I’ve been on a watermelon kick this summer! It all started when my grocery store had a stand of watermelons with a sign saying they were grown 5 miles away. Loving the “locovore” concept, I took home a melon and it was incredible. Since then, pretty much every week, I’ve bought one and they’ve all been sweet and delicious, making me wonder if this is a good year for watermelons on the whole. I did a search on this and, at least in Athens, GA 2012 was purported to be a better year than last year. Have you also found this to be true?
I’ve been cutting the watermelons into wedges and then into cubes and indulging myself with daily bowls of the low calorie, healthy fruit (see the wiki facts below). This past weekend, on a whim, I decided to ball the melon and reached for my melon baller. It spurred me to remember my childhood and how my mother bought this, then, new gadget ~ how novel and fun it was to use. For a period, I helped her ball every cantaloupe and watermelon the family ate. When my children were small, they could always be enticed into eating fruit that was pretty to eat and they also loved helping.
Balling melon really does make a lovely presentation. Here, I served watermelon in one of my unbreakable, swirly wineglasses. We sell two styles of melon ballers and a plethora of fabulous unbreakable glasses in the Housewares Department.
Hint:
A melon baller makes a perfect ice cream or sherbet scoop for an unexpected presentation. Scoop ahead and place on a lined cookie sheet in your freezer to expedite serving.
Facts:
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_nutrients_are_found_in_watermelon
Watermelons are low in calories and very nutritious. Watermelon is also high in lycopene, second only to tomatoes. Recent research suggests that lycopene, a powerful antioxidant, helps prevent some forms of cancer and cardiovascular disease. According to research conducted at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, men who consumed a lycopene-rich diet were half as likely to suffer a heart attack as those who had little or no lycopene in their diets. Watermelon is also high in vitamin C and vitamin A, in the form of disease-fighting beta carotene. Lycopene and beta carotene work in conjunction with other plant chemicals not found in vitamin or mineral supplements. Watermelon also contains potassium, which is believed to help control blood pressure and possibly prevent strokes. A wedge of watermelon, or about 1 2/3 cups: 92 cal. 1.77 g pro., 20.54 g carb., 1.43 g dietary fiber, 332 mg potassium, 27.46 mg. vitamin C, 1046.76 IU vitamin A.
