My perennial summer rant: watermelons

[3leggedturtle]

I had a friend that grew watermelons in southeast MN, used to eat 2-3 a week. They were big, juicy and tasty. I dread having to buy one in the store. Todd/3leg

KCSO, I used to stay at the truck stop at Norfolk quite a bit, on my way to North Platte via Broken Bow.

[Freightman]

The seedeless were $4.77 small round the regular stripped were $1.98 bought Two the regular were locally grown. Much better the other seedless are justba steap above sawdust.

[DerekP Houston]

ain't it funny how cheap you can get one in the store? I'd rather pay twice the price and get one that actually tastes like something. I like the long striped ones myself, ain't seen any others commonly available.

[Gewehr-Guy]

And I thought Forestburg, SD was the watermelon capital of the world, at least thats what the melon stand's signs all said. They catered heavily to the South Dakota state fair in Huron, everyone leaving loaded up on melons and sweet corn and headed home.
Now I remember my Grandmother would make watermelon rind sweet pickles, my favorite as a little kid. The dirty thirty's in SD taught them to waste nothing.

[Hannibal]

Watermelon and tomatoes. 2 produce section items at the grocery store that are best left at the grocery store.

[Freightman]

Tomatoes from the store taste like wood.

[DougGuy]

DANGIT now y'all got me wanting a melon! I am going to have to trek out to our local 24hr grocery and get me one. Know what is AWESOME on watermelon and canteloupe? Blue Cheese or Ranch dressing!!!!

[Thundarstick]

I walk out to the garden, pick a big Black Diamond, wash it, put on ice about 4 hours and spit seeds! O,yea!

[PaulG67]

Spitting a watermelon seed is one of the great pleasures of life, I haven't spit a seed since those damn tasteless seedless melons arrived on the scene, a seedless melon needs a ton of salt just for the tiniest bit of flavor.

[Hogtamer]

Forgot about the Jubilees! And Doug, a slice of good cantaloupe taken with a bit of shaved tasso or prosciutto is heaven on a plate.

[DougGuy]

Forgot about the Jubilees! And Doug, a slice of good cantaloupe taken with a bit of shaved tasso or prosciutto is heaven on a plate.

I have Tasso and I got some thin sliced Jamon Serrano! Haven't found the good canteloupe yet!

[fatelk]

Tomatoes, forgot about that. I've never been a big tomato eater, but a friend gave us a bag full of big, juicy, ripe tomatoes a couple years ago. They were so good I could eat one like an apple. It's just amazing how you can get used to mediocre, tasteless fruit, then get a taste of the real thing and are reminded how it's supposed to taste.

Funny thing, I rant about how we can't get good watermelons any more, and today my wife brings home a nice seeded one from Walmart that was actually pretty good.

[ARKLITE881South]

When i was a kid in Kansas, my dad would go down the ice plant, get couple of blocks of ice, bring it home, chop it up put the ice and a big old watermelon in a old double handled zinc wash tub. Let it soak for about 3 hrs, I've got a picture of me in that old zinc tub with ice and a big melon floating in there with me. Those WERE the good old days!!

[rockrat]

How about a watermelon picked fresh from the field and taking it to the truck and breaking it open and eating the heart out of it??? Farmer didn't mind, quite often he was the one breaking it open for us. Ahh, memories of childhood long, long ago.

[mold maker]

Breakfast this morning included home grown tomatoes and cantaloupe with eggs and sausage. Heaven on a plate.
Picking a sweet cantaloupe is an art not many understand. It has to do with color and choosing a female. The blossom end has to be a large button as opposed to a small one.

[starnbar]

We still drive to ruskin fl to get watermelons the long striped ones they still taste just like they did when my dad would drive out to get one. I usually get a few onions too they are just as sweet as the vidalias.

[DerekP Houston]

DANGIT now y'all got me wanting a melon! I am going to have to trek out to our local 24hr grocery and get me one. Know what is AWESOME on watermelon and canteloupe? Blue Cheese or Ranch dressing!!!!

we were always a salt on fruit family, quite tasty. I think I'll stop on the side of the road on my weekly commute back to ft worth this afternoon. Brought a fishing pole home last week so I'll camp out on the river and have myself a mess of a good time.

[DLCTEX]

Black Diamond, Jubilee, Rattlesnake, Moon and Stars, Charleston Grey, I can't remember the name of the yellowmeat ones, so many great ones that are never in the stores now, but are in my garden.

[HankBoman]

Ah, good tomatos. They cannot be found in any grocery store. My mom still grows the best I've ever tasted and every time I visit and she has some, I make a delicious tomato sandwich and wash it down with an ice cold Dr. Pepper.

[OS OK]

we were always a salt on fruit family, quite tasty. I think I'll stop on the side of the road on my weekly commute back to ft worth this afternoon. Brought a fishing pole home last week so I'll camp out on the river and have myself a mess of a good time.

I hope you have a good time Derek...camping by yourself, time to mull over your thoughts, listen to the night sounds..., hang a line in the river...don't get no better than that huh?
Don't worry about the 'River Bugger'...he ain't been seen in a couple of days or so...