September 02, 2006

Why not enjoy a juicy, cool watermelon this Labor Day weekend? A large number of Arlington Farmers’ Market producers have several varieties for you to sample and buy. Some producers that have been spotted with gorgeous watermelons are Laurel Grove Farm, Musachio Produce Farm, Red Rake Farm, and Toigo Orchards II.

Some facts on watermelon from Wikipedia will surprise you:

Fresh watermelon may be eaten in a variety of ways and is also often used to flavor summer drinks and smoothies. The simplest way to cut a watermelon is to slice it crossways and then to slice the resulting round slabs into halves or quarters. Since the rind provides a handle, no utensils are needed.

A one-cup serving of watermelon will provide around 48 calories. Watermelon is an excellent source of vitamin C and vitamin A, with one serving containing 14.59 mg of vitamin C and 556.32 IU of vitamin A. Watermelon also provides significant amounts of vitamin B6 and vitamin B1, as well as the minerals potassium and magnesium. Pink watermelon is also a source of the potent carotenoid antioxidant, lycopene. Watermelon is 92 percent water by weight, the highest percentage of any fruit.

Some varieties of watermelon include the following:

Orangeglo - Very sweet orange pulp, large oblong fruit weighing 20-30 pounds. Light green rind with jagged dark green stripes. 90-100 days from planting to harvest.

Moon and Stars - Very famous fruit that has been around since at least the 1930's. The rind is purple/black and has many small yellow circles (stars) and one or maybe two large yellow circles (moon). The flesh is pink or red and has brown seeds. The foliage is also spotted. Around 90 days from planting to harvest.

Watermelon rinds are also edible, and sometimes used as a vegetable. In China, they are stir-fried, stewed, or more often pickled. When stir-fried, the de-skinned and de-fruited rind is cooked with olive oil, garlic, chili peppers, scallions, sugar and rum (and provides a great way to utilize the whole watermelon). Who knew?

Interested in volunteering to support your local farmers and producers? To volunteer, e-mail Monica Lear at lear@vt.edu