Reduce Watermelon Sticks (With Video!)

Learn to lower watermelon sticks — the perfect, mess-free solution to serve watermelon, and a success with children! I will present you ways with a video and step-by-step photographs.

I’ve a secret hack for entertaining, particularly when children are current: maintain one thing again. 

What I imply by that’s, after y’all have caught up, eaten some meals, and there’s a lull within the dialog, or the children want a distraction, pull one thing out that may delight.

Spoiler alert: it’s often extra meals!

For instance, current the children with tray of sugar cookies plus icing and fruit to assemble and eat, or a recent appetizer to pair with a post-dinner spherical of cocktails for the adults.

Or a large platter of watermelon sticks. I can’t overstate what a success these mess-free, easy-to-eat watermelon spears are with a crowd, and they’re a cinch to slice!

Reduce Watermelon Sticks: VIDEO

Excellent for Entertaining

Anytime I serve watermelon sticks to a crowd or visitor I inevitably get a “WOW!” which, let’s be actual, is a pleasant feeling. Watermelon cubes and wedges are acquainted, so being offered with a giant bowl or platter of sticks is a enjoyable shock.

The strategy for how one can lower watermelon sticks is just not solely simple to do, however makes watermelon slightly simpler to eat. When’s the final time you noticed somebody devour a watermelon wedge with a shred of dignity left on the finish? 😉

Youngsters additionally LOVE consuming watermelon sticks and, as a Mother, I respect that they’re rather less messy then watermelon wedges which inevitably finish in sticky, ear-to-ear watermelon smiles.

Inform if a Watermelon is Ripe?

A very powerful factor to do earlier than slicing your watermelon into sticks is to be sure to choose an excellent watermelon. Not like different melons like cantaloupe, watermelon don’t proceed to ripen after being harvested, so choosing an excellent one from the get-go will set you up for achievement.

Right here’s how one can choose a ripe watermelon:

1. Discipline spot: search for a watermelon with a big, yellow-orange area spot which signifies it’s been ripening within the solar for an excellent size of time. A light-weight yellow, white, or inexperienced area spot means it was picked early and is probably going underripe.
2. Weight: select a watermelon that feels heavy for its dimension, indicating its very juicy.
3. Webbing: usually, imperfections in fruit and berries is a destructive, however watermelon with webbing are often sweeter than ones with out.
4. Dullness: equally, a darkish and uninteresting watermelon signifies it was beneath the solar ripening longer than a easy and glossy watermelon.
5. No dings: whereas webbing and a matte end are preferable, watermelon with dents, lumps, and bruises needs to be averted.

Knowledgeable Chopping Ideas

I perceive that reducing an entire watermelon normally generally is a little intimidating, so listed below are my greatest ideas for dealing with one:

1. Wash the melon. It’s necessary to scrub and dry your watermelon earlier than slicing it. Not solely can it are available with dust from the sector, however take into consideration all the opposite fingers which will have been inspecting it on the retailer utilizing the standards listed above!
2. Stabilize the reducing board. Moist a paper towel then wring it out and place beneath your reducing board which is able to forestall it from slipping and transferring round. I additionally wish to preserve a kitchen towel close by to absorb any watermelon juice.
3. Select a big reducing board. Select the most important reducing board you’ve acquired so there’s room to work!
4. Select the fitting knife. I like to recommend an extended chef’s knife vs a smaller paring knife or perhaps a serrated knife. A pointy knife is essential to forestall accidents or accidents.
5. The place to chop. For watermelon sticks you’ll need to slice the watermelon in half width-wise vs length-wise/stem-to-stem.

Alrighty, let’s get to it!

Reduce Watermelon Sticks: Step by Step

For those who’re a visible learner, I extremely suggest you watch the video above!

Step 1: Wash and dry the watermelon. 

To take away any unfastened dust from the skin.

Step 2: Slice it in half. 

Slice the watermelon in half width-wise to create two round halves, vs stem-to-stem / length-wise. Place one watermelon half lower facet down on a big reducing board, then set the opposite half apart.

Step 3. Create a sq.. 

Use a pointy knife to slice off 4 sides of the watermelon rind, leaving the rind on prime intact.

Step 4: Slice the watermelon. 

Slice the watermelon sq. into 1-inch slices.

Step 5: Slice within the different route.

Both flip all of the watermelon slices or rotate the reducing board 180 levels then make 1″ slices within the different route to create a grid sample.

Voila – watermelon sticks! I’m telling you, that is the best solution to slice watermelon for snacking or serving to a crowd!

Retailer and Freeze

Switch then organize the watermelon sticks into a big serving bowl or platter then cowl with gladware or plastic wrap and place within the fridge as much as 24 hours forward of time. You’ll be able to chill your watermelon previous to slicing so it’s not room temperature.

• What to do with leftovers: Dice up leftover watermelon sticks then retailer in an hermetic container within the fridge. Add to lettuce salads, fruit salads, juice, smoothies, or cocktails.
• freeze: Dice up leftover watermelon sticks then place in a single layer, un-touching, on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and freeze (don’t skip the parchment paper or the watermelon will freeze to the sheet pan.) Switch the frozen cubes to a Ziplock freezer bag and freeze flat.

For those who freeze watermelon cubes I NEED you to come back again to this publish and inform me what you assume. Frozen watermelon cubes are SO weird wanting!

Whether or not you slice up and serve watermelon sticks to your loved ones or your subsequent social gathering or get-together, I hope this tutorial for how one can lower watermelon sticks has been useful!

Extra Watermelon Recipes

Photographs by Ashley McLaughlin