How to Freeze Watermelon in 4 Steps

Fresh watermelon has a high water content, so it freezes easily. To freeze fresh watermelon, follow these steps:

1. 1. Cut the watermelon. Cut the watermelon into smaller pieces, making sure to cut off the watermelon rind, and remove the watermelon seeds. You can freeze watermelon slices, watermelon cubes, watermelon chunks, or watermelon balls created with a melon baller.
2. 2. Place watermelon pieces on a baking sheet. Place a piece of parchment paper or wax paper on a baking sheet. Spread the watermelon pieces on the baking tray in a single layer, making sure the pieces are not touching each other.
3. 3. Flash freeze the watermelon. Place the baking sheet in the freezer and let the watermelon freeze for about two hours. Flash freezing the watermelon will make sure they don’t stick together when you put them in a freezer bag for easy storage.
4. 4. Put watermelon into a storage bag. Place the watermelon into a freezer bag or an airtight container. Frozen watermelon will last up to a year in the freezer.

Alternatively, you can freeze watermelon puree in ice cube trays. Flash freeze the ice cube tray, then place the cubes in a freezer bag or airtight container. You can use the frozen puree to make popsicles or refreshing beverages, like watermelon lemonade, watermelon margaritas, smoothies, or sorbet.

Here are some other things to consider when freezing watermelon.

1. 1. Freeze watermelon pieces. It is a challenge to defrost a frozen rind, so avoid freezing a whole watermelon. You can easily freeze watermelon slices, cubes, or shapes.
2. 2. Toss the watermelon with sugar. Freezing watermelon can neutralize some of the sweetness in the watermelon. If you prefer a sweeter watermelon, you can toss your watermelon slices in sugar before flash freezing them.
3. 3. Eat slightly thawed watermelon. Frozen watermelon will lose some of its crunchy texture in the thawing process. Eat frozen watermelon when it’s slightly thawed.

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