What Is Yellow Watermelon? 5 Varieties of Yellow Watermelon

Yellow watermelon is a summer fruit that gets its name from its bright yellow flesh. While traditional watermelons with red flesh may be more familiar and widely available today, yellow watermelons have been grown in Africa for nearly 5,000 years. Farmers used selective cross-breeding to develop its color, texture, and flavor. Its striped, green outer rind is identical to that of red watermelon.

Red watermelon gets its red color from lycopene, the same antioxidant found in pink grapefruits and tomatoes. Yellow watermelon does not contain lycopene, and as a result, it never turns red. Instead, it is high in beta-carotene, the same antioxidant that gives cantaloupes, pumpkins, and sweet potatoes their signature colors. Yellow watermelons are not only delicious, but they also offer numerous health benefits. They're high in vitamins A and C, which work to support your immune system and promote healthy eyes and skin.

Despite their color difference, yellow watermelons taste remarkably similar to the red and pink varieties of watermelon. The texture is similarly crisp and juicy. However, some yellow watermelon varieties can be slightly sweeter with a honey-like flavor.

Yellow watermelon varieties might not be easy to find in a traditional grocery store. Try searching your local farmer's market instead to get your hands on these yellow varieties.

1. 1. ‘Yellow Crimson’: Though they look exactly the same as ‘Crimson Sweet’—the more traditional pink watermelon variety—their yellow fruit is even sweeter.
2. 2. ‘Buttercup Yellow Melon’: This is a hybrid, seedless variety with a remarkably high sugar content. This variety is one of the sweetest seedless watermelon varieties.
3. 3. ‘Yellow Flesh Black Diamond’: The ‘Black Diamond’ variety was originally developed in Arkansas. Its rind has a solid dark green color. This yellow variety is equally as delicious as the red ones, but not quite as sweet as other yellow watermelons.
4. 4. ‘Desert King’: Extremely high in beta-carotene, this variety more closely resembles a cantaloupe while still tasting like a yellow watermelon.
5. 5. ‘Yellow Doll’: Also known as ‘Yellow Baby Doll,’ this variety is small and matures earlier than most varieties of watermelon. It weighs only five to six pounds, but its dense, crisp flesh is still sweet and juicy.

Yellow watermelons are packed with nutritional benefits and make for the perfect addition to a wide array of recipes.

1. 1. Smoothies: Use yellow watermelon interchangeably with red varieties in smoothies and fruit salads.
   
2. 2. Salads: Try substituting a yellow watermelon variety for a red watermelon in a watermelon feta salad recipe. Be sure to remove the large yellow watermelon seeds before adding them to a dish.
3. 3. Cocktails: Substitute yellow watermelon juice for red watermelon in a range of summertime cocktail recipes from watermelon margaritas to watermelon mint mojitos.

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