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Watermelon Fruit Basket

 
This is one of the easiest edible fruit baskets you will ever make. I promise that it will impress your friends and party guest. I've been making them for over 10 years now and had forgot about it until this summer. The first one I did was for a company meeting, and my employees couldn't believe that I went to so much trouble. LOL

Getting started

 The first thing of any recipe is going shopping for the ingredients. You should buy produce that is organic and definitely fresh. Start off with a medium size watermelon that is fairly round, with good color and has at least one good flat side so it will set up straight and not be wobbling. My other ingredients for the fresh fruit basket varies depending on the season and what they have on hand. You can add anything that you like but here are some things that I place in my basket:

 

• Blueberries

• Strawberries

• Pineapple chunks

• Grapes (red and green)

• Cantaloupe (cut in half and scoop out with a melon ball utensil)

• Watermelon (scoop out with a melon ball utensil)

As soon as I get home, I wash all of my fruit and melons thoroughly. Then I refrigerate everything but the Watermelon.

 Prepping the Watermelon

First I decide which way the watermelon sits the best to make the watermelon fruit basket. Make sure it's good and flat with no wobbling and on a flat surface. The white side that it was sitting on is usually your best bet. Then I get out my trusted yard stick and measure the height and length. I then take my height  and divide it in half, that determines my cut line. Placing the yard stick standing straight up, I take a marker and go all the way around the melon marking my cut line.

Marking for the handle for the edible fruit basket is the next step. If your watermelon is 18 inches long, for example, I mark the top center at 9 inches and both sides. I then add 1 1/2 inches to both sides of my center mark. (Just remember, your handle will not turn out to be 3 inches wide, because we still have to cut the indention's in it.) I then take my yardstick and mark for the handle from side to side across the top. Always begin your first cut on the handle because it will help you out to not over cut when placing the cuts from each side. Then taking a long butcher knife, I cut down from the top for both sides of the handle. Then I cut from each side back towards the middle.

 
Melon Balling the Watermelon

 
Next, I start making watermelon balls from all three portions. I usually use both sides of my melon ball utensil for the two different sizes. The seeds are sometimes a problem, if you don't get a seedless watermelon. Just take a small paring knife and stick in the balls to try and check for seeds. This will be the largest quantity of everything in your basket. When the majority of it is out, I then take a large spoon and scoop out whats left. Drain off any excess juice, and you're now ready for the pretty part.

 

Grooving Your Watermelon Fruit Basket

 

This next step looks hard, but it's really not. I usually start beside one of the handles and using a paring knife making small angled cuts between 3/8 and 1/2 inch deep. I then move over and make another angle cut backwards making a "V" shape in the top edge. ( see picture below) Continue this all the way around, then proceed to the handle. This is probably the most time consuming part, but don't let it freak you out. When you get finished, you will not realize that every cut is not perfect. It will look just fine. Just be sure to never pick your watermelon up by the handle. Always carry it from the bottom.

 

Prepping The Other Ingredients

 

I then move on to my cantaloupe to get it ready. Start by cutting in half, then raking all of the seeds and pulp out. (be sure to save this for your compost bin as well as your watermelon and cantaloupe rinds.) I then use my melon ball utensil (both sizes) and proceed to getting as much out as possible. I place all of my ingredients in individual baggies until time to use. Next I remove the stems from the strawberries and cut the bottom off. I pick my grapes off the vine and remove all of the little stems from my blueberries. I try to always use fresh pineapple that I cut into 1/2 inch wedges.

 

Presenting Your Watermelon Fruit Basket

 

I never add my ingredients to my fresh fruit basket until it's time to present it. Never dump everything in at once, because you will have too much. I normally take a portion of everything and mix it in a large bowl and then just fill the edible fruit basket to the top of the v-cuts. Refrigerate whats left to replenish you basket later on. I hope you enjoy using this as much as I have. It's a great way to impress your friends while giving them something very delicious and healthy to munch on.