Watermelon Makeover - Innovative Recipes

Watermelon Recipes:

When I think of summer food, the first thing that comes to mind is watermelon. There is nothing quite as refreshing as a cool slice of watermelon on a hot summer day.  While we think of watermelon as the traditional picnic food, it can also be used to make fresh and healthy drinks, salsas, salads and desserts any time of the year.

 Besides tasting so good, watermelon is the lycopene leader in fresh produce, having higher concentrations of lycopene than any other fresh fruit or vegetable. In fact, fresh watermelon contains higher levels of lycopene than fresh tomatoes - a 2-cup serving of watermelon contains and average of 18.16 mg and one medium-sized tomato contains 4 mg.  Watermelon has no fat or cholesterol and is an excellent source of vitamins A, B6 and C and it also contains fiber and potassium. Watermelon is the perfect heart healthy food.
Go ahead, indulge your taste buds with some of the delicious recipes the National Watermelon Board has so generously provided. 

Watermelon Cherry Mojito (48 servings)

144 fresh mint sprigs, chopped
3 Quarts watermelon puree
1 Cup cherry syrup
9 Cups fresh limejuice
3 Quarts light rum
Chilled sparkling water
48 sugar cane stirrer
48 lime wedge

Using a fork, press the mint with the back of a fork to coat the inside of the glass and leave it in the glass. Add the watermelon puree, cherry syrup, limejuice and rum. Stir well. Top with ice. Top-off the glass with sparkling water or club soda. Add the sugar cane stirrer and lime wedge to the glass and serve.

Watermelon Crab Cups
Makes 48 Crab Cups

3 Cups mayonnaise
3 cups sweet pickle relish
6 teaspoons minced fresh dill
3 cups chopped celery
3 cups chopped scallions
12 hard boiled eggs, chopped or grated
6 pounds cooked crabmeat, rinsed and picked over for shell

Make the watermelon cups by cutting 3 inch tall and 3-inch wide cylinders of seedless watermelon. Hollow out the cylinders to form 'cups' reserving the watermelon from the center for another use or to snack on while cooking.  Once the cups are made, keep them on a paper towel until ready to fill and serve. The cups can be made ahead of time and covered on a tray and refrigerated until ready.  Make the filling by mixing together the mayonnaise, relish, dill, celery, scallions and hard-boiled eggs.  Fold in the crab. Fill the watermelon cups and enjoy. 

Watermelon, Black Bean and Corn Salsa

Serves 12 - 18

2 cans corn kernels, rinsed and drained
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 purple onion, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons mild chili powder
Juice from 2 fresh limes
¼ cup olive oil
Salt to taste
3 cups chopped seedless watermelon

Mix together all ingredients except watermelon until well combined. Gently fold in watermelon. Chill. Serves 12 to 18. 

Red White and Blue Watermelon Sundaes

Serves 4

4 cups watermelon balls
2 cups fresh blueberries
4 dollops prepared whipped topping
Red, white and blue star sprinkles

Gently mix together the watermelon and blueberries. Divide among 4 sundae bowls. Top each with a dollop of topping and sprinkle with red,white and blue sprinkles. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

All photos and recipes courtesty of the National Watermelon Board