Can You Freeze Watermelon?

Here is the excellent news: Contemporary watermelon season is fairly lengthy, spanning from April to September. So from late spring to late summer time, when this ultra-hydrating fruit is at its freshest and tastiest, I discover myself stocking up on melon nearly each time I’m going grocery buying. (In case you missed it, listed below are our high 4 ideas for choosing the right watermelon.)

Even with all these candy and savory contemporary watermelon recipes in my repertoire, I generally get a bit of forward of myself and might’t end all my contemporary melon earlier than it is gone. Complete watermelon will hold for as much as 10 days within the fridge. As soon as you chop the fruit, the clock actually begins ticking. Reduce watermelon can usually final about 4 to 7 days within the fridge earlier than its high quality begins to noticeably decline, in response to the Nationwide Watermelon Promotion Board.

Just lately, as I used to be looking at a crisper drawer crammed with a meals storage container practically stuffed with watermelon, I puzzled, “Can I freeze watermelon?” Not sure find out how to freeze watermelon—and whether or not I ought to—I known as my buddies on the check kitchen.

Are you able to freeze watermelon?

In accordance with Sarah Brekke, MS, Higher houses and gardens Take a look at Kitchen Model Supervisor: “Sure, you may positively freeze watermelon!”

This reply applies to each pink and yellow watermelons, with or with out seeds. The best resolution is to freeze seedless watermelons, and it is best to take away the rind and seeds earlier than freezing. (Each turn into rock onerous as soon as on ice.)

The flesh inside a contemporary, ripe watermelon freezes completely, and if saved correctly, “watermelon will hold properly within the freezer for about 6 months,” Brekke says.

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The way to Freeze Watermelon 3 Methods, In accordance with Our Take a look at Kitchen

There are answers for freezing watermelon: in items, in juice or in fruit puree. Because the lifetime of the melon is decreased with every hour that passes after it’s reduce, it’s clever to freeze the watermelon as quickly as you understand that you’ll not devour it contemporary.

The way to Freeze Watermelon Cubes or Balls

Freezing watermelon in chunks works properly for many frozen watermelon recipes. Brekke walks us by means of find out how to freeze watermelon cubes or balls:

1. Wash the melon below chilly working water. If there may be any filth or grime embedded, use a clear vegetable brush to wash the floor.
2. Utilizing a clear kitchen towel or paper towels, pat the watermelon rind dry.
3. Utilizing a pointy chef’s knife, reduce ½ inch (1.27 cm) off one finish of the watermelon in order that it lies flat on the chopping board.
4. Reduce the watermelon in half, then in half once more.
5. Run the knife between the flesh and the rind to separate the 2.
6. Use the knife to chop the watermelon into cubes or use a Parisienne scoop or small ice cream scoop to kind spheres.
7. Take away black seeds, if current.
8. Line a baking sheet or tray with parchment paper (this makes it simpler and cleaner to take away the frozen items), then freeze for at the least 4 hours or till set.
9. Switch frozen watermelon chunks to a zip-top freezer bag, then label and date the bag earlier than putting within the freezer. Use inside 6 months.

The way to Freeze Watermelon Puree

For smoothies, cocktails, mushy drinks and desserts, you may freeze watermelon in puree kind. To do that:

1. Comply with steps 1-5 above.
2. Use the knife to chop the watermelon into items.
3. Take away black seeds, if current.
4. Place the watermelon items in a blender pitcher.
5. Add about ½ tablespoon of sugar per cup of fruit.
6. Mix till easy.
7. Pour the watermelon puree into the wells of an ice dice tray, then freeze for 4 hours or till strong.
8. Switch frozen watermelon puree cubes to a zip-top freezer bag, then label and date the bag earlier than putting within the freezer. Use inside 3 months.

The way to Freeze Watermelon Juice

Watermelon juice is one other nice choice for freezing the fruit. In the event you plan on thawing the watermelon earlier than utilizing it, that is your best choice. To freeze watermelon juice:

1. Comply with steps 1-5 above.
2. Use the knife to chop the watermelon into items.
3. Take away black seeds, if current.
4. Place the watermelon items in a blender pitcher.
5. Mix till easy, then pour the combination by means of a high quality mesh sieve to separate the pulp from the juice.
6. Switch the watermelon juice to a freezer-safe container, leaving 1 inch headspace on the high to permit the liquid to increase because it freezes. Label and date, and use inside 3 months.

Take a look at Kitchen Tip: Be at liberty to make use of a juicer or extractor if in case you have a type of instruments as a substitute of a blender if in case you have one useful. Since both one will mean you can skip the straining step, it should prevent a while.

The One Motive You Ought to By no means Freeze Watermelon

Do not attempt to freeze the entire watermelon. Not solely will it take up lots of house, nevertheless it may additionally burst from the strain of the flesh freezing contained in the rind. The entire frozen watermelon can even be extraordinarily troublesome or unattainable to slice, and letting the entire fruit thaw will make it mushy and ugly. Persist with chunks, puree, or juice as a substitute.

Do you could defrost frozen watermelon?

“Thawed watermelon will probably be fairly mushy, so we don’t advocate utilizing it on a fruit platter or in a salad,” Brekke says.

There’s no must thaw frozen watermelon, however you may thaw it for sure purposes (like consuming watermelon juice or including puree to a beverage), she confirms. In the event you select to thaw frozen watermelon, understand that its texture will probably be a lot softer than its contemporary kind. To thaw, merely switch the container of frozen watermelon to the fridge and let it thaw in a single day or till it reaches your required degree of thawing.

The Finest Frozen Watermelon Recipes to Strive

Now that I understand how to freeze watermelon and have put my first batch on ice, I’ve actually loved snacking on frozen watermelon cubes straight from the freezer. They’re like all-natural ice cream!

Along with having fun with the items as is, Brekke recommends the next frozen watermelon recipe concepts:

• Mix frozen watermelon cubes right into a frozen cocktail, comparable to a Watermelon Margarita.
• Stir thawed watermelon puree into lemonade to create a refreshing watermelon lemonade.
• Add just a few giant handfuls of frozen watermelon cubes to the blender pitcher when you mix your favourite gazpacho recipe to make Watermelon Gazpacho, or stir it into this summery Watermelon Soup with Contemporary Mint.
• Stir frozen watermelon chunks or thawed watermelon puree into melon sorbet, sherbet or granita.
• Use frozen melon chunks as undiluted ice cubes to infuse water or improve different drinks like mimosas, sangrias and spritzes.
• Use a grater or microplane to make fruit shaved ice, like recipe developer and TikTok creator Frankie Gaw.

2024-07-20 11:20:00

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