What Is Yellow Watermelon?
Is there anything better than sinking your teeth into a crisp, juicy wedge of watermelon on a hot summer day? No barbecue, picnic or beach trip would be complete with this pink summertime staple. But did you know that not all watermelon is pink? The sweet seasonal fruit also comes in a vibrant shade of yellow. But what is yellow watermelon exactly? And what’s the difference between yellow watermelon and its bright pink counterpart?
See more: 23 Refreshing Melon Recipes to Make This Summer
Lacking in Lycopene
On the outside, yellow watermelons look exactly the same as pink watermelons with an identical, striped green rind. So what makes the inside colors different? Traditional watermelons get their signature pink hue from lycopene, the same antioxidant that makes tomatoes and grapefruits red. Yellow watermelons, however, don’t contain lycopene, so they never take on a reddish color.
Surprisingly, the cultivation of yellow watermelons came before pink watermelons. First grown in Africa about 5,000 years ago, yellow watermelons went through generations of selective cross-breeding for texture, color and sweetness before any pink variety ever appeared. As the lycopene content of hybrid varieties increased over time, the fruit naturally became redder and redder. Far from the original watermelon in both taste and appearance, the pink watermelon on our picnic blankets today is the perfect product of centuries of cross-breeding.
See more: How to Pick Out a Watermelon
What’s the Difference?
Aside from the obvious color difference, there is a slight difference in taste between yellow and pink watermelons. The yellow varieties usually taste a bit sweeter than the pink and have a more honey-like flavor. Both come in seeded and seedless varieties (also a product of natural cross-breeding) and can be used interchangeably in fruit salads, smoothies, desserts and other summertime treats.
Nutritionally, both varieties contain high levels of vitamins A and C. And although yellow watermelons lack lycopene, they make up for it in beta carotene, a powerful antioxidant that protects against cancer.
See more: What is Tapioca?
Yellow Watermelon Varieties
Interested in planting your own yellow watermelon? Learn more about some of the most common varieties:
- Yellow Crimson: Identical to Crimson Sweet (traditional pink watermelon) on the outside, this variety has bright yellow flesh and tastes even sweeter.
- Yellow Doll: This early-maturing melon only weighs about 5 to 7 pounds but tastes very sweet.
- Buttercup Yellow Melon: This seedless, hybrid variety has dense yellow flesh and a very high sugar content.
- Desert King: This variety is orange like cantaloupe but has the crisp texture of watermelon.
- Yellow Petite: Sometimes considered a personal watermelon, Yellow Petites weight just 4 to 7 pounds each and have a high sugar content.
Watermelon Recipes
Can’t get enough watermelon in the summertime? Try some of these delicious seasonal recipes!
Watermelon Mint Lemonade
Quinoa Salad with Watermelon, Cucumber, Feta and Citrus Vinaigrette
Thai Mixed Melon Salad
Watermelon Whip
Have you ever tried yellow watermelon? Let us know in the comments!
Find more wonderful watermelon recipes here.
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[…] the outside, a yellow watermelon looks exactly like a red one. Both have the same dark green striped rind, sometimes a bit cracked […]
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[…] will boggle your minds. This time it’s a Watermelon Peach Salad with fresh watermelon (red or yellow will work!), perfectly ripe peaches (although nectarines are just as amazing), Persian cucumbers, […]
My favorite, unfortunately I rarely am able to find them
Sprouts carries them!
Clemons on Curry Ford Road has them
Luckily for me, since I’m allergic to fruit , I can eat yellow watermelon! I feel very blessed ! I’ve been eating them almost every year. I can’t eat a lot though ! You can’t get away from acid!
I bought a watermelon thinking that it was a regular red watermelon. I cut it open and thought that maybe something was wrong…I tasted it and it tasted like red watermelon. Now all I eat is yellow watermelon. The health benefits are better. It is a win win😀
I would love to try some but don’t know where to find them.
I just got one from farmers market. it tastes great.
Sprouts carries them
Who knew. I had never seen or tasted a yellow watermelon in all my 70 years until yesterday. It was wonderful.
Just bought one at the West Side Market in Cleveland. Great taste, especially when cold
Just had one from the farmers market in Ottawa, KS. It was delightful 😊
Was recently at a reenactment, and someone brought a yellow watermelon. Had never seen one before. Tasted great!
I just bought one today by accident. It’s very tasty!
Where?
Sprouts carries them… Thats how i got mine… by accident. Yummy
I have never eaten one until right now and I’m 54. If I close my eyes, I would not be able to tell the difference. Great Watermelon!
Which yellow variety tastes more like honey than the others?
I’m doing research for a new recipe that doesn’t require aSteny sugar. Please reply and thank you.
Steven P Williams
[…] watermelon used to exist only in yellow colour in Australia over 5000 years ago but with time, it evolved and […]
[…] Traditional watermelons get their signature pink hue from lycopene, the same antioxidant that makes tomatoes and grapefruits red. Yellow watermelons, however, don't contain lycopene, so they never take on a reddish color. Surprisingly, the cultivation of yellow watermelons came before pink watermelons. via […]
My wife spotted these at our local supermarket and was intrigued. Although all unsure at first, us and the kids we’re pleasantly surprised by the beautiful flavour.
I love the yellow 💛 watermelon, have found them at commissary, safe and farmers market, and in NC
[…] Yellow Doll: This early-maturing melon only weighs about 5 to 7 pounds but tastes very sweet. Buttercup Yellow Melon: This seedless, hybrid variety has dense yellow flesh and a very high sugar content. Desert King: This variety is orange like cantaloupe but has the crisp texture of watermelon. via […]
[…] The yellow varieties usually taste a bit sweeter than the pink and have a more honey-like flavor. Both come in seeded and seedless varieties (also a product of natural cross-breeding) and can be used interchangeably in fruit salads, smoothies, desserts and other summertime treats. via […]
[…] So what makes the inside colors different? Traditional watermelons get their signature pink hue from lycopene, the same antioxidant that makes tomatoes and grapefruits red. Yellow watermelons, however, don't contain lycopene, so they never take on a reddish color. via […]
[…] Source: https://farmflavor.com/lifestyle/what-is-yellow-watermelon/ […]
[…] to be pink. So I decided to look it up and learned that regardless of how you perceive the color, watermelon also comes in yellow! Traditional watermelons get their signature red/pink color from lycopene which is the same […]
You folks are hilarious I’ve been eating yellow watermelons for 65 years here in Texas best ones come from West Texas
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[…] wine is a type of fruit wine made from watermelons. It is usually made with red or pink watermelons, as they have more sugar than yellow or green watermelons. Watermelon wine is usually semi-sweet or […]
[…] Read More […]
[…] Spice. Not that fake juice like Sunny Delight 😅. Sunny D’ Spice is a simple mixture of yellow watermelon, ginger, honey, and water. All you have to do is blend the yellow watermelon flesh, add a piece of […]
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