How to Store Watermelon

How long is Watermelon good for when prepared in a dish?

How long does watermelon last? That depends. How long do pineapples last? In general, watermelon lasts only as long as the quickest expiring ingredient in the dish.

WATERMELON – FRESH, RAW, CUT UP

• How long does cut watermelon last? The exact answer to that question depends to a large extent on storage conditions – keep cut-up watermelon refrigerated.
• To maximize the shelf life of cut watermelon, wrap tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, or place in covered container or resealable plastic bag and refrigerate.
• How long does cut watermelon last in the fridge? Properly stored, cut watermelon will last for 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator.
• Can you freeze cut watermelon? Yes, to freeze: Place in airtight containers or heavy-duty freezer bags.
• How long does cut watermelon last in the freezer? Properly stored, it will maintain best quality for about 10 to 12 months, but will remain safe beyond that time.
• The freezer time shown is for best quality only – cut-up watermelon that has been kept constantly frozen at 0°F will keep safe indefinitely.
• How to tell if cut watermelon is bad or spoiled? The best way is to smell and look at the cut watermelon: discard any watermelon that has an off smell or appearance; if mold appears, discard the cut watermelon.

Sources: For details about data sources used for food storage information, please click here

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Watermelons are usually ripe and ready for harvest when the underside turns from white to yellow and at least three tendrils on each side of the melon are dead.

Harvest watermelons about 85 to 90 days after sowing seed, 35 to 45 days after flowers appear.

When to Harvest Watermelon

There are several ways to know watermelon is ripe and ready to harvest:

• The fruit is the size you expect it to be at harvest; size varies by variety.
• The tendril closest to the fruit begins to wither, turn brown, and curl. If the tendril is green, the fruit is not ripe. If the tendril is dead, the fruit is ripe or overripe.
• The rind or skin loses it vibrant color and gloss and turns dull and there is little contrast between stripes on the skin.
• The bottom of the fruit where it touches the ground has a large white, cream, or yellow-colored oval spot. The ground spot color at ripeness will vary with variety.
• When you thump the fruit you hear a low punk or thud sound. Unripe melons make a sharp ping sound when rapped.

Watermelons on the same plant typically ripen over a two week period. When the first melon is ripe, the others ripen shortly.

When the tendril closest to the fruit just begins to turn brown and wither, harvest will come in about a week. A week before harvest, decrease watering—water just enough to prevent the vine from wilting. Withholding water from a melon will cause the sugars in the fruit to concentrate. Too much water reduces sweetness.

In cool summers, the ripening process can be very slow, and the number of days to harvest will increase.

Harvest watermelons by cutting the stem with a garden lopper or sharp knife

Related Articles

• How to Tell When a Black Diamond Watermelon Is Ripe
• Cross-Pollination of Melons
• After Eating a Watermelon, Can You Plant the Seeds?
• Can You Use Seeds From a Bell Pepper to Plant?
• How Long Does Watermelon Live?

Enjoy Sweet, Juicy Harvests for Years to Come

There’s nothing quite like the joy of sinking your teeth into a sweet and juicy watermelon slice on a hot summer’s day. Planting watermelon from hand-saved seeds could be an incredible success or a fruitless disaster. Learn how to select the right seeds to save in order to ensure the best possible results for your efforts.

Heirloom or Hybrid?

Before you cut into the giant watermelon on your counter in order to save the seeds for your next watermelon, make sure you are saving seeds from an heirloom variety and not a hybrid variety. All seedless varieties of watermelon are hybrids, and most other supermarket varieties are hybrids, too. Some farmer’s markets or specialty grocery stores sell heirloom produce, including watermelons. Ask a specialist in the produce department about the types of watermelon they offer for sale, and then see if the heirloom variety is one the popular types listed here:

• Black Spanish Watermelon
• Citron Watermelon
• Cuban Queen Watermelon
• Ice Cream Watermelon
• King and Queen Watermelon
• Kleckley Sweets Watermelon
• Moon and Stars Watermelon
• Mountain Sweet Watermelon
• Rattlesnake Watermelon

If you cannot locate an heirloom watermelon locally, consider purchasing heirloom seeds from a specialty retailer and then saving the seeds from your first crop to enjoy for years to come.

Though it may be tempting to try to grow hybrid seeds, be aware the vines will grow but fruits are unlikely to develop as hybrid seeds tend to be sterile. Those that do develop fruits are likely to produce small fruits with poor quality and flavor, and that do not match the parent variety.

Saving and Preserving Seeds

Contrary to popular knowledge, watermelons are actually in the vegetable family, so saving seeds is relatively simple. As you eat the watermelon, spit the seeds into a bowl or bucket and then wash them in cool water with a tiny drop of dish soap; rinse them thoroughly. Allow to dry on screens for several weeks, until they are dry enough to snap in half by hand. Alternately, spread them in an even layer on dehydrator screens set to the lowest possible heat and dry them until they are brittle. Store dried seeds in an envelope or jar for up to four years.

Special Planting Considerations

Cross-pollination is a concern for heirloom vegetables, including watermelons. Follow normal planting guidelines for rows or mounds, but ensure that different heirloom varieties of watermelon are planted half a mile or a mile apart, in order to keep them from crossing, which will inhibit your harvest and affect fruit quality and seed harvest for the following growing season.

Never take a gamble on lugging home the wrong watermelon again.

Few things are more disappointing than bringing home a tasteless watermelon. Avoid ever having to feel the remorse of wasting one again by learning how to pick a perfectly ripe watermelon from the bunch. A few simple visual and audible (yes, really) indicators are all you need to help ensure you leave the grocery store with the sweetest and most flavorful melon every time.

Look for stripes.

The coloring of your watermelon helps indicate the ripeness of the fruit. You should pick a melon that has a strong, consistent stripe pattern. The green stripes should be a deep, dark green, while the pale stripes should be a creamy, light yellow. Additionally, you may want to choose a dull looking watermelon. If the melon is very shiny, it is likely underripe.

Find the field spot.

Probably one of the most important indicators of the quality of the watermelon is the field spot of the melon. Inspect your watermelon and locate the large, discolored spot on the surface, also known as the field spot. This marking shows where the watermelon sat on the ground as it ripened. As a rule of thumb, the color should be creamy and yellow. If it’s white or light yellow, you may want to choose another one.

Inspect the stem.

In order to choose a watermelon that has had sufficient time to ripen and mature, you will want to inspect its stem that should be dry and yellow-brown. A green stem may signify that the watermelon is not yet ripe and will lack flavor and sweetness.

Knock on it.

Though your fellow grocery shoppers may shoot you an inquisitive look, knocking on your watermelon may help you choose the best one. Give your fruit a gentle tap and listen to the sound it makes. If the pitch sounds deep and hollow, that indicates that the fruit has more water and is likely riper. By contrast, if your knock sounds denser it may be a sign that your rind is too thick and your fruit has not fully ripened to its optimal state.

Spots are a good sign.

Dry weathering spots and vein-like webbing lines are great indicators of an extra sweet watermelon. These spots show where sugar has been seeping out of the fruit. Thus, make sure to inspect all sides of your melon before you commit to one.

Choose the heaviest one for its size.

Get a quick workout in while you shop and lift the watermelons at the store to pick the perfect one. When raised, they should feel heavier than they look. The denser it is for its size, the higher the water content, resulting in a sweeter watermelon.

Select the right shape.

Look for a watermelon that is rounder and more evenly shaped, as opposed to an oval one. The rounder melons are sweeter, while the more oval ones tend to be watery and less flavorful. Also, make sure to inspect the surface for any irregular lumps and steer clear of those as well.

Buy when they’re in season.

As much as you may want to eat watermelon all year round, the best time to purchase this fruit is during its peak season, which lasts between May and September. Now get ready to pick the best of the best and enjoy this low-calorie, hydrating and healthy treat all summer long.

If anyone tells you that you can dehydrate watermelons, would you believe it?

Probably not. But, yes squeezing the juice out of watermelon is possible.

Watermelon is 92% water so if you squeeze out all the juice, it would probably turn into mush.

Actually, that is false. You can dehydrate watermelons without turning it into a blob of mush.

How to Dehydrate Watermelons

Here are some guidelines as to how you can dehydrate watermelons.

Dehydrating watermelons in a food dehydrator

This method is fast and cost-efficient. The investment in a food dehydrator is a little bit high, but if you regularly dehydrate food, this is a good investment.

• Slice the watermelon into about ¼” slices. Slice it just about the right thinness.
• Get a dehydrator tray, and place all the thin slices of watermelon.
• Set your dehydrator at 135 to 140 degrees, and dry for at least 8 to 12 hours. The time varies, depending on how thick you sliced the watermelon. The thicker your slices, the longer it will take to dehydrate.
• Flip over the watermelon slices every few hours to get even dehydration.

Once dry, let the watermelon slices cool in a rack before storing.

Dehydrating watermelons in oven

If you do not have a dehydrator, you can still dehydrate your watermelon using an oven. Here is a procedure on making dehydrated watermelon jerky.

• Slice your watermelon into ¼” thick strips resembling bacon slices or jerky slices.
• Lay the strips flat on a cooling rack with a cookie sheet. Using a cooling rack will keep the water from pooling.
• Set your oven to 135 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Leave your oven door 2 to 3 inches open and place a fan near the oven door to blow air inside the oven.
• Check your oven every half hour or so and turn the fruit over to get an even dryness.
• Dehydration could take about 18 to 24 hours, depending on the thickness of your watermelon slices.

Allow cooling before storing.

Dehydrating watermelons in a microwave

This is a variation of the conventional oven and the process is the same. Using a microwave is faster than using a conventional oven, but it is still not as economical as using a dehydrator.

• Wash and dry the rotating plate of the microwave. This is where you will place your fruit to dehydrate.
• Cut the watermelon into thin slices about ¼” thick. Do not cut too thin or you will have a difficult time prying them off the plate. A thicker cut, on the other hand, will make them like gummies.
• Place the watermelon slices on the microwave plate, keeping them one inch apart for breathing room.
• Set your microwave to DEFROST setting. This is important if you do not want your watermelon burnt into a crisp.
• Set your timer for 30 minutes.
• Check your fruit frequently and flip the watermelon slices. If you feel they still need further dehydration, you can add a few more minutes.
• Since watermelon is 92% water, it might take at least an hour to get the desired dehydration.

Allow the dried watermelon strips to cool on a cooling rack before storing.

Sun drying watermelons

This is the oldest method of dehydrating watermelons.

It is not advisable to do sun drying during humid and cloudy weather.

The ideal temperature should be 85 degrees Fahrenheit and humidity of 60%.

• Line the rack with parchment paper.
• Cut the watermelon into ¼” thick strips.
• Place the watermelon on the rack with parchment paper, leaving one-inch space as breathing room.
• Cover the rack with fine net or cheesecloth to keep insects away.
• It is ideal to place the racks on blocks and not directly on the ground.
• If you can, place a small fan near the rack for air circulation.
• Sun dry for about 2 to 4 days to extract the moisture completely.

Once completely dehydrated, you need to pasteurize the watermelon to remove insects and eggs that may have settled on the fruit during dehydration.

There are two types of pasteurization, heat or cold. You can do heat pasteurization by heating the watermelon in a shallow pan at 160 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes. You can do cold pasteurization by placing the watermelon in the freezer at 0 degrees Fahrenheit for 2 days.

Storing Dried Watermelons

Dehydrated food is prone to bacteria, insect contamination, and moisture reabsorption.

To prevent problems, follow these steps:

• Completely cool dried watermelon after dehydration. Heat produces moisture and storing them immediately after dehydration could produce moisture, resulting in mold growth.
• Once cooled, pack the watermelon in a dry, moisture proof and insect proof containers like plastic containers, plastic freezer bag or tight-fitting lid jars.
• You can also store in vacuum containers.
• Pack your watermelon in single serving portions. Preserved foods, once open, are prone to mildew and bacteria.
• Keep your container in dark, dry, and cool areas.

Condition your dried watermelon to reduce the growth of bacteria.

Dehydrating watermelon can reduce the space you need to store the fruits once they become ripe.

Summer never comes soon enough in Chicago, where I live, nor does it last as long as I’d like. So here’s my trick for savoring the season: eat watermelon every day, all summer long.

27 Ways To Eat The Fruit That Tastes Like Summer

The average American diet includes roughly 14 pounds of watermelon a year, according to the USDA. I bought my first watermelon of 2016 on Memorial Day weekend and haven’t gone a week since without one on my kitchen counter or in the fridge. If I’m not outpacing my fellow citizens, I’m on track.

Those first melons I brought home from the store were from a warmer clime and I was fine with that. You do what you have to do here in the City of Big, Bad Winters. (Peaches, though—those I wait for.)

But now, finally, I can take my pick of watermelons at the market. I checked in with Stephanie Barlow, spokeswoman for the National Watermelon Promotion Board, which exists to encourage a watermelon-filled lifestyle for all, and rounded up the following tips.

You can find watermelons when it’s not summer. Those typically ship from Mexico and Central America. But the best time to buy is between May and September. That’s when production kicks in for the four top watermelon-growing states—Florida, Texas, California, and Georgia—which account for two-thirds of the U.S. crop and keep supermarket bins consistently full. In northern areas, the fruit might just now be hitting its peak at your local market.

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Seedless is, hands down, the type most of us buy.

“Close to 90 percent of our growers produce seedless,” Barlow says. But the term “seedless” is a bit misleading. Those small white flecks are actually undeveloped seeds.

With seedless melons, which cost more than the old-fashioned seeded ones, we’re not just paying for the convenience. They’re more difficult to grow.

Watermelon-Mint Agua Fresca

Both seedless and seeded varieties—there are hundreds—range in size, shape, and color. They can be oblong or round as a bowling ball. The rind can be striped, speckled, solid green or yellow. The flesh can vary from orange (rare) to yellow (getting more popular) to various shades of red.

Grocery stores usually differentiate by seeded/seedless and by size: 30-plus pounders are on the large end, an average melon is about 20 pounds, a small one is 10 to 12 pounds, and a mini is around 5 pounds.

At the farmers’ market, you’re more likely to come across watermelons marked with their variety names. Ask about flavor and texture differences between them, as there surely are some.

Sesame-and-Soy Watermelon Poké

Just because it’s a good time to buy watermelon doesn’t mean it’s impossible to bring home a dud. It’s happened to all of us, and what a bummer that is. An overripe watermelon is mealy and an underripe one tastes watery. (All is not lost in either case. Put the puréed flesh to use in everything from limeade to soup.)

Thing is, you don’t truly know what you’re dealing with until you cut into it. But you will increase your odds of picking a primo watermelon by doing three things, says Barlow: look, lift, and turn.

Look for any major gashes, bruises, or dents. A watermelon is tough, but signs of serious damage to the outside doesn’t bode well for the inside.

Next, the lift test: pick it up and put it down, then pick up others to compare. The one you want should feel heavy for its size.

Finally—crucially—turn the watermelon around and look for a creamy yellow patch, called the field or ground spot. This tells you that the watermelon sat on the ground and ripened in the sun. If it’s ripe, it should have one regardless of size or variety, Barlow says.

You might have been taught to thump on the melon and listen for a particular sound. Maybe this works, but it isn’t something the watermelon board endorses.

“I’ve heard it should sound hollow, I’ve heard it should sound dull. There is much debate, so there is no guarantee,” Barlow says.

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If a watermelon was cold when you bought it, keep it cold by storing it in the refrigerator. If not, it’s fine to leave the whole watermelon out at room temperature.

Cut into it within a week, Barlow says. (Don’t forget to wash it first.) If you’ve bought it at the farmers’ market, why even wait? You can bet that melon is at its peak and hasn’t been out of the field long. Store the cut fruit in an airtight container in the fridge. It’ll last a week. If you leave any portion uncut, wrap the exposed surface well and carve up the rest within a few days.

“As soon as it’s cut, it’ll start seeping liquid. The life cycle really shortens,” Barlow says.

You can freeze watermelon in chunks, but be sure to use them frozen. Watermelon does wonders for keeping you in a summer mindset, but it does not defrost well.

Selection

It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3!

1. Look the watermelon over. You are looking for a firm, symmetrical watermelon that is free from bruises, cuts or dents.
2. Lift it up. The watermelon should be heavy for its size. Watermelon is 92% water; most of the weight is water.
3. Turn it over. The underside of the watermelon should have a creamy yellow spot from where it sat on the ground and ripened in the sun.

Storage & Shelf Life of Whole & Cut Watermelon

Store watermelon between 50-59°F, however 55°F is the ideal temperature. If watermelon are received refrigerated do not break the cold chain and store them in refrigeration. Watermelon will keep for 7-10 days at room temperature. After two days at 32°F, watermelons develop an off-flavor, become pitted and lose color. Freezing causes rind to break down and produces a mealy, mushy texture. Once a melon is cut, it should be wrapped and stored between 9-36°F.

As a part of Cutting & Yield Research the NWPB tested watermelon shelf life, once cut. The 36-count watermelon was still edible at day 7 and had a 7-day shelf life. The 45- and 60-count watermelon sampling and microbial study showed that the watermelon was still edible at day 4 and had a 4-day shelf life. Food Innovation Center (a part of Oregon State University) researchers suggested further shelf life research due to the 36-count being received refrigerated and the 45- and 60-count received at ambient temperatures, which could explain the shelf life discrepancy. Additionally, researchers stressed the need for foodservice education about washing the outside of the watermelon before cutting the fruit.

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