Ten secrets of watermelon
Here's our top ten secrets of watermelon - it's perfectly ripe now!
1) Spotted, striped, long, round, oval - and now there's even a space-saving square-shaped watermelon, thanks to some enterprising Japanese farmers who grow them in square glass containers.
2) Only 50 calories are in a cup of watermelon (it's 92 per cent water; 12 per cent sugar), and it burns more calories during digestion than it adds in. So have another slice!
3) Get your vitamins A and C from watermelon. A cup provides about 20 per cent of your daily quotas for both these immune-boosting, disease-fighting vitamins.
4) Eat it ripe for a lycopene antioxidant boost. A melon that's still light pink won't cut it, whereas a dark pink melon actually has more lycopene than tomatoes.
5) Chilled cubes of watermelon will stay fresh for up to a few days, unlike some other fruits. So chop, chop - make your fruity salads days ahead.
6) Juice it for a recovery drink - post workout. Watermelon's citrulline levels help minimise muscle soreness.
7) Seed-spitting contests are a thing of the past, now that we know melon seeds have 1g of protein per 24 seeds (a few slices). Roast them with sea salt or add to a salad.
8) Ease bloating or fluid retention by eating some watermelon or drinking the juice, as it's a natural diuretic.
9) Dried melon is a year-round treat - chop it into chunks, and oven-dry it on the lowest setting for about 10 hours - or use a dehydrator.
10) Barbecue it for a smoky flavour and intense sweetness, then add to salads, or serve on a dessert or cheese plate for a fresh twist.
Did you know?
- The antioxidant lycopene gives watermelon its red colour.
- Eat the seeds too - they're a good protein snack.
- You can even eat the rind - pickle it or add to stir fries
- Watermelon is as much a vegetable as it is a fruit. Because it has seeds, it's a fruit, but this pink-fleshed beauty is a member of the gourd family (Think pumpkin and cucumber). So don't hold back; enjoy it in meals, as well as a sweet treat.
Source
Taste Magazine — November 2013 , Page 112
Author
Alison Adams
