Here’s What to Do With All That Watermelon

A single watermelon can yield A LOT of fruit. Deciding what to do with all of it can be just the type of conundrum that proves (once again!) that summer is the season you love the the most. We have plenty of ideas—some unexpected!—for what you can do with all that fruit. From least to most adventurous, here are six ways you can use up all that leftover watermelon.

Idea #1: Transform it into dessert.

Ramp up the watermelon’s chill factor even more with a frozen dessert. The simplest one might be this Watermelon Ice, which is made with little more than watermelon and sugar and is served as a granita. Our favorite version only requires one extra step—it’s prepared with a basil-infused simple syrup. Or, for a frozen treat with a little more smoothness and creaminess to it, try our test kitchen’s Watermelon-Strawberry Frozen Yogurt recipe instead.

Idea #2: Make it the key component in a salad.

Crunchy, water-packed melon also shines as the star of a salad, like this Mexican-inspired version with jicama, toasted pumpkin seeds, and fresh mint, cilantro and basil. If a spicy, fruity Latin melon salad is more your jam, try this rendition, which goes well with tacos. Looking for a salad with a completely different flavor profile? Try this watermelon salad with heirloom tomatoes, or this classic watermelon, mint and feta salad.

Idea #3: Make frosé!

The most Instagrammable (and on-trend) way to use up all that melon would be to make a giant batch of frosé—a.k.a. frozen rosé. We love the Watermelon Frosé recipe from How Sweet It Is. If you want to go all out, serve it inside a hollowed-out watermelon that’s been fitted with our tap kit.

Idea #4: Use it to sweeten grilled meats.

The next time you fire up the grill, pass on the barbecue sauce in favor of a fruity watermelon glaze. Here, the spicy-sweet topping—which gets its heat from hot sauce and its sweetness from watermelon and apple—is brushed onto butterflied duck (although you could use chicken instead).

Idea #5: Eat massive amounts of melon, then go pickle crazy with the rind.

Cut giant pieces of watermelon into concentric cylinders and layer them to make the world’s most refreshing cake. Then save the rind of the fruit to pickle it! Tangy watermelon rind pickles are a standby in the South, where they’re often served wrapped in bacon as an appetizer.

Idea #6: Whip up a batch of watermelon soup.

Yep, you heard us right. If you’re feeling adventurous, trying serving this Chilled Watermelon Soup with Chile and Lime as a first course on a summer day; the piquant chile and zesty lime are a fantastic way to wake up the palate.

Tell us: What do you do when you find yourself with too much watermelon?