watermelon Day. You see, watermelon was his favorite fruit, and as such, probably the healthiest thing that could get past the gatekeeper (read: his mouth) and into his stomach. The book chronicles the anticipation of one little girl as spring turns to summer, waiting for the watermelon plants to ripen in time for the big family picnic. I won’t spoil the ending, but there’s no spoiling to be had. How can the ending be nothing but sweet, when there’s a juicy watermelon involved.
I’m not sure that’s my best bit o’ writing above, but it has succeeded in making my mouth water. Much like my son, who eventually forbade us from reading Watermelon Day when there was no watermelon in the house. And I can’t blame him.
It’s that time of year the dog days of summer are waning and the mounds of melons are mountainous at many a farmers market. Besides the closer to home you purchase the juicy monstrosity, the less gas you’ll use carting it home. Good luck transporting it home by bicycle.
Aside from the yum quotient, there’s plenty of nutritional evidence to encourage greater watermelon indulgence. I love them Jersey tomatoes, but there’s a greater amount of the antioxidant, lycopene, in watermelon (unless the tomatoes are cooked, but the watermelon will keep the kitchen a little cooler for the remainder of the summer.) But watch those drips, the lycopene also explains the red stains left behind on clothing.
And that’s not all, watermelon is also a good source of Vitamins A & C, as well as potassium and Vitamin B6. My mouth is still watering despite all that vitamin talk. I’ve got a watermelon at home in the fridge right now, thank goodness.
But if you need to head to local market for one, make sure you select a good one. Look for one that generates a hollow sound when knocked. I’m more of a slapper looking for a sound that resonates to me like the equivalent sound of a slamming door on a finely crafted automobile. The National Watermelon Promotion Board offers an alternate strategy for selection. Pick up the watermelon. If seems heavy for its size and has a nice creamy yellow spot on the underside, it sounds like a winner.
Why the heavy ones? Well, aside from all the vitamins in watermelon, it’s also a wonderful source for...umm...you guess it...Water! Watermelons are approximately 92% water.
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