How to Make a Mellon Basket

You've probably seen a basket made from the rind of a melon and filled with melon balls. Although making a melon basket takes a good bit of work, no special skill is required. When you're done, it makes an impressive addition to a potluck, picnic or party table.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• watermelon
• butcher knife
• melon baller
• spoon

Watermelon

1. Look at your watermelon sideways and try to see the shape of a basket. The bottom half of the melon is the basket itself, and the handle is a strip of rind in the middle of the top.

2. Cut out the two chunks of melon that are not part of the basket which amounts to approximately the top two quarters, leaving a thin strip of melon in the middle for the handle of the basket.

3. Make the flesh of the melon (both the removed chunks and the basket part) into balls, using the melon baller. You can make the balls all one size, or a variety of sizes. You'll have some leftover bits, but you can eat them now or save them for another recipe.

4. Scrape any leftover rough bits of melon out of your basket using a spoon.

5. Use your knife to carve a decorative edge on your melon basket if you like.

6. Remove any obvious seeds from the melon balls.

7. Fill the basket with the melon balls, and keep it chilled until you're ready to serve it.

Tips & Warnings

• For a fancier basket, add balls from cantaloupe and honeydew melons.
• Another variation is to mix the melon balls up with a little rose water or cold mint tea before filling the basket, for a slightly more unusual flavor.

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