Watermelons originated from southern Africa and are thought to have been cultivated in the Nile Valley as far back as the second millennium BC, as evidenced by watermelon seeds in tomb of King Tut. In the United States, it is believed that watermelons were being cultivated by Native Americans by the 16th and 17th centuries. Today, watermelons are available in all sorts of colors, sizes, and even shapes!Watermelon is good source of vitamin C, beta carotene (vitamin A), and lycopene. It's delicious chilled, frozen, or as a base ingredient for sorbet (see our post on making sorbet).
One day while doing some garden work, someone noticed that almost all of our melons were gone, ripped clean from the vines! A few days later, we discovered the culprits: coyotes! Due to the drought we experienced this summer in New England, animals such as coyotes we forced to find alternative water sources to prevent dehydration; apparently, the farm's watermelons (about 150 of them) were the best substitute they could find.
A baby watermelon in the morning sun (above)
Media (text and image) created and published by Rebekah Carter 2010.
No comments:
Post a Comment