Our first annual National Watermelon Carving Contest is in the books and I have to admit that it wasn’t easy narrowing the field down to just four finalists. There were so many great entries to choose from and after much deliberation (and a few arguments over which carving should get the last finalist spot), I was able to come up with the four carvings you’ll see here on What About Watermelon this week. On Friday, I’ll open the polls for everyone to vote for their favorite.

Our first finalist in the National Watermelon Carving Contest is Ronna F. of Rockville, MD. Ronna’s Easter Bunny makes great use of the rind to create bunny ears. How she got the ears to stay on there is a mystery, but I’m guessing she used either toothpicks or magic (but probably toothpicks).

Remember the video I posted here a few months ago of the kitten playing with the watermelon? You can claim that you don’t, but you know that you do. Well, it seems cute, cuddly kittens aren’t the only animals that adore America’s favorite fruit. Cute, cuddly bulldogs named Gus also like watermelons… as you’ll see in the video below.

History is full of amazing inventions. The automobile, the light bulb, high definition television. But now there’s a new invention to add to the list of life-changing products – the portable watermelon cooler.

The portable watermelon cooler (shown in various stages of awesomeness above) was developed in Japan, where watermelon is one of the most highly prized fruits in all the land. Of course, this device will keep your watermelon cold, but it can also warm it up. I’m told the warming feature is intended for other foods – not watermelons – but if you’re the kind of person who likes their watermelons warm, you can be happy about this invention, too.

When I first saw this thing, I immediately thought of the little wheeled toy I had as a toddler with the balls inside the dome that bounced around when you pushed it around the living room. I just did some research to come up with the photo on the right and found out that it’s called a “corn popper” and they’ve been making it since the 1950s.

That toy probably costs about $20. The portable watermelon cooler, on the other hand, is only available in Japan (sorry), where it sells for a price of about $230. Until the price comes down a bit, I might have to raid my parent’s attic for that old corn popper toy and try to retrofit it to hold tiny watermelons.

Whoever made this rug could have created it with a red center and a green and white border and called it a “watermelon rug” and been done with it. But they didn’t stop there. They took the watermelon theme one step further by adding seeds to the design. Attention to detail – that’s why I chose it as this month’s prize.

What I like most about this rug is that it’s very clearly a watermelon-themed rug, but not in an in-your-face “hey check out my watermelon rug” kind of way. Know what I mean? I’ll give this tasteful addition to your kitchen away to one commenter chosen at random from all the comments left here on What About Watermelon this month. Good luck!

JOHN K. OF NEW BLOOMFIELD, PA, ASKS: What’s the best kind of watermelon?

Great question, John. Your inquiry may be only six words, but it couldn’t be more difficult to answer.

Within the main categories of seedless, picnic (seeded), ice box and yellow flesh watermelons are hundred of different types, many of which are very closely related because they are literally closely related. What I mean by that is that many watermelon are crossbred to produce a product that has the best attributes of both contributing varieties.

Below is a chart from the National Watermelon Promotion Board website that outlines just a few of the more than 200 varieties of watermelon grown here in the United States.

While this chart doesn’t tell you which types are better, I can tell you that one of the most popular varieties of watermelon is the Crimson Sweet, which is prized for its deep, red, very sweet flesh. It’s also popular among growers of all experience levels because it’s a hearty, relatively easy watermelon to grow.

Although the exact variety of watermelon you might buy in the grocery store is often unknown (if it’s a seedless, it could be one of several varieties), it’s a pretty safe bet that the best type of watermelon is the kind that’s sitting right in front of you and ready to be eaten. I know that’s an easy way to answer your question, but it’s true, right? For a more detailed look at 18 popular types of watermelon, check out this handy slide show on the Saveur website. It might not answer your question, but it’ll definitely make you very hungry.

UP NEXT: The fastest watermelon peeler in all the land

I was in the grocery store the other day, motoring past the bakery section (I’ve found the faster I move past the bakery section, the less liable bakery items are to wind up in my cart), when I was stopped dead in my tracks by the beautiful red, white and green creation pictured above.

Somehow I was able to resist adding it to my purchases, mainly because I already had two containers of ice cream I hadn’t planned on buying. It wasn’t until just now that I noticed the “chocolate” sticker on top of the container. It would have been extra cool if they had made it with vanilla cake with red food coloring added to bump up the watermelon factor another notch. If they do that, I’m sure to buy one… and some ice cream.

UP NEXT: A tough question

August 31 marks the deadline for the first National Watermelon Carving Contest and I wanted to send out one last reminder to send those entries in!

To recap, I’m looking for your best looking watermelon basket. Nothing fancy, just whatever you come up with. Send me a photo of your finished carving AND a photo of you with the carving to watermelonexperts@gmail.com. I haven’t received a TON of entries yet, which means the chance of your entry being named one of the four finalists and winning the grand prize is pretty good. (Seriously.)

What’s the grand prize, you ask? It’s the “Ultimate Watermelon Carving Kit”! Check it out here and feel free to check out more complete contest rules here. Good luck!

UP NEXT: Spotted in the grocery store

It’s hot out there, people, which is why both recipes featured here on What About Watermelon this month will be ice cold and refreshing. Let me repeat – ice cold and refreshing. As if watermelon isn’t refreshing enough, right?

WATERMELON ICE

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups pureed watermelon
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup lime juice

INSTRUCTIONS

In blender, process chunks of seeded watermelon until liquefied. In large shallow pan, stir all ingredients together until sugar is dissolved; place pan in freezer. Stir watermelon mixture every 20 minutes until frozen, about 2 hours. Cover; store in freezer. To serve, break mixture up with fork.

UP NEXT: Last call for watermelon carvings!

Growing up in rural Pennsylvania, I was lucky (?) enough to witness and participate in all sorts of strange games and contests. One contest that I remember vividly was the annual greased pig catching contest at our local town fair each summer. The premise is simple: The first person to catch a thoroughly greased oinker (they’re hard enough to catch when they’re “clean”), gets to keep the pig. I never won the contest, and now that I think about it, I’m not really sure what I would have done with the pig if I did.

Which leads me to today’s entry. A friend of mine who, I think, loves watermelon almost as much as I do but isn’t ready to admit it, sent me a link to instructions for playing a summertime game called “greased watermelon polo.” The name alone was enough to pique my curiosity and convince me, even before I read the rules of the game, that I’d have to stage a greased watermelon polo tournament at my house by summer’s end.

Here’s how the game works:

Two teams enter a swimming pool. A referee drops a watermelon covered in vegetable oil or petroleum jelly into the center of the pool. The teams then kick, push or swim with the watermelon in an effort to get the watermelon to the opposing team’s side of the pool while the opposing team tries to do the same. Sort of like soccer, only in a pool… with a really slippery watermelon.

More detailed rules can be found here, but I’m thinking once that watermelon hits the water, all rational thought and pool etiquette go right out the window and mayhem sets in pretty quickly. Sounds like my kind of game. All I need now is a nice-sized backyard pool!

Below is a video of greased watermelon polo in action. It should be noted that the players in this video are violating a very important rule of the sport by lifting the watermelon out of the water and throwing it. My old age (mid-30s, thank you) is showing when I say this, but throwing a watermelon into a swarm of people seems pretty dangerous. That’s a definite technical foul for the polo player in the gray swim trunks.

Ever since my failed attempt last month to find a pair of watermelon shoes, I’ve been on a watermelon-themed clothing kick. I currently own exactly zero watermelon-themed articles of clothing (unless you count a barbecue apron stained by watermelon juice), but at the rate I’m going, that might change.

My latest search lead me to these cool watermelon pajama pants. Technically they’re called “women’s pajama pants,” but I don’t see any reason why a man couldn’t wear these pants. Is there some unwritten rule that says women are the only ones allowed to wear clothes with miniature watermelon slices on them? I don’t think so. If it’s okay for me to wear Spiderman pajama pants (debatable, I know), why can’t I wear these?

Oh well. Instead of buying a pair for myself, I’ll let this serve as an official hint for any family or friends who might need some inspiration when searching for a gift for me in the future. In the meantime, I’ve purchased one pair of these sweet PJ’s to give away to one comment chosen at random from all the comments left here on What About Watermelon this month. Good luck!

UP NEXT: Watermelon plus grease equals???