HERTFORD COUNTY, N.C. — As summer comes to an end, so does watermelon season in North Carolina, but there's one person who works year-round as the face of the watermelon industry and a voice for farmers.
Watermelon comes in different colors, including white and yellow, and although it's over 90% water, it's also known for being rich in vitamins and minerals like magnesium.
Emory New, North Carolina's Watermelon Queen for 2022, has rapidly become an expert on all things watermelon.
“We normally try to get about 45 or 40 slices per watermelon,” New said. “Watermelon is one of the best value fruits you can purchase for a family or any kind of gathering. It's about 17 cents a serving.”
There's plenty of old wives tales' in circulation on how to pick the perfect watermelon, but in order to get the sweetest and juiciest melon, New recommends first checking the outside for any bruises or dents, then picking up the watermelon to make sure it's solid and heavy.
The last thing you want to look for is a yellow patch on the bottom of the melon, known as the “yellow belly” – which comes from the ground where the melon lay in the field. As for the sweetness, the best way to tell is just to bite into it.
“There's a Brix scale, actually a Brix meter is what measures the sweetness, and watermelon is anywhere from a 9 to a 12,” New said.
She spends her year acting as the fruit's No. 1 ambassador across the state at events and festivals. She likes to call the fruit a slice of N.C. and a slice of summer for the sweet memories it brings back to so many people who enjoy it.
“The watermelons today literally were grown in a field right down the road,” New said. “Really seeing the smile on their faces, talking with them, sharing different recipes, I just love that.”
The fruit had a rough start this year across the state with an early drought at the beginning of the summer – because of that, demand initially far outweighed the supply coming in from the fields.
“I've heard a lot this year that there's more betting that goes on in a field than goes on in Las Vegas and I really think that's a really cool quote and way to look at it,” New said. “There's a lot of risk in agriculture — a lot of things that you can't control.”
The recipes below are some of the watermelon queen's favorites to share with customers.
Watermelon Raspberry Lemonade
- 6 cups cubed watermelon (seeds removed)
- ¼ cup raspberries
- 1 cup water
- 1/3 cup sugar
- ½ cup lemon juice
Place watermelon, raspberries and water in a blender. Blend until smooth. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into pitcher. Stir in sugar and lemon juice until sugar dissolves. Refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.
Watermelon Fire and Ice Salsa
- 3 cups chopped watermelon
- ½ cup diced green peppers
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 tablespoon diced cilantro
- 1 tablespoon diced green onion
- 1-2 tablespoons diced jalapeno peppers
Combine ingredients, mix well and cover. Refrigerate 1 hour or more. Serve with chips or as a garnish for chicken and fish.
You can find more watermelon recipes here.