New Miracle Drug: Watermelon 

By Janet Ford, Senior Editor Watermelon has the power to strip man of his morality. Mark Twain recalled that the first thing he ever stole was a watermelon, and it gave him cause to reflect on his crime.  The melon wasn't ripe, and he thought he should pay restitution to the farmer. "I carried that watermelon back, what was left of it," he said, "and made him give me a ripe one in its place."

The fruit of the Citrullus lanatus vine has had this power for thousands of years. Watermelon was recorded in ancient Egypt, and has been a staple of both food and water in Africa and Asia.  (With a water content of 92 percent, it's not called watermelon for nothing.)

Watermelon has witnessed many changes and discoveries in the past 20 years, however.  Thanks to scientific advances, it's being touted as so healthful it should be stored in your medicine chest.  It won't fit, of course, but even that's about to change: Before long, you'll see watermelons so small you'll be tempted to shoplift them.

Diet Power has declared watermelon one of "The 10 Best Foods." Its delectable flesh has no cholesterol and virtually no fat (almost none of which is saturated)—a stellar accomplishment for a food often served as a dessert at picnics. Watermelon is an excellent source of potassium and vitamins A, C, and B6. It's also a terrific source of water (that's why the things are so heavy), so you can chew your way to getting your daily H20 requirement.

More Over, Tomatoes!

But recent research shows another wonderful characteristic: Watermelon contains more lycopene than any other fresh fruit or vegetable.  Lycopene, besides being the red pigment that gives the flesh its color, is an antioxidant known to prevent cancer. Studies have shown that people who get lots of lycopene have a lower risk of prostate, uterine, and esophageal tumors.

Tomatoes have received the lion's share of attention when it comes to lycopene, even though there is less per serving (4 milligrams in a cup vs. 9 in the same amount of watermelon).  Watermelon is also listed by the American Heart Association as one of the best foods for cardiovascular health.

"Watermelon is practically a multivitamin unto itself," says Samantha Winters, a spokeswoman for the National Watermelon Promotion Board.

Watermelons are still on the kitchen counter instead of the medicine chest because they're bulky, but that's changed over the years. Although the Japanese recently created a cube-shaped watermelon (click here to see it), in America the trend is toward smaller and smaller.  In part, this stems (no pun intended) from the craze to make watermelons seedless.  Melons without seeds are smaller and rounder than their seedy cousins.

The technology to grow seedless melons has been around for half a century, but popular for only the last 15 years or so, says Warren Roberts, a watermelon expert and an associate professor of horticulture at Oklahoma State University.  Today, one-third to one-half of all watermelons sold in this country are seedless, and in California the rate is seven in eight.

Spitters' Foe

Making the seedless kind involves cross-pollination, whose side effects include smaller seeds in the seeded types.  And that's why Jim Dietz, of Chicago, can rest assured that his singular accomplishment may last longer than Joe DiMaggio's 56-game batting streak.  Dietz, you see, holds the world record for watermelon-seed spitting: 68 feet, 11 inches, which he set in New Orleans in 1978.  OK, he admits that the feat was wind-aided, but no one has come close since.  Today, a good spit travels only 28 to 38 feet.

"I think spitting was just something natural that I was bestowed with," he says.  And it runs in the family: He broke the record held by his late father, Bob, and has won the spitting contest eight times.  He attributes his expectoratorial prowess to no special technique.  "I kind of put the seed towards the tip of my tongue," he explains, "and just try and shoot it with as much air as I can muster."

Dietz, whose family business distributes watermelons, says the record is likely to stay intact partly because of the seedless melons.  "They've cross-bred them so many times," he says, "the seeds just don't have the mass."  Because a smaller object has a higher surface-to-mass ratio than a larger, it's far more susceptible to that enemy of all seed-spitters: wind resistance.

Is That Melon Ripe? The Straight Dope

The melon miniaturist movement continues.  In California, one of the leading producers of watermelons (Florida is the biggest), stores will soon be stocked with melons the size of cantaloupes.  "As family size decreases, consumers want something smaller," says Dana Abercrombie, director of the California-Arizona Watermelon Association.

The "personal" watermelon will weigh about two or three pounds.  "It's just a one-meal melon," Abercrombie says "—something you can cut in half and say, 'Here, honey, you eat this.'"

Until the tiny melon gets a foothold, you'll have to keep looking for the best larger ones.  But how do you tell when a watermelon is ripe?

Most experts agree start with the color of the rind.  It should be a dull green, depending on the variety—but more importantly, the side that has lain on the ground during ripening should be creamy yellow.  If it's white, it's not ripe.

Another major clue is the vine.  If a stem is still attached, it should be brown.  If it's green, put the melon back.

Its density should also give it away.  "You should pick it up and say, 'Oh, that's heavier than I thought it should be,'" says Abercrombie.  Heaviness means the melon has absorbed a goodly amount of water.

Kicking The Tires

There is no consensus about the "thump" test.  Abercrombie recommends slapping with the palm of your hand, not your knuckle.  "You should hear a hollow, reverberating sound, like in a basketball."  If the melon pings, it's not ripe, she says.

Many people swear by the acoustic method, but others say it's like kicking the tires on a car.  "It makes you feel good when you do it, but you don’t know what it will accomplish," says Roberts, the Oklahoma State expert.  Only an experienced ear can tell the difference, he says.

"A lot of people talk about that, but they can't really tell you what they're listening for," says Winters of the national board.  He points out that if you're not sure, you can always ask the grocer to cut it for you.

Once you have the melon home, it will keep at room temperature for two to three weeks.  After you've cut into it, however, it needs to go in the fridge.  Or you can take care of it the way Roberts does. "I like to cut it open, eat the heart out, and then go on to another melon."

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Last Modified: 9/28/07