It’s summer and big plump watermelons in over-sized bins are in most all the stores. I go nuts this time of year because on hot summer days, there’s little more refreshing than the delicate flavor of a good sweet watermelon. I love it even more since discovering its beauty benefits.
Other than being high in vitamin C, vitamin K and magnesium, watermelon seems like a rather weak candidate as a beauty fruit particularly since it’s fairly high in sugar. However, nothing could be further from the truth.
- Watermelon at 91% water is a delicious way of staying hydrated an important factor in the production of collagen and healthy skin.
- Watermelon contains the amino acid L-citrulline. Our bodies convert Lcitrulline to L-arginine, an amino acid that helps blood circulation. Good blood circulation helps to nourish our skin cells along with all the cells in our body.
- Watermelon is low in calories which help to keep us fit and trim.
- Watermelon is one of the best dietary sources of the antioxidant, lycopene. Antioxidants help rid us of skin damaging free radicals.
- Watermelon is a diuretic which helps rid you of excess water weight.
The meat of a watermelon is not the only good part; the rind is also a beauty food and is wonderful in preserves and pickles. Of course, preserves and pickles increase the sugar, but they are oh so very tasty. My whole family loves the preserves and they’re really easy to make. If you decide to try to make them, be sure to pick out a melon with a nice thick rind. That may not be as easy as it once was because back in the watermelon growing lab, the goal is to produce melons with no seeds and thin rinds.
I found suggestions online for using watermelon juice and meat in various skin preparations. I have not personally tried these and neither has Lori, so I can’t attest to the validity of the claims. However, since watermelon is one of my favorite fruits, I’ll probably be eating whatever comes into my kitchen versus slathering it on my skin.
How to select a watermelon
Selecting a good watermelon is kind of an art. Not that I would be bragging or anything, but I’m kind of an expert in that field. I go by sound. If the melon when I slap knock on it has a dull sound, the melon is usually riper than I like (they get pithy when overripe). If it’s more like the sound your counter would make if you knocked on it, the melon isn’t going to be ripe or sweet enough. If it makes a sound like it might split into pieces if I’m not careful, I buy it.
It might take a little practice to perfect the art of picking out a good watermelon, but you’ll master it. If in doubt, ask your produce guy or gal to cut it. If you don’t buy it because it’s not just right, they’ll cut it up and sell it to some poor hapless customer at a premium price. When I was learning how to select a watermelon, I also asked other folks around the watermelon bin if they knew how select a good melon. Some of them slap the melon, some knock on it. I knock and slap. Hey food’s too expensive for me to make a mistake and end up wasting.
How to carve a watermelon
Watermelon can be messy, so I prefer to cut it in wedges or bite sized pieces that way I keep all the juice that escapes confined to my kitchen counter. The process for doing this is simple and here’s how I do it:
1. Place watermelon on counter on a cut safe surface.
2. Cut the end off the melon and discard or set aside for preserves.
3. Continue cutting the melon in rings all the way to the other end.
4. With a small knife, carve out the watermelon meat from the rind
5. Now cut the watermelon meat into whatever sized chunks you choose and put in container of appropriate size.
6. Cover container and refrigerate. Voila, you’ve got an instant, healthy and beauty enhancing finger food.
Now go have fun and relax.