Slice of Americana

By Amy Culbertson, of McClatchy Newspapers - 08/15/2007

Watermelon is a cool treat during the hot summer months. File Photo

What could be more American than watermelon on a hot afternoon?

We love our watermelons, sweet and juicy on a steamy summer day, especially in Texas. And we should: Texas is consistently in the top three watermelon-producing states, along with Florida and California.

Texas is also the cradle of the seedless watermelon, the wunderkind of the watermelon world. In the course of just two decades, seedless watermelons, developed north of Abilene, have taken over the market — accounting for a whopping 80 percent of retail watermelon sales in the United States today.

Another major change in the watermelon market over the last several years has been in its size, with the development of refrigerator-size melons and even watermelons for one, a boon to singles and small families who can’t possibly finish those big ol’ guys, much less find room for them in the fridge. For the most efficient refrigerator storage, the Japanese have even come up with cube-shaped watermelons, grown by enclosing the fruit in clear plastic boxes, though those aren’t likely to show up in our local Kroger or Tom Thumb anytime soon.

Whether you’ve wholeheartedly embraced the seedless revolution, or whether you’re a die-hard purist who thinks a watermelon isn’t a watermelon unless it has seeds, here’s our summer guide to buying, serving, eating and having fun with watermelon.

Lime Cups Filled with Watermelon Granita Serves 12 ‘‘Refreshing watermelon granita — the Italian frozen dessert that has grainier crystals than sorbet — is served in lime cups to resemble tiny watermelons. Currants mimic the seeds’’ 12 limes 1 cup sugar 2 cups water 4 cups watermelon cubes ½ cup currants or raisins