Certified organic and grown by Ephraim Schmucker on his farm in Cameron, Ontario, about two hours north of Toronto.
Watermelon is a classic, refreshing summer favourite among Canadians — dark green outer skin, a pale green inner rind, and sweet, juicy flesh in pink, orange, or yellow. Here in Ontario, watermelons are ready to gather in late summer. Look for a dark green rind, a golden-yellow spot on the underside, a deep hollow sound when thumped, and a fruit that feels heavy for its size — all signs of a ripe, sweet melon (a little brown scarring or webbing on the skin is a good thing, too).
Enjoy it fresh on its own, or cut it into salads, smoothies, and juices. It also makes a great base for wine, syrups, or pickled rinds, freezes well for longer storage, and can even be grilled, smoked with meat, or hollowed out as a serving vessel for drinks.
Watermelon grows on a vine, flowering before setting fruit much like squash or zucchini, and traces its roots to northeastern Africa, where it was domesticated in Egypt by around 2000 BC. Sweet varieties spread through the Mediterranean under the Romans, reached European gardens by the 1600s, and crossed the Atlantic with European colonists and enslaved Africans. Early watermelons were bitter, pale-fleshed, and tough to open — prized mainly for their high water content as a way to store hydration through dry seasons. Centuries of breeding gave us the sweet, easy-to-open ingredient we gather today.
