Americana Watermelon Basket
Load your Americana Watermelon Basket with luscious watermelon, honeydew melon and fresh blueberries.
Tips for Making a Watermelon Basket
- Choose a Ripe Watermelon: Select a watermelon that is ripe, firm, and symmetrical for the best results.
- Gather Sharp Tools: Use a sharp knife and a paring knife for precision. A melon baller or scoop can help with decorative details.
- Plan Your Design: Decide on the shape of the basket—whether you want a full basket, a basket with a handle, or decorative cuts.
- Cut a Stable Base: Slice off a small piece from the bottom to create a stable base so the watermelon won’t roll.
- Carve the Outer Shape: Carefully cut around the watermelon to create the basket shape. You can carve out a section for the opening, leaving the sides intact.
- Create the Handle: For the handle, carve a curved piece from the rind or set aside a section of watermelon rind and attach it with toothpicks or edible glue.
- Decorate the Edges: Use a small knife or peeler to create decorative edges or patterns on the rim of the basket.
- Add Decorative Elements: Use the carved-out watermelon pieces or other fruits to fill the basket or adorn its sides.
- Keep It Cold: To maintain freshness, keep the carved watermelon chilled until serving.
- Serve Promptly: Serve soon after cutting to prevent the watermelon from drying out or losing its shape.
Americana Watermelon Basket
Load your Americana Watermelon Basket with luscious watermelon, honeydew melon and fresh blueberries.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
1 large red seedless watermelon
1 honeydew melon
Fresh blueberries
Instructions
- Using an oblong watermelon, slice 1/4 inch off the bottom lengthwise to provide a stable base.
- Use a pencil to draw lines for handle placement and basket opening.
- Cut the handle first, wide enough to hold stars, then make zigzag cuts with a paring knife, all the way through the rind (be careful to not cut through handle base on either side).
- Carefully remove sections, pull out large chunks of flesh, and cut them into 3 x 3 inch squares.
- From squares, trim off 3/4 inch thick slices to use for cutting out stars. To cut stars use 1 1/2 to 3 inch star shaped cookie cutters.
- Next, cut out 5 large star shaped pieces from the left-over rind, (use a paring knife if necessary), for the handle.
- Trim off red flesh and attach to basket handle with white side out with half toothpicks.
- Use an ice cream scoop to remove flesh from inside of basket and cut scoops into quarters for the fruit salad. Place in bottom of the basket.
- Use a white fleshed melon such as ripe honeydew to cut out white “stripes” for salad.
- Garnish top of fruit salad with watermelon stars, melon stripes and blueberries.
Notes
Recipe and photo used with permission from: Watermelon Promotion Board
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