So, we bought a sweet, tasty, and, most importantly, ripe watermelon (for detailed instructions on choosing such a watermelon, read this article). How can you cut it beautifully and quickly now? Some of you may say that he does not cut the watermelon, but breaks it on his knee (head, ground), and then eats it with a spoon. The method is, of course, fast, but the result is unpredictable. I offer several ways to cut watermelon into neat slices or pieces. Everything is very easy, varied and cute.
Just in case, let me remind you that first you need to wash the watermelon well (you can even wash it with soap and rinse with boiled water). The cutting knife must also be clean. This way we will protect ourselves and our loved ones from various microorganisms that love juicy and sweet watermelon pulp as much as we do.
At a social reception: - Why don’t you eat watermelon? - It gets your ears dirty...
How to beautifully cut a watermelon for a holiday table?
We are used to cutting watermelon into slices and eating it right in our kitchen. But this berry can be successfully used on the holiday table. At the same time, its cutting should not only look beautiful, but also be such that your guests cannot get dirty from the sweet juice of this berry.
Watermelon is served at the very end of the festive feast for dessert. At the same time, it can not only be cut, but also served with other fruits and sweets. Watermelon goes very well with ice cream.
Watermelon can be cut so that guests can take it with special chopsticks or a regular fork
It is important to cut the watermelon so that when you eat it, you don’t have to think about how not to get dirty from the juice. If this berry is cut for a festive table, then along with this “slicing” you can serve special chopsticks or forks.
To cut it for the holiday table, the skin is separated from the watermelon, and its flesh is cut into triangles, cubes or other shapes. For a children's table, the pulp of this berry can be cut using cookie cutters.
Little children will really like this cut in the form of hippos, bears, butterflies, hearts, etc. These cuts are beautifully placed in vases for desserts or ice cream. For beauty, you can put a little chocolate syrup on them.
How else to cut a watermelon?
You can cut the watermelon into convenient triangles with a rind. To do this, divide a large watermelon into two halves. Place the pulp of each half on a cutting board and cut into thin slices. Then each slice is divided into three parts.
This watermelon is very easy to eat. You don’t have to worry that its juice will get on your clothes and stain them.
You can also cut the watermelon into small cubes. To do this, the berries are also divided into two parts, then each part is cut into thick slices. The thickness of such a slice should correspond to the thickness of the future cube. Then you just need to cut each slice into the parts you need.
These watermelon cubes are suitable for salads or for single consumption. To do this, they need to be placed in a fruit vase and provided with a fork.
Cupcakes
You don't have to bake the cakes either.
Watermelon Cupcakes
They can be cut from watermelon: you should get circles 3–5 cm thick. Whisk Greek yogurt with honey and fill a pastry syringe or bag with the resulting cream. Decorate the watermelon cupcakes and refrigerate for about 15 minutes. Before serving, sprinkle a pinch of sprinkles on top of each cupcake.
Watermelon cutting knife
Today, every watermelon lover can buy a special knife for slicing this “striped berry.” There is a fairly large variety of such knives; they differ not only in shape, but also in functionality.
The most popular knife for slicing watermelon is a special tong knife. The original knife is produced by the Italian company Genietti. But today you can buy such a kitchen appliance made from stainless steel from Chinese manufacturers.
With the help of such a knife-tongs you can easily cut a watermelon into the right slices
At the same time, the cutting process itself using such a device is quite simple and at the same time does not take away physical strength.
You can buy a Chinese analogue of such a knife on Aliexpress for 180 - 250 rubles (prices hereinafter are indicated at the time of writing).
All similar knives for cutting thick-rind fruits have elongated blades and notches on the edge. With their help, you can easily cut through the crust and get to the pulp.
When cutting a watermelon with such knives, a minimum of juice is released, and damage to the pulp will be minimal. The above-described knife-tongs will not only help you cut a watermelon, but is also convenient for extracting finished slices from this “striped berry.”
Another interesting watermelon knife can be purchased on the Internet today. It is a more simplified version of the kitchen “tool” described above, but unlike it, it has a more traditional shape. It looks like a regular elongated knife.
Its blade is made of high quality steel and the handle is made of kitchen plastic.
This knife not only cuts watermelon perfectly, but also looks very nice. Its bright coloring, imitating this berry, will fit perfectly into your kitchen.
The blade of this bright knife has holes in the shape of watermelon seeds. They not only add originality to this kitchen appliance, but also help it slide inside the pulp, making the cutting process easier. The dimensions of this knife are 420 by 40 mm.
But the most original and convenient is the slicer knife. It is a circle made of plastic with rubberized handles on the sides. The blades of such a knife are made of steel and are located inside the circle.
The steel knives of such a device will not only easily separate the watermelon pulp into slices, but will also prevent juice from splashing. This knife can be purchased not only for cutting watermelon. It can also be used to make wedges from melon and pineapple. If the blades become dull, they can be easily sharpened using a special sharpener.
This watermelon cutter is suitable for berries of any size.
In order to cut a watermelon using such a device, it must be placed on a stable surface. Cut off the top part of the watermelon (“cap”). After that, we place this watermelon cutter knife on top and press on its handles. The watermelon should be cut into equal and beautiful slices.
If you have dishes with watermelon in your culinary arsenal, then with the help of such a device you can cut the pulp of this berry into equal slices and please your loved ones. If you are a perfectionist by nature, then with the help of such a device you can make the slices of your watermelon identical and even. The diameter of the device is 25 cm.
On Aliexpress you can buy such a watermelon cutter for 800 rubles.
Slicer for even slices
For those who love traditional slicing of this aromatic delicacy, we recommend purchasing a slicer. It is especially suitable if you eat watermelons often and don’t want the extra hassle. This will allow you to get even slices.
Place the device on top, placing it on the base, and lower the handles downwards. To cut a ripe fruit, you need to make a very tiny effort, but the resulting result is worth it.
The knives in the slicer will not destroy the pulp and will easily remove even the thickest peel. Consider the diameter of such a device when buying fruit in a store. It must be remembered that neat slices will only appear if the circumference of the fruit and the device are correctly selected.
Don’t throw away watermelon rinds, because you can make fragrant candied fruits from them. Peel them from the outer skin and cut them as desired. Add sugar (for 500 g of slices you need to take exactly half as much) and add 2 g of citric acid. Bring to a boil, and then cook over low heat. Can be supplemented with a pinch of vanillin. Use a slotted spoon to place on a baking sheet lined with baking paper and let dry. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and delicious candied fruits are ready!
How to serve watermelon beautifully?
There are many ways to cut and serve watermelon. You can do this in traditional slices or make entire compositions from this berry.
Simply, but tastefully, you can cut the watermelon into small triangles and insert an ice cream stick at the bottom
This original “ice cream” is suitable not only for children’s parties, but will also be appropriate on an “adult” table.
You can improve this dish with yogurt. Serve it separately. Before eating this ice cream, you can dip it in yogurt. But, such a dessert would be appropriate, of course, only at a children's party.
If you have a special semicircular ice cream spoon, you can use it to form beautiful balls from the watermelon pulp. Of course, you can use a regular spoon for this purpose. But it will be difficult to achieve the correct shape of the balls with its help.
In order to form balls from a watermelon, you need to cut it into three parts. Remove all visible seeds. Then insert a spoon into the pulp and scroll around its axis.
You should get a neat ball that needs to be removed and placed in a special dish.
You can cut this berry and form more complex compositions from such cuts. You can use not only watermelon, but also other berries and fruits.
For inspiration, below we will present two such complex compositions that every housewife can make.
Racing composition
Cut the watermelon into two parts. We divide the second half of this berry into two more parts. We use one of the quarters to create a racing car.
Remove the pulp from the half and leave only the crust. You can do this with a regular spoon.
Remove the pulp from a quarter of the watermelon (it needs to be cut into small squares) and use a racing car template to form its silhouette. Since no one will eat such a car, markers are used to form it. After that, use a knife to carefully remove the green skin of the watermelon in the areas marked with markers. Tires and advertising stickers are cut out of cardboard.
You can secure individual parts of such a car using paper clips or toothpicks.
A racing car number cut from watermelon pulp.
All remaining pulp is cut into cubes. You can also add chopped melon and other fruits to it. The composition can be decorated with checkered flags cut out from motorsport magazines.
You can also make a composition inspired by the game Angry Birds
To form such a composition, you also need to divide the watermelon into two parts and use one of these parts as the base. Then you need to make a slingshot (remember your childhood) and cut the pulp so that you get designs from the famous game.
Pigs can be made from olives, and the pulp of not only watermelon, but also other fruits can be used to make birds.
Fruit kebab
We have an infographic teaching you how to grill. Pay attention to the section on vegetables. Fruits are also grilled in a similar way.
Watermelon and peach shish kebab
Preheat grill on direct heat to medium heat. In a separate bowl, mix honey, a pinch of vanilla, a pinch of salt and lime juice. If the honey is thick, put it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds. Cut the watermelon and peach into slices and place, alternating, on 10–15 cm wooden skewers. It is recommended to first keep the skewers in water so that they are saturated with moisture and do not burn. Fry the fruit skewers for two minutes on each side. Drizzle with honey-vanilla syrup before serving.
How to decorate a watermelon with your own hands?
Artistic cutting of fruits and vegetables is called carving. Watermelon occupies one of the first places in this art. With the help of carving you can create amazingly beautiful sculptures that will decorate your holiday table. The history of this art goes back several thousand years. Its homeland is China. Many years later, this technique reached Thailand and became very popular in this country.
With the help of carving you can make vegetables and fruits more attractive and appetizing. Due to the fact that fruits and vegetables have multi-layered and multi-colored sculptures, real works of art can be made from them.
Below we will tell you how to make roses, baskets and a hedgehog from a watermelon. Let these simple compositions be the start of a fantastic hobby for you. In the meantime, a few masterpieces for motivation.
How to make roses from watermelon
These beautiful and edible roses can be made from watermelon pulp
To make it you need knives of different lengths and a little imagination.
We cut the watermelon into traditional slices and cut one of them into quarters. From the quarter we make a square, which will be the basis of our rose. We cut off the corners of the square, forming an octagon.
There is no need to form a circle from a square. This is difficult, and the flower will not look natural. Now everything is ready to start creating the rose.
Using a long bladed knife to make rose petals
This must be done very carefully. So as not to cut through the watermelon pulp. Be sure to make a core in the middle. It should look something like this picture.
You should not make more than 3-4 petals
If you make more of them, then the whole composition as a whole will not look good. Although, you can try. And, of course, send us your watermelon roses.
When you have made as many roses as needed for your composition, you can move on to the leaves. They need to be made in the same way, but from watermelon rind. This must be done very carefully. Watermelon rind is too hard and can crack easily.
How to make a basket out of watermelon?
A watermelon basket is an excellent and original way to decorate a summer table that will delight not only your children, but also your friends. To make such a basket you need to get a knife with a long blade, a small knife and a tablespoon.
First you need to draw the kennels of the future basket on the watermelon. The best way to do this is with a food marker. You can buy them on the Internet. For example, here https://edding.ru/assortiment/proffessional/production/food/. The ink of such markers is safe. And with the help of the contours they created, it will be much easier to make a watermelon basket.
1. Remove a little skin from one part of the watermelon
It cannot be cut all the way through. This cut is made only so that the watermelon stands evenly on the table.
2. Making a handle
Mark the location for the pen using a food marker. You also need to outline the edges of the basket itself. We make cuts along the sides of the handle to the borders of the basket. Then remove the excess peel. For convenience, it can be cut into several parts.
3. Give the edges of the basket an original look
The edges of the basket can be made in the shape of cloves. If you don't want to mess around, you can make the edges in a traditional shape.
4. Making the filling for the basket
We separate the pulp from all the cut out parts and form them into dessert balls using a spoon. Then carefully remove the remaining pulp. If you don't want to make balls, you can make your life easier and cut the pulp into squares.
If you want, along with watermelon pulp, the filling of such a basket can also be melon pulp. Mix it with watermelon and fill the basket.
5. Decorate the basket with other fruits and berries
You can decorate such a basket with various fruits and berries. Bananas, grapes, oranges, kiwis, apples, pears, etc. are good for this purpose. And if their pulp is shaped into beautiful shapes, then your basket will become even more original.
Here are a few more baskets for inspiration:
How to cut a hedgehog from a watermelon?
A very common form of cutting watermelon is hedgehog. To do this, the watermelon skin is given the shape of this animal, and the pulp cut into squares and strung on toothpicks is placed inside.
Watermelon hedgehog
To give the watermelon the shape of a hedgehog, we will need all the same tools as for making the basket.
1. Form the bottom of the shape
We cut off a small amount of skin from one of the sides of the watermelon so that it then stands evenly on the table.
2. Form the muzzle
Visually divide the watermelon into three parts and make a vertical cut where the first and second parts touch each other. Then we make a horizontal cut. Part of the watermelon should be separated.
3. Extract the pulp and cut it
We extract the pulp from two parts of the watermelon. Cut it into small pieces and stick toothpicks into them. Fill the “hedgehog” bowl.
4. Form the eyes, nose and legs
The eyes can be made from dark berries, grapes or olives. We cut out the legs and nose from the remaining skin. The legs can simply be attached to the hedgehog, and the nose must be secured with a toothpick.
Quick cleaning methods
There are 4 main methods for quickly peeling watermelon:
- Spiral. This method is often used in Turkey. Trim off the tops of the berries. Then you need to take a watermelon in your left hand and a cleaver in your right. Cut the peel from right to left in a spiral, starting from the top, gradually turning the fruit with your left hand in the opposite (left) direction to the movement of the cleaver.
- It couldn't be simpler. Remove the tops with a cleaver. Place the fruit with any cut on the board. Using a cleaver, using almost straight movements from top to bottom, peel the peel to the pulp. If white crusts remain, cut them off slightly at an angle. You can peel watermelon halves in the same way.
- Halves from the inside. Cut off the butt and pole with the tail. Cut the berry crosswise. Place half on the board with the middle cut facing up. Using a long, sharp knife, cut through the flesh at the very crust, reaching to the bottom. Turn over half, lift the crust, the whole peeled pulp will remain on the board.
- Quarters. Divide the fruit into longitudinal quarters. Using a knife, carefully cut through the flesh near the crust of each elongated part, moving along the piece.
How to make alcoholic watermelon?
There are many recipes for alcoholic drinks that contain watermelon. But the most popular is pumping watermelon with vodka.
Simple recipe
Cut a hole in the watermelon. Its diameter should correspond to the diameter of the neck of the vodka bottle. Place the neck in this hole and leave for 30 minutes. This time should be enough for the vodka to be absorbed into the watermelon pulp.
Simple recipe
Leave the watermelon in the refrigerator overnight. The next day you can cut it into slices and enjoy the original taste. The main thing is not to overdo it. With this combination, intoxication occurs almost imperceptibly, so you should use the dish extremely carefully.
Recipe with syringe
You can fill a watermelon with vodka (by the way, for this purpose you can use not only vodka, but also rum, tequila and other strong alcoholic drinks).
To begin, use a knitting needle to pierce the thick rind of the watermelon. For this purpose, it is best to take an overripe watermelon, in which a void has already appeared in the middle.
We take an 8-cc (more is possible) syringe and use it to inject vodka through a puncture in the skin of the watermelon. After all the vodka has been introduced, the watermelon should be placed in a cool place for 7-10 hours.
IMPORTANT: For 1 kg of watermelon you need to take 100 liters of vodka. That is, a standard 500 ml bottle for a 5 kg watermelon.
Homemade cruchon
You can prepare another popular recipe for watermelon with vodka - cruchon
- To prepare this recipe, you need to rinse the watermelon under running water and cut off ¼ of it.
- Then, using a large spoon, you need to extract the pulp from it.
- Remove the seeds from the pulp, cut into small squares and place back into the watermelon.
- Pour vodka (500 ml) into the crushed pulp and mix
- Close with a lid made from the cut part
- You can add lemon juice and sweet spices to the future cup
- Place the watermelon in the refrigerator for several hours
Place on the table and pour into glasses using a small scoop.
Watermelon tincture
Watermelon tincture with vodka is also very popular among people. It has a rich taste and pleasant aroma.
- We extract the pulp from a small watermelon and clear it of seeds.
- Transfer the pulp to a blender and puree it
- Place the crushed mass in a jar and fill with vodka.
- Cover with a lid and leave in a warm, dark place.
Instead of vodka, you can use cognac in this recipe. It will add oak notes to the tincture.
You can drink this drink seven days after preparing it.
Homemade watermelon wine
Watermelon wine can not only refresh you in the summer, but will also become an original drink that you can show off to your guests.
At the same time, preparing watermelon wine is very easy. The main thing is to use only ripe and very sweet watermelons to prepare this drink.
- Cut the watermelon into slices and remove the peel and seeds
- Using a blender, make a puree from the pulp
- Add raisins (you can’t wash them), citric acid and place the mass in a fermentation container
- The container should be covered with gauze and left for 3 days in a dark place.
- During this time, you need to stir the contents of the fermentation container 2 times a day.
- When signs of fermentation appear in the container, add 150 grams of sugar per liter of juice and mix
- The wort should fill no more than 75% of the fermentation tank
- If it fills a large part, then the wort must be poured into a larger container
- We install a water seal and make sure that the temperature in the room where the wine ferments is between 18-25°C.
- After three days of fermentation, add another 100-150 grams of sugar per liter of fermented juice
- It is best to add sugar to a small amount of wort.
- You need to stir it and pour the wort into the total mass
- Repeat the procedure of adding sugar two more times, every 4 days.
- After the last addition of sugar, fermentation should end after 4 days
- It is necessary to separate the wine from sediment and other impurities and send it to ripen in a clean container.
- Taste the wine: add sugar or water if required
- After 15-20 days, the wine must be poured into clean containers to separate from the sediment.
This watermelon wine should be stored in bottles with tight lids in a dark and cool room.
Original watermelon recipes
There are a lot of interesting recipes, the main ingredient of which is watermelon. Let's tell you about some of them.
Fried watermelon
It doesn't sound very familiar. But what a taste
Juicy and crispy, with a smoky and sweet crust, the watermelon will be a real revelation. And if you mix it with Feta cheese, lime and fresh mint, then you will want to cook this salad again and again. Moreover, this can be done both at home and outdoors. Fried watermelon is an ideal picnic recipe.
Preparation:
- Preheat the grill and cut the watermelon into slices
- Place watermelon slices (8 pcs.) on paper towels to remove excess moisture
- Fry the watermelon on one side only for 1.5-2 minutes
- Mix arugula, lettuce and watercress (3 cups), pour over lime juice (2 teaspoons), salt and mix
- Place the greens in a large dish and place pieces of watermelon on top (fried side up)
- Add Feta cheese (5 slices) and pour olive oil (2 tablespoons)
- Add ground pepper to taste
- Garnish with fresh mint and sprinkle with toasted pumpkin seeds
Nardek (watermelon honey)
There are several analogues of plant honey. Watermelon honey is called nardek. And it is very easy to prepare.
- Cut the watermelon (7 kg) into large pieces and separate the skin
- Remove seeds and grind pulp
- A blender may be suitable for this purpose, but you can grind the pulp by hand
- Pass watermelon puree through a fine sieve to improve the consistency of the dish
- Separate the juice from the bulk using gauze
- Put the juice on the fire and simmer for 2.5-3 hours
- When the juice thickens, add lemon juice (1 piece) and simmer for another 2 minutes.
- Pour watermelon honey into jars and cool it
Green tea
Many people love green tea. But few people know about its watermelon variation, which perfectly quenches thirst.
Green tea with watermelon
Take some watermelon pulp (200–300 grams), grind it with a blender to a puree consistency. Strain the puree through a sieve. Mix the resulting juice and pulp with cold green tea. Add a couple of mint sprigs and garnish with a lime wedge. If you wish, the drink can be sweetened to taste.
How to make a watermelon hookah?
You can make your holiday brighter and add new sensations to it with the help of a watermelon hookah
To prepare such a hookah, you need to choose not only a ripe and juicy watermelon, but also one whose size allows you to use it to prepare such a smoking device. The thing is that a watermelon in such a hookah will completely replace the flask in it. The tube will be placed inside it.
In order to make a watermelon hookah, you need to make a flask from our “striped berry”. Then you need to fill it with fruit juice and assemble the entire structure. All this can be done in two ways. Let's look at them.
Method one
Cut off a small part from the top of the watermelon - the cap. Now use a spoon to extract the pulp from the watermelon. In the cut off lid we make a hole for the shaft. The hole should be such that the hookah shaft fits tightly into it. When finished, the structure must be completely sealed.
Make a puree from the pulp and pour it inside the watermelon. We return the cover to its place and insert the shaft into the hole. It should sink 2 cm into the watermelon.
Method two
Place the watermelon with its tail facing up. We make a hole in it for the shaft tube. Grind the watermelon pulp using a mixer. At this point, you can add pieces of ice to the watermelon. We insert the shaft into place.
Preparing the bowl
Any high-quality hookah tobacco is suitable for preparing the bowl. Ideally, you can even take one that has a watermelon flavor. Or you can take other fruit tobaccos: mango, cherry with mint, wild berries, kiwi and mint, mint and lemon.
Choose the strength of tobacco to your taste.
Smoothie
We talked about recipes for protein smoothies, green smoothies and smoothies for all occasions. Here's a version of a low-calorie smoothie with watermelon.
Smoothie with watermelon
Take approximately 200–250 grams of watermelon pulp without seeds. Keep it in the freezer for a while. Frozen watermelon will give the smoothie a thicker consistency. Then grind the pulp with a blender and add 100 ml of coconut water (not to be confused with coconut milk!). Add lime juice and mint to taste. Can be served with ice cubes.
What can be made from watermelon: Tips and reviews
Igor. I also made vodka watermelon with friends at the dacha. I really liked this unique alcoholic dish. The taste was very original and rich. They guessed perfectly with the amount of alcohol. My friends and I are not big drinkers and the proportions were perfect. I highly recommend this dish for a country party.
Ksenia. I also tried to make a basket. Thank you for the inspiration. I knew that such figures were made from watermelons, but I didn’t dare. I won’t say that it turned out to be a masterpiece, but my family liked it.
Pie with a surprise
Who said that a pie must be made from dough and needs to be baked? Surprise your guests with an unusual watermelon pie.
Watermelon cake
To do this, you need a piece of watermelon 10–12 cm thick without the rind and preferably without seeds. Cover it with thick vanilla yoghurt or cream and decorate with blueberries and strawberries. Sprinkle the sides with toasted almonds and top with chocolate syrup. An unusual cake is ready! Fast and tasty.
