In this recurring column, our panel of watermelon experts answer a question posed through our “Ask the Experts” feature in the right hand sidebar. Feel free to ask your own question. All questions get a response and some will be featured here on What About Watermelon.

MICHAEL C. FROM SAN DIEGO, CA, ASKS: Is it okay to eat watermelon seeds?

For some reason, our mothers liked to tell us that if we ate a watermelon seed, a watermelon would grow in our stomach. I was never sure where that tall tale came from or why parents perpetuated it, but millions of kids grow up in constant fear of watermelon seeds because they don’t want to wake up one morning with a 10-pound fruit germinating in their belly. Of course, this isn’t true.

Other people (i.e. those over the age of seven who are wise to the stories adults tell) fear that watermelon seeds contain some sort of harmful chemicals and should therefore be avoided at all costs. This isn’t true either.

The truth is, watermelons seeds are 100 percent safe for consumption! I actually know some people who like to eat them, including many who roast them with salt like pumpkin seeds. They’re a tasty snack if you give them a chance. Maybe that’s why our parents told us not to eat the seeds. They wanted us to save them so they could roast them and enjoy them after the kids went to bed. Excuse me… I have to call my mother.

UP NEXT: A deep fried watermelon recipe

In this recurring column, our panel of watermelon experts answer a question posed through our “Ask the Experts” feature in the right hand sidebar. Feel free to ask your own question. All questions get a response and some will be featured here on What About Watermelon.

PAT R. FROM WICHITA, KANSAS, ASKS: We are planning for a neighborhood party for about 500 people.  How many average sized watermelons would we need to serve melon wedges?

Wow! 500 people sounds like quite a party. Mind if I come? I’m just kidding (sort of).

Let’s do some math here. We know that the average 20-pound watermelon yields about 53 6-ounce wedges (3/4 of an inch thick). That’s about two-and-a-half wedges per pound. Using that formula, you’ll need roughly 200 pounds of watermelon. In other words, 20 10-pound watermelons or 13-and-a-third 15-pound watermelons.   (I wouldn’t recommend cutting the watermelon in the store to get that extra third of a watermelon. They might frown on that.)

Of course, that’s assuming everyone eats only one slice. Some will eat two or three (or ten) slices. Then again, others might not eat any, but that’s their loss, right? To be safe, go ahead and pick up a few extra watermelons, just in case. After all, like I told David a little while ago, there’s no such thing as “too much watermelon.”

Hope this helps. Let me know how the party turns out, and if you want me to stop by, you know how to reach me!

Enjoy,
Chef Harry

UP NEXT: A seed spittin’ contest!