Can You Freeze Watermelon?

What happens when you freeze watermelon

Watermelon is about as close to water as fruit gets, and water is what the freezer breaks. Thawed cubes go limp, grainy, and weepy, and no technique prevents it. Used frozen, though, it is terrific — blended into agua fresca, slushies, daiquiris, and smoothies, or dropped whole into a pitcher as ice that tastes like something. Decide before you freeze it: this fruit is going into a glass.

How to freeze it right

1. Cut the flesh off the rind and pick out the seeds.
2. Cube it, or scoop it into balls, and pat the pieces dry.
3. Freeze them in a single layer on a lined tray until solid so they stay separate.
4. Bag them, press the air out, and date it — watermelon only gets 3–4 days in the fridge.

Thawing and using it

Use it frozen. Blend it with lime for agua fresca, whizz it with a splash of rum for a daiquiri, or drop the cubes into water and lemonade. If a recipe wants it thawed, thaw it in the fridge, drain the liquid off, and blend it rather than serve it in pieces.

Can you refreeze it?

Refreezing thawed watermelon is safe but pointless — the texture is already gone, and round two turns it icy and flat. Blend it and freeze the purée in a tray instead.