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Almost too pretty to eat, this hollowed-out watermelon is shaped into a basket and filled with melon balls for easy snacking. It’s perfect for pool parties, summer barbecues, and holidays!
My family loves summer fruits. So, I’m always experimenting with new ways to enjoy them, like my watermelon fruit cake, melon salad, and watermelon fries. However, when hosting friends and family, this watermelon basket is the option I turn to.
A fun twist on a fruit salad, it’s incredibly refreshing and surprisingly simple to prepare. Plus, using the watermelon in place of a large bowl eliminates the need to dirty up another dish. Mix and match any fruit you like best, add a light dressing, or include fresh mint for a pop of brightness. No matter how you serve your watermelon basket, it’s always an instant favorite.
❤️ Why You’ll Love Watermelon Basket
- Beautiful centerpiece.
- Charming and impressive presentation.
- Fun way to serve fruit.
How to Pick a Good Watermelon
Here are some things I look for:
- Field spot: A yellow or orange field spot indicates the melon had a good rest on the ground and more likely to be ripe.
- Weight: A heavy melon (for its size) means it’s juicy and packed with water. That’s what we want.
- Color: You want a dull, dark melon with some webbing.
- Sound: Tap it for a deep and hollow sound. The rind should be firm all around.
- Shape: Avoid unsymmetrical melons.
Watermelon Basket Ingredients
Please be sure to scroll down to the recipe card below for the complete details!
- Watermelon: Choose a round watermelon for a symmetric design.
- Cantaloupe: Find a firm, unbruised melon.
- Galia melon: It can have a white to green colored flesh.
- Fresh basil: To garnish.
How to Make a Watermelon Basket
- Prepare the watermelon: Stretch the rubber bands in a cross around the melon (secure with tape).
- Cut out the basket: Trim a handle along the vertical placed rubber band. Then trim across the horizontal band to shape the basket’s edge.
- Cut out the inside of the handle. Use this piece to shape the watermelon flower decoration for the handle.
- Carve out the watermelon, Galia melon, and cantaloupe balls with the melon baller.
- Trim the basket’s edge into a scalloped shape.
- Fill the basket with the melon balls.
- Cut out the watermelon flower from the leftover piece of melon. Attach it with toothpicks and garnish with fresh basil.
Tips for Success
- Trim the watermelon so that the field spot is at the base or around the top.
- Use tape to hold the rubber bands in place.
- Make sure to choose a watermelon that doesn’t roll around.
Recipe Tip
Shape the fruit filling using fun cookie cutters.
Possible Variations
- Basket: Make a basket out of any round melon.
- Galia, watermelon, and cantaloupe: Swap for dragonfruit, mango, pineapple, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, peaches, kiwi, apple, or pear. Anything you like!
- Add-ins: Top with fresh herbs like mint or basil for a pop of color, or mix the fruit with a simple dressing made with lime juice and a few tablespoons of honey before spooning it into the basket.
- Presentation: Cut a wider handle, serve the watermelon basket without a handle (to make a bowl), or trim the scalloped edge into a zig-zag shape instead, as below.
How to Store Leftovers
Store leftovers, covered with plastic wrap, in the refrigerator and enjoy within 1-2 days.
FAQs
Yes! You can carve it up to a day in advance. Keep the fruit stored in the watermelon basket and cover with plastic wrap. Store it in the fridge.
Enjoy the fruit basket within 1-2 days.
You can use edible flowers such as pansies, chive blossoms, peonies, or roses. Or garnish with mint or basil.
You can zig-zag the edge instead, or simply leave it straight.
More Fruit
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Watermelon Popsicles with Chocolate
Valentine's day
Chocolate Fruit Skewers
If you make this recipe or any other recipe on Foodbites, then I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to leave a comment and rating below.
Watermelon Basket
Equipment
- 2 rubber bands
- pairing knife
Ingredients
- 1 watermelon
- 1 cantaloupe
- 1 Galia melon
- fresh basil
Instructions
- Arrange the rubber bands around the watermelon so they cross at 90° to each other.
- Place the watermelon on a damp cloth to keep it from rolling around.
- Using the vertical rubber band as your guide, trim a handle to each side of that band.
- Stop cutting when you get to the horizontal band.
- Using the horizontal band as your guide, cut into the melon from each side in a straight line until you get to the handle.
- Carefully remove each side section.
- Cut out the inside of the handle. Save it for the flower decoration.
- Trim the horizontal edge of the watermelon basket into a scalloped shape with a small paring knife (you can lower the rubber band to use as a guide).
- Use the melon baller to scoop out watermelon from the two side pieces and from the remaining melon.
- Once you have as many melon balls as possible, use a spoon to remove any leftover watermelon flesh.
- Slice the top off the cantaloupe and Galia.
- Scoop out the melon with the baller.
- Fill the watermelon basket with the melon balls.
- Cut out the watermelon flower from the saved piece.
- Use the medium round cutter to remove the center of the flower.
- Fill the flower with a round piece of Galia melon.
- Secure the flower with toothpick ends.
- Garnish with fresh basil leaves.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
