Late to the Watermelon Party

Watermelon; sweet, cold, juicy watermelon. Of all the Jolly Rancher flavors, watermelon was my favorite, and I've always loved the fragrance. But as for eating watermelon, I guess you could say I was late to the party. 

For as long as I can remember, watermelon was present at family picnics and summertime gatherings. It made my mouth water to smell it. Every year, I would take a slice, and give it a taste. I would wrinkle my nose, and refuse to eat the rest of it. I could not stand the crumbling, gritty texture in my mouth. 

Even as I got older, every summer until my fifties, I would sample watermelon, and every summer, I came to the same conclusion; the texture was a turn-off. Until...

One evening I was at a casual dinner at Julie's house. She had an amazing spread that included her Watermelon Salad. It was time for my annual tasting, and that night, I became a convert to the watermelon lovers' cult. Who knew that adding some crumbled cheese and fresh basil to watermelon, and calling it a salad, would be my gateway dish into loving that refreshing summertime fruit?

Now here we are just a few years later, and I can eat a whole watermelon by myself, if you give me a few days. I'm still new to picking out a good watermelon, so I will share the tips I got from a young mom in the produce department at Aldi's.

Look for the ugliest one. Seriously, she said the ones with a yellowish side have been sitting on the ground, ripening on the vine the longest. And she said if they have the brown veiny-looking scars, that was a good sign, too. Using her suggestions, I picked out the second ugliest melon in the bin (she got the ugliest), and it was a winner. 

Here it is October, and I am still hunting for good watermelons. Are they still out there? I sure hope so. I'm thinking this DOUBLE-DIPPING of the summer and fall seasons isn't going to last much longer. 

But wait! Soon, I'll be able to enjoy winter holidays intermingled with my fall. Isn't that the BEST! (And if you disagree, try not to be a hater. You can do you without hating on how I do me, right? That's what I thought.)

Happy Falloweengivingmas!