This Easy Storage Setup Keeps Cut Watermelon Firm And Juicy

Watermelon is a delicious and refreshing snack. However, it is quite big, and the odds are you won't eat the entire thing in one sitting. This means you'll need to store the leftovers in the fridge. Simply cutting the fruit can shorten its shelf life significantly. Storing the watermelon poses another problem if it's allowed to sit in its own juice and get soggy. Moreover, the liquid could breed bacteria if it's allowed to stick around for prolonged periods. Luckily, you can prevent these issues with a simple tool you likely already have in your kitchen: a colander.

Simply set a colander inside the bowl you want to store the watermelon in, then pour in the fruit. The extra juice will drip through the holes in the colander and into the bowl below, keeping it from building up on the watermelon and making it soggy. Then, throw some cling-wrap over both bowls to create an airtight seal. With this trick, when you whip out those watermelon chunks, they'll be firmer and tastier. Just be sure to always check for signs your watermelon has spoiled before eating it.

If you've got leftover fruit taking up fridge space (and the colander) but you aren't in the mood to eat the fruit on its own, fear not. There are tons of unique ways to prepare watermelon besides simply chunking and eating it. Many of these involve making slushies, popsicles, and cocktails. When it comes to the latter, if you have enough juice in the bottom of your bowl playing the fruit in the colander, you can even use that liquid in your alcoholic drinks and save the actual chunks for another time. The juice would be perfect to include in any of these delicious watermelon cocktail recipes.

If you want to keep it classic but spice things up just a bit, consider sprinkling salt over the fruit. This is especially good for leftover watermelon that isn't as fresh, as the salt decreases the bitter flavor and actually makes the entire thing taste sweeter. Alternatively, you can bring out the flavor by roasting it on the grill, creating a snack perfect for a backyard barbecue. No matter what route you take, you can rest assured that your leftover watermelon will be much fresher thanks to the colander trick, and you might even save yourself a trip to the store for a new one since you'll have less soggy, tasteless pieces to toss out.