Yellow Watermelon: Everything You Need to Know
We are all familiar with watermelons. The green-backed fruit with red, soft, watery insides is widely available. It has featured in several dishes, from fruit mixes to salads to sangria, grills, and fruit shakes. However, did you know that there is also a yellow watermelon?
It can also be taken fresh and would still provide you with its natural juiciness and vitamins. But there is a new watermelon variety in town. People are beginning to substitute the popular watermelon with a fancier one.
It has a similar green rind or outer covering, but its insides are bright yellow with black seeds. If you’re wondering about this strange watermelon and want to know more about it, read on.
What is a Yellow Watermelon?
Fundamentally, yellow watermelons are no different from the usual watermelons. This type of watermelon lacks a chemical called Lycopene, which produces a reddish color in fruits like tomatoes, apples, and grapefruit.
The red or pink watermelon has this chemical in large amounts; hence, its insides are pink or red. With origins stemming from Africa, the buttercup yellow melon has a thicker dark green rind and is believed to be sweeter than its red counterpart.
What Does Yellow Watermelon Taste Like?
Regardless of their glaring color difference, yellow watermelons don’t taste very different from red ones. They have the same texture and mushiness. However, it has been observed that the yellow variant is considerably sweeter with a flavor like honey.
When is Yellow Watermelon in Season?
Yellow watermelons, much like their red cousins, are available all year round, with their peak season in the summer. This is because of the increased demand for watermelons during the hot summer.
Is Yellow Watermelon Better Than Red Watermelon?
Both watermelons contain large amounts of vitamins A and C, which are good for the body’s immune system. The yellow variant has a powerful antioxidant called beta-carotene, present in other fruits like cantaloupes and sweet potatoes, and is responsible for their yellow pigmentation.
Health-wise, none is better than the other, with the only notable difference being their color difference.
Where Can I Buy a Yellow Watermelon?
Getting these watermelons used to be quite difficult, but it has become much easier over the years. Usually, you can get one from the local grocery or farmers market or order one from online grocery stores. If you’d rather grow yours, it is possible to get seeds from Amazon or Walmart.
How to Grow Yellow Watermelons
Like regular watermelons, yellow watermelons like sunlight and good soil with proper drainage. This makes summer their favorite time to bloom. If you stay in a region with relatively shorter summers, go for the Bushbaby species that typically matures in about seventy days.
Avoid planting your watermelons in the same location as other melons or squash to prevent common diseases and pests. Watermelons become drought-tolerant as they mature.
It is not recommended to start yellow watermelon indoors. Soil temperatures of at least 70 degrees outdoors are optimum. You can cover the planting area with plastic or plant in raised beds to speed up the warming process.
For seed planting, you should make a mound of about six to eight inches high. The rows should be at least four feet apart, and mounds should be three to five feet apart. Put two or three seeds in the mounds with space between each, say five inches.
Germination will occur in about a week, depending on soil temperature. Be sure to remove all weeds and unhealthy seedlings. Take proper care of your fruits by ensuring they have abundant sunlight and water. You can also apply fertilizers, although chemical fertilizers are not necessary.
You can determine the ripeness of your watermelon by noticing the changes in the fruit. The back may change from a lustrous bright green to a dull one, and the bottom will become pale or yellowish.
Conclusion
There’s no better feeling than when you sink your teeth into a juicy slice of watermelon, red or yellow. Both make for succulent fruit treats, with yellow watermelons capable of adding a little splash of color to our favorite fruit salad recipe.
You should know that since both possess the same type of rind, there is no clear-cut way for the untrained eye to discern between the two, so make sure to ask. But if you come across a yellow watermelon, don’t be afraid to dig in.
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