The short answer is yes, you can. But it will limit what you can do with the fruit after. Unlike some other fruits and veggies, watermelon won’t thaw nicely back to something resembling its original texture. When thawed, the watermelon tends to get quite mushy due to its high water content. However, there are ways to freeze the fruit that make it usable for a variety of fun and flavorful options. From there, you’ll want to break down the watermelon—in cubes, or using a melon baller. Don’t forget to take advantage of the watermelon rind, which actually has some health benefits (and can even be used in a face mask). After cubing it, you’ve got two options: If you don’t mind having to hack apart the frozen pieces of watermelon when you want to use it, you can simply put it in a container. But “the best way to freeze watermelon is to cube it and place it on a baking tray,” says Sarah Thomas-Drawbaugh, recipe developer and founder of Healthyish Foods. It will take a few hours for the watermelon to freeze, and then it will last from eight to 12 months—so you can stretch your watermelon supply long beyond the summer months. Thomas-Drawbaugh has a slightly more family-friendly recommendation, but one that’s no less summer-inspired: incorporating frozen watermelon into a batch of this quick and easy nice cream:
