My family LOVES watermelon – myself included! I was really pleased to discover an easy way to cut a watermelon a few years ago. I started off slicing it slightly differently (see this blog post on how to slice a watermelon in a way that yields pretty diamond-shaped pieces), but I prefer this (similar, but faster) method now. I can easily dice even a large watermelon in under five minutes – while taking pictures of the process. It makes a wonderful tasty treat that stores easily as a healthy summer snack! Use a nice sharp knife and you’ll have a very low-mess watermelon – both as it is being diced and as the kids eat it later.
How to Cut a Watermelon
Cut your watermelon in half, and then cut each half in half, so that you have four wedges. Slice the wedges parallel to the top edge, first on one side (above) and then the other (below).
Now slice perpendicular lines to each row. The more lines and rows you slice, the smaller your final pieces will be.
Pick up your watermelon wedge and hold it over a serving bowl. Most of the watermelon pieces will fall out. See how Emma and Lily ran and got themselves bowls in anticipation of this moment?
Slicing along the rind will get most of the remaining pieces out. Repeat for the remaining three wedges, and you’ll have your watermelon diced and ready to eat!
You’ll have to excuse the dark photos; my kitchen has no windows. I’m planning to put some mirrors up to capture some of the natural light from the living room (where Emma and Lily are sitting), but haven’t gotten actually done it yet.
Does your family enjoy watermelon as much as mine does? What is your favorite kitchen shortcut?
MaryAnne is a craft loving educator, musician, photographer, and writer who lives in Silicon Valley with her husband Mike and their four children.
Thank you! This is such a great idea to cut it all at once! I normally cut small wedges and slice them vertically. We live in Italy and we eat a lot of watermelons :)
Oh, yes! We sure do love watermelon. Growing up in Texas, it was always a Summer staple. My kids like triangles and eating it off the rind.
My kids like it that way, too :)
This is a great tip – I don’t think I would have thought of it but I’m definitely going to give it a try!
It makes cutting a watermelon easy, instead of daunting!
That is a great shortcut MaryAnne. I do much more slicing and dicing typically because my kids like watermelon a lot too and I will try your trick!!! Thanks!!!
This trick really takes the chore out of dicing watermelon.
Super duper easy! I dislike cutting melons and so have a bad habit of buying them and then letting them sit for a while as I try to decide if I’m actually going to cut it up.
That’s what I used to do. I love having an easy way of getting them all diced and ready for eating.
We love watermelons, but I’ve never figured out how to cut it easily. I am definitely trying this technique next time!
This has been such a success for us! Hopefully it works equally well for you :)
What a terrific and easy result! I think I’ve seen a friend slice her avocados in a similar way. Need to try it sometime.
Yes, it works great with avocados as well!
do you have any tips on how to pick a good watermelon? I never know which one to buy :)
I try for ones that sound hollow, and my aunt says that the ones with brown uneven bits are best. She says it is because bees sting those watermelons, and they always know the sweetest ones. I’ve never had a bad watermelon that looked “bee stung”. Good luck!
Yum! We just planted some yellow watermelon tonight, so hopefully we can put this tip to use with that!
My best tip is child-sized everything so that I don’t have to multitask entertaining and cooking — and I get a set of helping hands!
That is an excellent tip! My kids love to help in the kitchen!
Yep, of course we like watermelon. Watermelon equals summer! We cut the water melon very similar. Unless it’s going to be an outdoor party. Leaving the rind on and cutting in small triangles makes it easier to hold and spit the seeds. Spitting the seeds is one of the fun parts you know.
Spitting seeds is fun – I remember doing that as a kid! Most of the watermelons we find these days are seedless…
That’s exactly how we cut our watermelon – except that we make the cut along the rind before we remove any pieces. Then, you can turn the wedge over above the bowl, and all the pieces fall right off :)
Even more efficient!
I have to try your method out next time we get a watermelon. It sure looks easy enough even for me :)
It is very easy – and has made it so much easier to keep watermelon in the house!