Watermelon

Choose one that feels heavy for its size and has a creamy yellow patch where it rested on the ground. A hollow sound when you tap it can help, but the ground spot and weight are more useful clues.

You can cut it at room temperature, but chilling it first makes the flesh firmer and easier to slice. Once cut, keep it covered in the fridge and eat it within a few days.

Yes. Remove the rind and seeds, cut the flesh into chunks and freeze them in a single layer before transferring them to a sealed container. Thawed watermelon turns soft, so frozen chunks work best in smoothies or eaten straight from the freezer.

Pair it with feta, mint and a squeeze of lime for a classic sweet-savoury salad. Cucumber, olives or thinly sliced red onion also work well; add the watermelon just before serving so the salad does not become watery.

Yes. Cut it into thick wedges, brush lightly with oil and grill over high heat for about 2–3 minutes per side, until marked but still holding its shape. A little lime and salt makes a good finish.

Yes, the seeds in watermelon are edible. You can swallow them with the flesh, or dry and roast them for a crunchy snack; spit them out if you prefer.

Botanically, watermelon is a type of berry called a pepo, a fruit with a firm rind that develops from a single flower. In everyday cooking, it is treated as a melon and eaten as a fruit.