Watermelon is often a go to side dish for a meal on a hot summer day. Whether you’re looking to pick the perfect watermelon for a snack or as the star of your next event, I have all the tips you need for selecting the best whole watermelon from the grocery store and keeping it fresh. I will also be sharing the best way to store watermelon after it’s been cut.
How to Pick the Perfect Watermelon
Picking the perfect watermelon can be a challenge since all you can do is guess based on the exterior appearance of the melon. But these are my two best ways for how to pick the perfect watermelon.
The first thing I look for is the yellow spot on the outside rind of the watermelon. The more yellow the spot is, the more flavorful the fruit. This yellow spot is called a field spot and it means that the watermelon had time to naturally ripen on the vine in the field.
The second thing I look for is the brown webbing on the rind. This is caused by bees pollinating the flowers of the watermelon plant. It’s another indication that the fruit will be sweeter.
How to Clean a Whole Watermelon
Before being cut, the shelf life of a watermelon is a few weeks. You can store your whole watermelon in the pantry at room temperature. We tend to eat ours midway through our 3-week grocery shopping cycle, after we’ve worked our way through other items with a shorter shelf life.
Other fresh fruits, like berries, pineapple, and cantaloupe, should be eaten first. If you want to learn more about stretching your grocery shopping trips to every three weeks, check out my online course, The Grocery Solution. You’ll save money by shopping less often and have all the tools to make your fruits and vegetables last three weeks between shopping trips.
Before you put your watermelon in the pantry to be stored, it should be washed to remove any dirt and pathogens on the rind. This step will also help to extend the watermelon’s shelf life.
You can use a tub, deep sink, or even a cooler to wash your uncut watermelon. Place the entire watermelon in the washing container with cool water and vinegar. In order to wash it you will need about ½ cup 5% distilled white vinegar for every 20 cups of cool water.
The watermelon will float so you need to make sure to rotate the watermelon so both sides soak for two (2) minutes. After this step is complete, wipe down the watermelon rind and allow it to air dry. Once your melon is completely dry, you can store it in your pantry until you are ready to cut and eat it.
Watermelon, along with 24 other fruits and vegetables, are featured in the I Bought It, Now What? Summer Edition eBook. It’s available now on my website as a bundle with the original eBook so you can learn how to wash and store 50 of the most popular fruits and vegetables.
Watermelon Storage Tips
When you’re ready to eat your watermelon, you can cut it however you prefer to eat it – slices, wedges, sticks, cubes. You’ll want a large cutting board and a sharp knife to do the job well. It’s also a good idea to have a towel handy. I like to cut watermelon into cubes and store them in a gallon sized glass, airtight container. The jar is big enough to fit a large watermelon and storing it in glass lengthens the shelf life of cut watermelon.
Every few days I drain the juice from the jar. This is key to keeping your cut watermelon staying fresh. Save the juice for a refreshing summer drink or smoothie. Another way to use the juice is to pour it into ice cube trays and use the ice for watermelon-infused water once they are frozen.
Here is a video of how I drain my watermelon juice:
During the summer months I make Cucumber Watermelon Juice. You can get the full recipe below.
If you want the full washing and storing directions in video form, you can watch me go through the entire process in this video.
What is your favorite way to enjoy this delicious fruit? Eat it plain? Add salt to watermelon slices? Turn it into juice or salad? Do you grill it? I would love to hear what you do with this summer fruit now that you know how to pick the perfect watermelon. Leave a Comment below – let’s share some ideas!
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