Creating Summer Watermelon Memories in Texas

Summer celebrations in Texas are more fun with a cold, juicy watermelon. Nothing cools after a day on the beach or a picnic in the park like a dripping slice of icy cold watermelon. Just as satisfying is a cup of sweet watermelon chunks nibbled on the patio after a dip in the pool on a warm summer night.

Luling Texas even turns watermelons into an annual celebration every June called the Watermelon Thump, with live music, dances, arts and crafts exhibits, parade, watermelon judging contest, and even a watermelon seed spitting contest! Great fun and great memories indeed!

Growing Watermelons in Texas

With its long, hot growing season, Texas is a prime state for raising watermelons. Watermelons thrive in sandy soil and require quite a bit of space since they mature on trailing vines

With over 42,000 acres of melons produced in Texas, the state ranks 3^rd in US production. The summer fruit is the state's largest annual horticultural crop. Many small plot farmers earn extra family income from growing watermelons and selling them in farmers markets, roadside stands, or even from pick-your-own fields.

Novice gardeners may have difficulty deciding just when to pluck a watermelon from the vine but real watermelon farmers have their ways of telling. Melons ready for the picking usually feel heavy, have dry, brown curly tendrils on the stem, a dull, waxy surface color, a tough, thick rind, and a light yellowish patch of color where it rests on the ground. A white or pale green color indicates it needs to ripen a bit more. Of course experience helps in properly recognizing these characteristics and many Texas watermelon farmers pride themselves on supplying perfect melons to the market.

A green melon will have tough 'meat' and lack sweetness. An over ripe melon may be very sweet but have mushy 'meat.'

Watermelon Varieties

The University of Illinois says that watermelon seeds were brought to America by African slaves but today, we have more than 100 different varieties. Inside coloring may range from yellow and orange to pink and red.

The Golden Crowns, Sugar Babies, Yellow Babies, and Yellow Dolls are first to mature, smaller in size at about 7 or 8 pounds, and usually very sweet. A few larger varieties maturing at about 3 months are Charleston Grays, Crimson Sweets, and the huge Sangrias which can reach 26 pounds or more. Seedless varieties such as the Cotton Candy, Honey Heart, and Tiffany are slightly smaller.

Storing a Watermelon

Once picked, a watermelon will keep for around 2 weeks in temperatures ranging from 45 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Watermelons will keep better if not refrigerated until several hours before use. Cut pieces can be tightly wrapped and refrigerated for 2 to 3 days. Chunks can be frozen for future use in smoothies.

Watermelon Eating

Ways of cutting a watermelon depend on preference. Some like to slice it from the end and then cut each slice into wedges like pieces of pie and some like to cut it end to end into boat shaped quarters.

Watermelons have about 95% water content, are fat free, and low in calories. They are a great source of potassium, vitamins A and C, and the antioxidant, lycopene.

Watermelon Fun

Every kid should have the summer memory of climbing out of the pool on a hot summer day to bite into a sweet, icy slice of melon. Every Fourth of July celebration should include plenty of good, cold watermelon!

The cool flavor of a watermelon from the grocery store is tasty but perhaps watermelon buying is more fun when it's from the farmer himself. Pulling over on the side of the road after a day spent at the beach and having the whole family help in choosing a big green melon, creates the best memories.

And who wouldn't remember with fondness the time they sat under a tree in a drippy swimsuit and spit watermelon seeds farther than anyone else!