How To Make a Watermelon Basket

Carving your own watermelon basket couldn’t be easier. In just a few simple steps I’ll show you how to make a watermelon basket in the most delicious way possible!

Because really, has summer actually began if you’re not diving your face into a watermelon basket fruit salad? I know, I’m just THAT extra these days 😂 But hey, looks pretty neat right!?

Watermelon Basket

So when the heck are you going to make a watermelon basket?

A watermelon basket is perfect for any sort of get to together. Sure, a big bowl of fruit salad looks great, but stick it in a watermelon basket and people flock to it. I’m talking BBQs, potluck, picnics, dinner parties and realistically I’m talking any sort of event where there’s also a chocolate fountain. Can you imagine!? 😭

What do you need to make a watermelon basket?

• Sharp Knife 
• Melon Baller – to scoop out the flesh into balls.
• 2 Elastic Bands – to help guide the carving.

Process shots: wrap one elastic band horizontally through the centre and the other vertically through the centre (photo 1), gently carve an outline approx 1/2″ either side of the top elastic band. This will shape the handle. Gently carve an outline straight along the other elastic band (photo 2), once happy with the guidelines, slice through and remove the chunk (photo 3).

Can you actually hold a watermelon basket?

Yes – I have actually tested this 🤣 I mean what use is a basket if it can’t carry any weight! All jokes aside if the handle is around 1″ thick and you don’t overload the basket you should be totally fine.

How do you cut a watermelon for fruit salad?

The easiest way to get the flesh out of the watermelon is to use a melon baller. You should be able to find one of these in most stores. It’s an easy way to remove as much flesh as possible without cutting through the skin. Plus you get a ton of funky watermelon balls!

Process shots: repeat with the other side, leaving the handle with flesh intact (photo 4), carefully cut through the flesh left underneath the handle. Level out the surface so it’s even if you need to (photo 5), use a melon baller to scoop out all of the flesh and combine with your favourite fruit (photo 6).

Watermelon Fruit Salad

A fruit salad is one of those recipes that has no real rules or boundaries. For me? I keep it fairly simple, garnish it well and tend to prefer fruit salads without juice. My tips for the best fruit salad are to keep the colours vibrant and steer away from your average everyday fruit. Here’s the usual suspects for me:

• Pineapple
• Pomegranate
• Strawberries
• Blueberries
• Fig
• Passion Fruit

To juice or not to juice?

There will be a lot of excess watermelon juice once you’ve scooped out the flesh. You can keep this in the basket, or even combine it with extra fruit juice, or you can drain it away and have a slightly dryer fruit salad. Up to you!

Serving a Watermelon Basket

Once you’ve whipped up the fruit salad, just scoop it back into the basket and Bob’s your uncle! I also like to garnish with some fresh mint too.

Can you make a watermelon basket the day before?

You sure can! Just tightly cover in the fridge. It’ll last a good 3-5days.

What to do with leftover watermelon?

You’ll be left with leftover watermelon (from the two chunks you remove to make the basket). You can store it in the fridge then use it in any of these recipes:

Watermelon Salad Recipes

• Grilled Watermelon Salad
• Watermelon Feta Salad
• Watermelon Mozzarella Salad
• More Watermelon Salad Ideas!

Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for this watermelon basket shall we?!

How to make a Watermelon Basket (Full Recipe & Video)

How To Make a Watermelon Basket

Carving your own watermelon basket couldn't be easier. In just a few simple steps I'll show you how to make a watermelon basket in the most delicious way possible.

5 from 5 votes

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Servings (click & slide): 6

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: BBQ / Summer

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Calories per serving: 198kcal

Author: Chris Collins

Cost per serving: £2 / $2.50

Cook Mode(prevent your screen from going dark)

Equipment:

• Melon Baller
• 2x Elastic bands
• Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
• Large Mixing Bowl & Spatula

Ingredients (check list):

• ▢ 1 perfectly ripe Watermelon
• ▢ 1/2 Pineapple, peeled, cored & sliced
• ▢ 2 cups Strawberries, sliced
• ▢ 1 cup Blueberries
• ▢ 1/2 cup Pomegranate Seeds
• ▢ 1 Passion fruit, halved
• ▢ 1 Fig, sliced
• ▢ few sprigs of Fresh Mint

Instructions:

• In a large mixing bowl combine all the fruit minus the passionfruit/mint. Place in the fridge to chill.
• Grab your Watermelon and wrap two elastic bands around it, one horizontal and one vertical, both crossing directly in the centre (see video below for reference)
• Carefully slice approx 1/2" either side of the top elastic band to form the handle. Slice directly along the middle elastic band and remove both of the chunks.
• Slice away the flesh from underneath the handle, then use a melon baller to remove the flesh from the watermelon.
• Combine in a bowl with your prepped fruit, pour back into the watermelon and garnish with fresh mint. Place in the passionfruit halves then serve up and enjoy!

Quick 1 min demo!

Notes:

a) Leftover Watermelon - You won't need to use the two chunks you remove when making the handle, so pop in the fridge ready for your next watermelon craving. Check out my Watermelon Salads post for more inspo!

b) Watermelon Juice - There will be a lot of juice leftover in the watermelon, up to you if you want to combine that (and maybe with other juices) with the fruit. With the same token this process can get quite messy, so make sure you cover your worktop accordingly!

c) Fruit Salad - Feel free to combine your favourite fruit for the salad! This is just my preferred combo & measurements.

d) Can you make a watermelon basket the day before? - Yep! Just tightly cover in the fridge. It'll last a good 3-5days.

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Nutrition:

Nutrition Facts

How To Make a Watermelon Basket

Amount Per Serving

Calories 198 Calories from Fat 10

% Daily Value*

Fat 1.1g2%

Saturated Fat 0.1g1%

Polyunsaturated Fat 0.4g

Monounsaturated Fat 0.2g

Sodium 7mg0%

Potassium 645mg18%

Carbohydrates 49.5g17%

Fiber 5.3g21%

Sugar 38.2g42%

Protein 3.5g7%

Vitamin A 4600IU92%

Vitamin C 106.4mg129%

Calcium 50mg5%

Iron 1.4mg8%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition is based on the absence of salt unless stated as a measurement in the ingredients. Cost is worked out based on ingredients bought from UK supermarkets, then divided by the number of servings. In both instances these values are just for guidance. Please check out my FAQ Page for more info.

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Looking for more?You'll find plenty more delicious comfort food like this in my Debut Cookbook 'Comfy'

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