Watermelon is a delicious and nutritious fruit. However, it’s not always straightforward on the best way to prep a watermelon. A popular method is to dice a watermelon, as cubes are a handy portion size that are easy to eat without making a mess. So how do you take such a large round fruit and cut it so that you’re left with perfect watermelon cubes (or as close to perfect as matters)?
It’s also important to note that sometimes, when people talk about cube watermelon, they actually mean that the entire watermelon is a cube. Square watermelons like this as sometimes grown by Japanese farmers as a novelty, and sold at street markets where they’re really popular along with some other fun options like triangular or heart-shaped watermelons.
Since cubic watermelons are quite niche, as you can only get them on a trip to Japan, we’re going to post on the more traditional round watermelon and how you can turn that into bitesize cube shapes.
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The Easy Way to Cube Watermelon
Watermelons, being so large, aren’t always the easiest to prepare. But they’re a great healthy treat and can work as a fantastic showpiece for a buffet. If you want to cut watermelon for party food then cubing it is great, because it’s something people can grab and enjoy while walking around or chatting with other guests.
Here’s the best way to cut a watermelon into cubes:
- Start by cutting the watermelon in half, and then place the flat side down onto your chopping board. You’ll need a large sharp knife to make this easy.
- Cut the watermelon into strips around 1-inch thick
- Then rotate the watermelon half 90 degrees and cut across the strips, again around 1-inch apart. This will create sticks of watermelon
- To then turn these into cubes, simply take each strip and easily slice along it.
Watermelon cubes can then be put on cocktail sticks for parties, or you can even freeze them, to turn them into a more unique option of ice cubes. Frozen watermelon cubes are a really refreshing addition to water.
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How to Cut Watermelon for Kids
The key to cutting watermelon for kids is to make it something that’s easy to hold, not too large and that they won’t make a huge mess with then they tuck in. Large melon slices might seem like a good idea but giving them the option of throwing their face into the melon will only get watermelon seeds and juice everywhere.
A good option is to cube your watermelon or turn it to sticks. If you want something thinner that’s easy to hold, suitable to toddlers, then cut the watermelon into slices around a half-inch thick, and then cut those slices into thirds – almost like you were cutting a pizza. These triangles or wedges are good for smaller hands that might squeeze cubes too hard or struggle to hold a stick once bitten.
Again, freezing watermelon can make a fun snack for kids that’s easy to eat. You could try cubing the watermelon or creating those small wedges and then placing them on a plate and inserting popsicle sticks. Put them in the freezer and you’ll soon have simple frozen treats that they can enjoy on a hot day.
Simple Watermelon Sticks
Sometimes cubed watermelon might be a little trickier to eat unless you happen to have cocktail sticks to hand, especially if you’re cutting a watermelon to be shared.
Leaving it as a stick is a good option, because it gives people something to hold onto while they’re eating the red flesh. It stops fingers from getting wet with juice and leaves just a thin bit of rind.
To cut a watermelon into sticks just follow the steps above until you have your 1-inch rectangular strips. You can leave each watermelon half flat, and guests can then just pluck out the watermelon sticks that they want to eat. It keeps everything neat too, great as part of a fruit platter or just as a snack if your child has friends over.
Watch this video to see how to cut a watermelon into strips:
What’s your preferred method of cutting a watermelon? Leave a comment on the way you eat this popular fruit, including any recipe ideas you might have to take your watermelon up a notch.
