As temperatures rise and summer takes hold, there's one fruit that perfectly embodies the spirit of the season: watermelon. High in water content, nutrients, and vitamins, watermelons are a great snack to help us cool down and stay hydrated.
But did you know that you can make the most out of this fruit by using every part of it? From the skin to the rind, TikToker @morocooks shows us how to use every part of a watermelon to make ice cubes, kimchi, and more.
@morocooks Watermelons are in season and absolutely delicious BUY BUY BUY
♬ original sound - matt | morocooks
Step 1: Peel the Skin
The savvy TikTok user starts his video by showing us how to deal with the often-overlooked watermelon skin. After removing the sticker that comes with the fruit, he peels all the skin off and throws it in a blender with some water. The result is a green liquid similar to wheatgrass shots, which you can drink straight out of the blender.
If, like @morocooks, you're not a fan of wheatgrass, pour the mix into ice cube trays. Once frozen, the cubes are perfect for adding a subtle hint of watermelon flavor (plus a healthy serving of vitamins and antioxidants) to smoothies, infused water, or even cocktails.
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Step 2: Don't Forget About the Rind
Next, we move onto the watermelon rind, which the majority of us tend to discard. With a little creativity, you can transform the rind into a flavorful base for kimchi, @morocooks reveals. Known for its probiotic benefits that can help boost gut health, kimchi is a traditional fermented dish from Korea that is typically made by combining vegetables such as Napa cabbage, radish, and carrots with seasonings like chili, fish oil, garlic, and more.
By combining the cut up rind with salt, garlic, rice wine vinegar, watermelon juice, and gochugaru (Korean chili flakes), you can create a unique and flavorful kimchi base, says @morocooks. Here's a more detailed kimchi recipe for you to try at home.
Related: Sauerkraut and More Fermented Foods That Are Good for You
Step 3: Turn the Flesh Into Watermelon Sticks
Just because we're embracing these creative uses for watermelon doesn't mean we shouldn't get to enjoy the fruit as it is. An "easy and fun way to cut watermelon" is by first slicing it in half, then cutting one-inch slices across one way, rotating it 90 degrees and cutting the other side the same way. The result is perfectly-sized watermelon sticks that use up every bit of the fruit.
A tip for picking out the sweetest watermelons? Look for a "big yellow patch" that signals the watermelon was ripening in the sun for a long time, says TikToker @myhealthydish. Other telltale signs include webbing caused by bee pollination and dark spots, which is actually "sugar seeping out," says the TikTok user.
@myhealthydish How to pick a sweet watermelon #watermelonsugar #foodhack ♬ As It Was - Instrumental - KPH
The Bottom Line
The next time you're enjoying a juicy slice of watermelon, maximize your purchase by exploring all of its other uses — and minimizing waste in the process. After all, there's nothing quite like the taste of summer captured in a watermelon, as Harry Styles sings. Great, now I've got "watermelon sugar hiiiigh" stuck in my head, and so do you.
