SECOND SLICE: FOUR QUICK WATERMELON QUESTIONS

The following was posted back in 2010, but they’re all good questions, so I’ve decided to post it again.

As The Watermelon Guy, I get a lot of questions about watermelon, and I’m happy to answer them. Some are great questions with simple answers. Like the ones below.

DAN C. ASKS: Why is watermelon called watermelon?

Watermelons are 92 percent water by weight, the highest percentage of any fruit. It’s a good thing other fruits aren’t named using the same method, though. Otherwise, there’d be some fruits with some pretty weird names.

SANDRA K. ASKS: If I drop a piece of watermelon on the ground, can I pick it up and still eat it?

Despite what the five-second rule might claim, I don’t recommend it. Because a watermelon is so wet, it has a greater chance of picking up all kinds of nasty stuff during its brief stay on the ground. It hurts, I know, but you’ll have to throw that piece away and grab another one. You do have another piece, don’t you?

JANICE T. ASKS: What do I do if I get a bad watermelon from the store?

That happens to the best of us now and then. Many stores may be willing to refund your money or let you exchange it for a new watermelon. Hopefully, yours is one of them. But do let the produce manager know that you got a bad one. Otherwise, how is he to know there is a problem with the quality in the first place? Quite likely, if you picked a bad one, someone else might have a bad one too. They’re all from the same row, after all.

JON S. ASKS: Are you a watermelon-aholic?

Yes. My name is The Watermelon Guy and I am a watermelon-aholic. There, I’ve come clean. Which reminds me, I cleaned out my fridge last night and realized I’m dangerously low on watermelon. Pardon me while I make a run to the grocery store.