The Fruit Symbol for Summer
It is chief of this world’s luxuries. . .. When one has tasted watermelon, he knows what the angels eat .
…and…
It was not a Southern watermelon that Eve took: we know it because she repented. Mark Twain
Fill up your stomach with a summer watermelon. Popular saying in Ancient Egypt (appears in hieroglyphics and apparently means “don’t worry”)
You see them everywhere. On kitchen towels, on socks, on summer tote bags, on water bottles, on shirts, on candles…. It’s colors make it seem like the item for Christmas, but watermelon is the iconic fruit symbol of summer! Unlike me, watermelons THRIVE in hot weather. Give the plants water and sunshine and they will take over your garden!
But who doesn’t love a refreshing, sugary sweet juicy chunk of watermelon for a satisfying summer snack? Cantaloupe and other melons are also quite tasty, but watermelon reigns as the ultimate summer fruit. These days, most varieties are seedless, but when I was growing up, it was quite different. One had to pick out or spit out the seeds, yet the fruit still was popular and has only become more so over time. Fun side note is that when I lived in Mississippi, I enjoyed growing and eating the heirloom Moon and Stars variety, named for its fun outer rind pattern.
In fact, a little watermelon trivia is in order for this fun summer fruit. Did you know that watermelons are actually in the berry family? They originated in southern Africa where they were, and are, an important water source in arid climates. The fruit is 90% water with 6% sugar. It’s eaten plain, in desserts, in cooking, and in drinks of all kinds. Watermelon are the most popular melons in the USA and the third most popular fruit (just behind bananas and apples).
Now, watermelons, indeed wall melons, have one drawback. Because they are only nicely ripened and supersweet during the summer, we all have that hope to choose and eat a perfect watermelon. Yet, I’ve tried to read and apply all the advice about selecting a ripe, sweet watermelon….and probably still only get lucky with a perfect tasting melon about half the time.
When you do get the perfect watermelon, though, that first sweet, refreshing bite is like tasting summer!
