By: Shawn McKee
Nothing sparks nostalgia like summertime. Remembering summer crushes, picnics past, family vacations, short-shorts, swimming pools and watermelons. The days are longer, the boys of summer are back and the heat... the heat... well, it makes you thirsty.
When water just won’t do, try a melon made of more than 90-percent water. So refreshing, healthy and delicious, it’s like nature’s big, green, watery jellybean -- plus the seeds are perfect for spittin'. And while spitting seeds at your sister brings great joy, next time you’re all gathered around this marvelous melon, regale your family and friends with your wild watermelon wisdom.
Heard it through the melon vine…
One great fregetable: Citrullus lanatus is the scientific name of the watermelon and -- hold onto your sunhat -- it is a vegetable. It’s in the botanical family Curcurbitacae and akin to cucumbers, pumpkins and squash.
Watermelon weight: Pound for pound, watermelon is the most-consumed melon in the U.S., followed by cantaloupe and honeydew.
The Guinness Book of World Records reports that the largest watermelon ever grown was a monster melon at 262 pounds. The master melon-man, Bill Carson of Tennessee set this record in 1990, but his record was broken more than 15 years later by the Bright family in Arkansas with a whopping watermelon weighing 268.8 pounds. Wow, look at the size of those melons.
Watermelon warrior: In ancient Rome, during a political debate, a watermelon was thrown at the Roman Governor Demosthenes. So, like most people having large melons hurled at them, he placed the watermelon upon his head, thanked the thrower for providing him with a helmet to wear and went to fight Philip of Macedonia. When in Rome…
Hip to be square: Watermelons were originally round, but this posed a logistical problem so an oblong variety was cultivated to make transportation easier on the cargo. A square watermelon was even grown in Japan to accommodate small Japanese refrigerators -- where watermelons are a popular gift to bring party hosts, like a nice Cabernet.
Seed counters: Almost 100 countries around the world grow watermelons in more than 1,200 different varieties, with China being the top producer of this gourd of the gods.
The first recorded watermelon harvest occurred nearly 5,000 years ago in Egypt and is depicted in Egyptian hieroglyphics on walls of their ancient buildings.
Sure it makes a great helmet, but is it healthy?
According to the National Watermelon Promotion Board (you read that right), watermelon is an ideal health food because it’s high in fiber, vitamins A, B6 and C and is a good source of potassium.
Watermelon's health properties have been acknowledged by the American Heart Association, because it is naturally low in saturated fat, total fat and cholesterol and it meets all the nutritional requirements to receive their esteemed heart-check mark.
In fresh produce, watermelon is the lycopene leader, with a higher concentration of lycopene than any other fresh fruit or vegetable. Fresh watermelon even beats raw tomatoes -- touted for exceptional lycopene levels -- containing even greater amounts of this cancer-fighting antioxidant. Lycopene from tomatoes is best absorbed when tomatoes are cooked, so opt for the watermelon instead of the pile of spaghetti and meatballs at your next picnic.
You can pick your friends and you can pick your melons, but…Tips from the National Watermelon Promotion Board for picking the perfect melon:
Look the watermelon over.
You are looking for a firm, symmetrical watermelon that is free from bruises, cuts or dents.
Lift it up.
The watermelon should be heavy for its size. Watermelon is 92-percent water; most of the weight is water.
Turn it over.
The underside of the watermelon should have a creamy yellow spot from where it sat on the ground and ripened in the sun.
Watermelon is a perfect addition to a healthy diet. Find this and many other healthy, delicious foods and recipes at eDiets.com, and let them take all the guess work out of planning your next picnic.
