Fresh watermelon is the perfect hot summer day summer refresher since they are more than 90% water. The challenge is they are heavy, round, and awkward to cut, unless you know how. Let me show you how to cut watermelon step-by-step for watermelon cubes, triangle-shaped slices, and watermelon sticks while summer watermelon is still plentiful.
The best way to cut a watermelon requires a big sharp chef's knife to get through the hard rind and a large sturdy cutting board. A couple of tips make it easy and it's good knife skills practice. Don't let it daunt you. Try these 3 different ways at cutting watermelon and become a pro.
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Why You'll Like This Tutorial
- Buy a whole watermelon and cut it whenever you want to enjoy it.
- Learn the best way on how to cut watermelon into watermelon cubes of any size for snacking, adding to a salad, triangle wedges for a fruit platter, or into watermelon sticks.
- Cutting your own watermelon is freshest and you get exactly what you want.
If you love watermelon, try this watermelon appetizer with goat cheese for a refreshing summer bite.
Recipe Ingredients
It's not a recipe, but an easy method. I prefer the mini seedless watermelons. They are usually in the 5-6 pound range. You can use the same method for cutting up whole watermelon of any size or even half watermelons cut by the market's produce department.
If you need help on how to pick a good watermelon, find tips towards the end of the post.
Recipe Instructions
How to cut watermelon. Start by placing a damp kitchen towel under your cutting board to prevent it from slipping and give it stability. Use a chef's knife or a long serrated slicer like this knife, or some people get an inexpensive watermelon knife.
How to Cut a Watermelon Into Cubes
Cutting Watermelon Slices or Wedges
How to Cut Watermelon Sticks
Chef's note on cutting watermelon sticks. After cutting the half melon into 1-inch slices, turn the melon and cut the other direction. If it starts to fall apart, lay pieces flat and cut watermelon individually into sticks. That makes it easy. Reassemble if desired.
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Serving Suggestions
- Cut watermelon wedges or triangles for a party platter or fruit salads.
- Use a melon baller to cut round watermelon balls for delicious fresh fruit kabobs (photo below). Toss extra melon into the blender for melon water.
- Make a watermelon salad with feta and herbs. It’s a refreshing and healthy combination.
- Add to a watermelon to a tossed green salad.
- Use a large cookie cutter for a prettier look on platters or salads.
- Add frozen watermelon cubes to smoothies.
- Puree in the blender, add lime juice, and you have Mexican watermelon water.
- Make watermelon cucumber juice.
- Perfect for a summer backyard barbecue and kid-friendly.
- Freeze cubes (or extra watermelon) and blend for a watermelon slushie.
For reference, watermelons are about 70% flesh and 30% rind. A 5 pound mini watermelon serves approximately 8 people. Find great information on watermelons from this website.
How to Pick a Good Watermelon
What's the best method to choose a ripe juicy watermelon? Try these tips.
- Shape: choose a firm watermelon with a regular, symmetrical shape, not misshapen or narrow at one end.
- Choose one free of bruises, dents, or cuts. Minor scratches are normal.
- Field ground spot: Overall rind color is not a very good indicator. Look for a creamy yellow to orange “field spot”. This is where the melon sat on the ground as it grew soaking up the sun. Creamy yellow to orange means it grew longer and should be more ripe and sweet. Avoid melons that have no spot or where it’s white or pale green. They are probably not as ripe or sweet and don’t ripen more after harvesting.
- Watermelon rind should be dull.
- A watermelon should be heavy for its size, meaning it’s juicy; they are mostly water. Pick up a few to compare and choose the heaviest one.
- Tap or thump: If you are used to thumping as one of the indicators of a good watermelon, it should have a deep, hollow sound sound.
My favorite watermelons are seedless mini watermelons. They are easier to handle because of the small size. The rinds are usually thinner too, so easier to cut than a large watermelon.
How to Store Watermelon
Eat watermelon soon as possible for best flavor.
- Wash watermelon with produce wash as soon as you get it home, then store in the refrigerator. Whole watermelon lasts about 2 weeks in the refrigerator uncut.
- If you are enjoying watermelon within a day or two, it's fine on the kitchen counter at room temperature. Beyond that, refrigerate until you're ready to cut.
- Refrigerate watermelon after cutting. It lasts 3-4 days in an airtight container. Wrap the cut side of larger pieces (like quarters or halves) in plastic wrap.
- If you buy cut watermelon at the market, be sure it is fresh cut. Look for a date sticker or ask a produce person.
Recipe FAQs
If you are concerned about watermelon being high in sugar, consider this. If you look at the glycemic index (GI) of watermelon, it's listed high with a 76-80 score, meaning high sugar (1-100 scale). If you look at the glycemic load (GL) which is a 1-10 scale, it's only listed as 5.
Glycemic load gives you a more accurate picture of a food's (in this case the GL of watermelon) real-life impact on your blood sugar. Watermelon can be a sweet as well as nutritious part of your summer diet.
First slice a thin piece off of one end of the watermelon. This gives you stability for the rest of your cutting. Stand the watermelon on the flat end, then slice in half top to bottom. Now you have halves to slice into wedges, cubes, or sticks. A mini watermelon is easier to handle and cut the the full size ones.
Cut watermelon keeps 3-4 days well wrapped with plastic film if it's in halves or quarters. For wedges and cubes, store in an airtight container.
Yes, you can eat watermelon seeds. They are safe to eat and really nutritious. Black watermelon seeds are mature seeds. Plant them they will grow. The white seeds in seedless watermelons are immature seeds or pips. You can even roast the black seeds and snack on them, like you do with pumpkin seeds.
Yes, seedless watermelons are natural. They are grown by cross-breeding kinds of watermelons and not by genetic modification. Seedless watermelons are non-GMO. And if you buy organic, it can't be bio-engineered.
More Summer Recipes Ideas
Try these summer recipes while seasonal produce is abundant.
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📖 Recipe
How to Cut Watermelon
Equipment
Ingredients
- 5 pound seedless watermelon heavy for it's size or any size watermelon
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Instructions
For watermelon wedges, triangles, or slices
- First trim one end of the watermelon.Stand the watermelon on the flat end and cut in half top to bottom.Lay the halves flat on the cutting board and cut in half lengthwise for quarters.Cut wedges crosswise on the quarters.
For watermelon cubes
- First trim one end of the watermelon.Stand the watermelon on the flat end and cut in half top to bottom.Cut the halves into 1-inch wide slices. Lay slices flat and trim off the rind. Then cut the flesh into a grid pattern and cubes of desired size. The tighter the grid, the smaller the pieces.
For watermelon sticks
- Cut the watermelon in half across the center. Lay the half flat, flesh side down on the cutting board. Cut a 1-inch grid across the watermelon, then turn and cut the same grid the opposite direction. To serve, place the half flat on a platter or invert into a serving bowl. The green rind is the handle.
Notes
- Wash watermelon with produce wash as soon as you get it home, then store in the refrigerator. Whole watermelon lasts about 2 weeks in the refrigerator uncut.
- If you are enjoying watermelon within a day or two, it's fine on the kitchen counter at room temperature. Beyond that, refrigerate until you're ready to cut.
- Refrigerate watermelon after cutting. It lasts 3-4 days in an airtight container. Wrap the cut side of larger pieces (like quarters or halves) in plastic wrap.
- If you buy cut watermelon at the market, be sure it is fresh cut. Look for a date sticker or ask a produce person.
Patty says
I have to make a fruit tray for an anniversary party this weekend . I'm not a Betty Crocker or Paula Dean lol so I was looking for ideas I can be comfortable doing ! I'm so glad I found you ideas Thank you !
Sally Cameron says
Hi Patty! You can do this! Have confidence! Use the technique to also cut cantaloupe, add little clusters of grapes the you've snipped apart with scissors, both green and red, add small bowls or piles of fresh berries and cherries. Fresh pineapple is good and easy too. If you need a tutorial on cutting up a pineapple look at this post. https://afoodcentriclife.com/pineapple-mango-salsa-a-taste-of-the-tropics/
Platt College says
Thanks for the tips. I hate bad watermelon. Such a waste!
Ashley @ Wishes and Dishes says
This was so helpful! Thank you!!
Madonna says
You know summer has arrived when you see the watermelons. I was so glad to see the mini watermelon, although if it last 5 days I think I could eat the whole thing. Love your presentation.
Michael Varma says
Great timing. Looking to throw a party with fresh watermelon.
Sally says
Hi Michael! Good! Today is a double header, two posts. Wait till you see the next one!