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Follow my directions to learn the easiest way to cut up a watermelon. Is any summer fruit more popular or more refreshing? No matter the size (color or shape) let me show you how to slice it up efficiently.
Watermelon’s relatively high sugar content gives it an undeserved bad rap. One serving has the same sugar content as an apple, gives you 25 percent of a day’s vitamin C, 30 percent of vitamin A, plus the antioxidant lycopene.
How to Cut a Watermelon – 2 Ways
Here are two ways to cut a watermelon:
- Rindless for salads, fruit bowls, or incorporating in recipes.
- With the rind for serving sliced on a plate -picnic style.
Watermelon without the rind
Start by removing a half inch off the top and bottom of the watermelon.
Stand the watermelon on one of the cut sides. Using a sharp knife, starting from the top and following the contour of the watermelon, carefully slice the skin off. Your cut will be about one-half inch in depth.
Continue to peel the watermelon, taking off two to three-inch-wide pieces of the rind following the white inner peel color. Be sure to cut deep enough to see only the flesh.
Cut the watermelon in half vertically. Then, cut each half in half again to give you four manageable quarters.
Then you can proceed to cut into desired shapes and sizes.
For large triangle cuts, lay the quartered watermelon on one of flat sides. Then, cut down vertically.
To cut watermelon into cubes, lay the quartered watermelon cut side down and cut into triangles. Then, make perpendicular cuts lengthwise. Rotate the stack to the other original cut side and make more perpendicular cuts to create a grid pattern of watermelon cubes.
These cubes are perfect for a fruit bowl or watermelon feta salad!
Watermelon with the rind on
Start by removing a half inch off the top and bottom of the watermelon.
Stand the watermelon on one of the cut sides. Using a sharp knife, starting from the top-center, cut the watermelon in half. Set one half aside.
With the half still standing, cut in half again to have a quarter of the watermelon.
Set one quarter aside, lay one quarter down with the cut side on your cutting board.
With a sharp knife, slice the watermelon across its width starting from one end. Cut each slice into one-quarter to one-half inch slices until you have reached the other end.
Finally, repeat with the remaining quarter and other half of the watermelon.
Recipes with watermelon
- Watermelon Blueberry Salad
- Watermelon Pizza
- Watermelon Cucumber Salad
- Back To School Kids Lunchbox Ideas
- Fruit Ice Cubes
- Cream Cheese Fruit Dip
Frequently asked questions
Encase tightly in your wrap of choice or store in an air tight container. Cut watermelon is best eaten within three days.
Rindless chunks are best for this. Use within a year. Their thawed texture will be altered but thrown into the blender frozen, they are excellent in smoothies.
While they are space hogs, an uncut watermelon can last a good two weeks in the refrigerator. Once it is cut, though, you need to use or freeze quickly.
Give it thump! Listen for a satisfying hollow-sounding thunk. The melon should feel heavy for its size and the pale spot should be yellowish (ripe) rather than white (not ripe.)
It is usually left behind but the watermelon rind is completely edible and tastes like a cucumber. They’re from the same plant family, called cucurbits. Some pickle the rinds. Others chop for stir-fry.
Watermelons are always part of my summer menus. It is so easy to keep one in the fridge and cut it up for a healthy dessert.
For more knife skills, check out:
- How to Cut Mangoes
- How to Cut Bell Peppers
- How to Cut Tomatoes
- How to Cut an Onion
- How to Cut Garlic
- How to Cut an Avocado
- How to Cut a Head of Lettuce
- How to Cut Cauliflower into Florets
- How to Chop Cilantro
- How to Cut a Pineapple
- How to cut a melon
- How to Cut a Kiwi
- How to Cut an Orange
- How to Cut a Peach
If you found this resource for How to Cut A Watermelon helpful or if you’ve tried any recipe on FeelGoodFoodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience with this technique. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!
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How to Cut a Watermelon
Video
Ingredients
- 1 Watermelon
Instructions
Without rind
- Start by removing a half inch off the top and bottom of the watermelon.
- Stand the watermelon on one of the cut sides. Using a sharp knife, starting from the top, and following the contour of the watermelon, carefully peel the skin off, about ½ inch in depth.
- Continue to peel the watermelon, taking off 2-3 inch wide pieces of the peel following the white inner peel color, being sure to cut deep enough to see only the flesh.
- Cut the watermelon in half vertically then each half in half again to give you four manageable quarters.
- Cut into desired shapes and sizes
- For triangle cuts: lay the quartered watermelon on one of the flat sides. Then, cut down vertically. You can then cut each triangle into cubes, or
- For cubes: lay the quartered watermelon cut side down and cut into triangles. Then, make perpendicular cuts lengthwise. Rotate the stack to the other original cut side and make more perpendicular cuts to create a grid pattern of watermelon cubes.
With rind
- Start by removing a half inch off the top and bottom of the watermelon.
- Stand the watermelon on one of the cut sides. Using a sharp knife, starting from the top-center, cut the watermelon in half, set one half aside.
- With the half still standing, cut in half again to have a quarter of watermelon, set one quarter aside, lay one quarter down with the cut side on your cutting board.
- With a sharp knife, slice the watermelon across its width starting from one end. Cut each slice into ¼ inch to ½ inch slices until you have reached the other end.
- Repeat with the remaining quarters.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
I stood in front of my counter for 5 minutes trying to figure out how to cut the watermelon, but this guide was great. This is one of the things that I love to eat, but rarely purchase because I don’t know what to do with the rest of it.
So happy to hear that you found it helpful!
This I have needed for EONS! You have shown instructions for things that I love but don’t buy because either I don’t know how to find a ripe one or how I don’t know how to cut it and use it! Thank you so much for your willingness to share your knowledge with others!
So happy you found this helpful! Glad to have shared!!
Soooo needed this. I was ready to simply dive in one way or another.
Glad you found it useful!
Excellent information! Thank you.
You’re so welcome! Glad to hear you found it useful!
Watermelon, so refreshing but so awkward to cut into and slice. This tutorial helped a lot! Makes it look so easy, and guess what? It was.
I’m glad you found this helpful and that is was easy!
Took no time at all
Perfect!