Yes, you can freeze watermelon. Just cut it into blocks, and freeze for two hours. This method allows you to save leftovers and have summer-friendly watermelon available all year long for smoothies, sorbets, and ice cream.
The steps on how to freeze watermelon are easy, so you can save your leftovers in freezer-friendly containers and have watermelon available all year long.
Like my how to make candied grapes post, this post helps you freeze watermelon. Watermelon is more than 90% water so it freezes well. Then you can store it and use this stored frozen watermelon to make watermelon popsicles, a watermelon slushie, and watermelon ice cream. You can't thaw watermelon back into the texture of just cut watermelon, however. But you can use it in recipes and a watermelon slushie says summer in the middle of winter months.
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Why Freeze Watermelon
1.To prevent food waste. Freeze your watermelon before it goes bad.
2. Watermelon is easy to freeze and keeps for 12 months if sealed well.
3. You can blend frozen watermelon cubes into smoothies, watermelon juice, watermelon popsicles and watermelon ice cream.
Ingredient
Fresh watermelon is all that is needed for this process. Choose a ripe watermelon.
See the recipe card at the bottom for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Step by Step Instructions
For more detail, visit the complete and printable recipe at the bottom of this post, but here are general steps.
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Step 1: Wash the watermelon on the outside with warm soapy water or vinegar spray.
Step 2: Cut the watermelon in half and quarters and then in slices. Next cube the fruit into 1-inch bricks. You'll be left with some odd shaped chunks. That's ok, freeze those too. Discard the rind.
Step 3: Line the cubes on a parchment lined baking sheet, not touching. Let them freeze until hard in the freezer - about an hour.
Step 4: Pack them in freezer bags or silicon reusable bags, press out air, and write on the date. Store in the freezer.
Storage
Frozen watermelon can remain stored frozen for up to 12 months without freezer burn if enough air has been pushed out of bags and if the seal is tight to prevent freezer burn.
Recipe Tips
Buy a seedless melon or remove the seeds - don't freeze watermelon with seeds.
As an alternative way to store frozen watermelon, you can also blend up fresh watermelon chunks into a puree, pour it in ice cube trays and freeze, then store the frozen cubes.
How to Choose a Ripe Watermelon
A watermelon doesn't continue to ripen after it's been picked so choose a ripe one to start. To choose, look for a heavy weight, knocking on it and listening for a hollow sound, and choosing one with dull skin and stripes about 2 fingers wide.
FAQS
Wash the melon, slice and cube the meat, discarding the rind. Line cubes on a lined-baking sheet and freeze for one hour, then store in freezer bags.
One way to eat watermelon rind is to slice it thinly and add to vegetable stir fries. It will taste crispy like water chestnuts.
Once watermelon is frozen and thawed, it loses the crispy texture as freezing breaks down cell walls. However, if you only just thaw and eat, the taste will be crispy thanks to the icy texture given that watermelon is 90% water.
To help your fresh watermelon stay fresh longer, keep it at room temperature. The USDA says the melon will stay crisper longer than if chilled, and even healthy qualities such as antioxidants will stay fresh longer.
More Watermelon Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Can You Freeze Watermelon? How to Eat and Store
Equipment
- 1 knife
- ice cube trays
- plastic freezer bags
Ingredients
- 6 cups watermelon (cut into 1-inch cubes) discard seeds and rind
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Instructions
- Wash the intact watermelon on the outside with warm soapy water or vinegar spray so you remove debris and germs and they don't slide into the fruit when you then cut it open.
- Cut the watermelon in half and quarters and then in slices. Next cube the fruit into 1-inch bricks. You'll be left with some odd shaped bricks, that's ok, freeze those too.6 cups watermelon (cut into 1-inch cubes)
- Line watermelon pieces on a parchment lined baking sheet, not touching. Let them freeze until hard in the freezer - about an hour.
- Pack frozen watermelon cubes in freezer bags, press out air, and write on the date.
- Store watermelon cube packages in freezer.
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