ELEANOR K. ASKS: Should I clean the outside of my watermelon before eating it? If so, what’s the best way to do that?

Good question, Eleanor. Like most fruits and vegetables, you should clean the outside of your watermelon, even though you don’t eat the rind. (Although some people do, but that’s a topic for another day.) There’s not likely to be anything too horrible on there, but a quick cleaning will eliminate the chances of transferring whatever’s on the outside of your watermelon to the inside when you cut into it.

Unlike most other things in the kitchen, cleaning a watermelon is pretty easy. I usually just rinse it under cold water and wipe it dry – sort of like an apple. If it’s too big to fit in your sink (lucky you), a wipe down with a damp cloth should do the trick.