Watermelon. Without a doubt it’s one vegetable that our entire family loves, but we do have different preferences when it comes to eating it. I’m not sure if it’s a Southern thing or not, but growing up in the South we would always salt our watermelons. As a child, I’m pretty sure I would have looked at you like you had two heads if you told me that watermelon could be enjoyed unsalted.
While I haven’t salted my watermelon in over 20 years, my husband still thinks it’s insane to eat watermelon unsalted. How do I serve it up to my kids? Unsalted, of course. But we do agree on one thing across the board. To enjoy watermelon to the fullest, it has to be super cold.
In honor of National Watermelon Day, here are a few fun facts about watermelon.
1. Watermelon is a vegetable (did you catch that at the start of this post?). It’s related to the squash, pumpkin and cucumber family.
2. You can eat every part of the watermelon (yes, this includes the seeds and rinds). Pickled watermelon rind is actually very tasty.
3. The U.S. ranks fourth in the world for watermelon production.
4. Watermelon is 92% water.
5. You can share a seedless watermelon with your dog.
6. There are more than 1200 varieties of watermelon that come in various weights, shapes, sizes, etc.
7. Early explorers used watermelons as canteens.
8. According to the 2013 Guinness World Records, the world’s heaviest watermelon was grown by Chris Kent of Sevierville, Tennessee, weighing in at 350.5 lbs.
9. Remember how I said that my husband doesn’t eate watermelon unless it’s salted? Well in Israel and Egypt, the sweet taste of watermelon is often paired with the salty taste of feta cheese. The salt is said to help enhance the sweetness of the watermelon.
10. Americans eat more watermelon by weight than any other “fruit”. While it is technically classified as a vegetable (as mentioned in #1), most refer to it as a fruit.
