Summer may be drawing to a close but it's not too late for watermelon

Here we are in the last week of summer.

I know that’s not technically true, but I think in Canada we do feel that after Labour Day, we are into fall. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not ready for a pumpkin spice latte for a long while yet.

To finish my summer musings, I chose watermelon as my topic – the quintessential fruit of summer.

Even though we see many fresh foods year-round, I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a watermelon outside of summer. I know it’s not a flavour I think of once the pool closes and I put my bikini away. Watermelon seems to evoke all the frivolity we love about summer, right down to spitting the seeds out.

Did you know watermelons were depicted in ancient art, more than 4,000 years ago? They originated in Africa, where they grew wild and were used as a source for water in arid regions where dry spells could last for months.

The ancient Egyptians began growing the original version as a domestic crop that had a much less bitter taste. They respected the fruit and seeds were found in tombs, likely as water source for the spirit meant to travel to the otherworld.

Watermelons were great for travel, being a natural water canteen, and so they were eventually traded with Mediterranean countries and then across Europe. They arrived in North America in the early 1600s. There are now more than 100 million tonnes of watermelon grown worldwide.

With the popularity of this ancient fruit has come all kinds of celebrations, and even some reverence. In Japan, you can buy square watermelons, pyramid- or heart-shaped ones. They don’t come from special seeds, they are grown in clear plastic molds, and often sell for hundreds of dollars. (Personally, I like the boat shape of a slice of regular watermelon.)

There are places that pay tribute to watermelons:

• Luling, Texas has a watermelon-shaped water tower. (You may have guessed watermelon are grown here and they have a festival too.)

• Lincoln, Illinois has a watermelon monument. (It doesn’t grow watermelons, but watermelon juice was used when Abraham Lincoln christened the town in 1853. He was not U.S. president yet, but he was a teetotaler.

• Chinchilla, Australia grows a lot of watermelons. Its celebrations at the local festival include watermelon skiing. Yes, it’s just as crazy as you imagined. Your feet go into cut watermelons, and you are pulled by volunteers with a rope. You do get a helmet. (No, it’s not made from a watermelon.)

I prefer to eat my watermelon as my token of appreciation. There is a calming sensation in taking a moment to just stand on the deck or on the grass and munch on a slice of watermelon. But since they are usually quite large and you may not want to eat it all in slices, here are some great recipe ideas.

Possibly the most common dish with watermelon is the salad made mint and feta and watermelon cubes. I love just a drizzle of lime juice and olive oil over it, with a sprinkle of sea salt. And if you have some liquorice mint in your garden, as I do, give that a try. It’s a fun twist.

Because it’s a southern food, I went to a southern food blogger for inspiration and Ree Drummond is like a southern Martha Stewart. She has a great article with watermelon recipes, including the salad above and a watermelon salsa that is delicious served with grilled fish or chicken (or chips, of course).

Even if you don’t get a watermelon this week, I hope you find a moment to grab a bit of summer nostalgia. Constantly topping up those memory banks is like staying hydrated in the desert – it’s essential.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.