Seedless Watermelons are Not Genetically Modified

At GEM Watermelons, we know you have concerns about genetically modified foods. Which is why it’s important to tell you that all of our seedless and seeded watermelons are Non GMO. Instead, they are hybrids. A hybrid fruit is created by mating two heirloom varieties together to create an even more efficient and tasty fruit. When it comes to seedless watermelons, we do that by mating a diploid with a tetraploid just like you learned a minute ago.

Instead of the 22 chromosomes per cell that a seeded watermelon has, a seedless watermelon has 33 chromosomes, making it sterile and unable to make seeds. This process has been practised by farmers for thousands of years, and is entirely different than genetic modification.

The Difference Between Hybrid and GMO Agriculture

Here’s a simple way to imagine the difference between hybrid and GMO farming: your grandparents grew hybrid fruits in their backyard gardens, meanwhile, scientists in lab coats develop new GMO foods. At GEM Watermelon, we choose to engage in hybrid practices instead of genetic modification of our tasty fruits. By using hybrid techniques, farmers can select the best traits of a fruit and pass them on to further generations of the same crop making them better and better every single time. But your opinion is the only one that matters! How do you like your watermelons? I guess it just depends on if your inner child still needs to have a seed spitting contest at your next barbecue….

Watermelon Has More Lycopene Than Raw Tomatoes

Watermelon Has More Lycopene Than Raw Tomatoes Lycopene is a powerful carotenoid antioxidant that gives fruits and vegetables a pink or red color. It’s most often associated with tomatoes, but watermelon is actually a more concentrated source.

Compared to a large fresh tomato, one cup of watermelon has 1.5 times the lycopene (6 milligrams (mg) in watermelon compared to 4 mg in a tomato).

Watermelon Juice May Relieve Muscle Soreness

If you have a juicer, try juicing about one-third of a fresh watermelon and drinking its juice prior to your next workout. This contains a little over one gram of l-citrulline, an amino acid that seems to protect against muscle pain.

One study found that men who drank natural unpasteurized watermelon juice prior to their workouts had reduced muscle soreness 24 hours later compared to those who drank a placebo.

You do need to be careful with drinking watermelon juice, though, as it contains a significant amount of fructose. It may be better to eat the entire fruit, or opt for these other tips to prevent muscle soreness.

Watermelon Is A Fruit and A Vegetable

Remember how watermelon is related to cucumbers, pumpkin, and squash? That’s because it’s part vegetable and part fruit (it’s a sweet, seed-producing plant, after all). The other clue that watermelon is both fruit and vegetable? The rind is entirely edible…

You Can Eat Watermelon Rind And Seeds

Most people throw away the watermelon rind, but try putting it in a blender with some lime for a healthy, refreshing treat. Not only does the rind contain plenty of health-promoting and blood-building chlorophyll, but the rind actually contains more of the amino acid citrulline than the pink flesh.

Citrulline is converted to arginine in your kidneys, and not only is this amino acid important for heart health and maintaining your immune system, but it has been researched to have potential therapeutic value in over 100 health conditions.

While many people prefer seedless watermelon varieties, black watermelon seeds are edible and actually quite healthy. They contain iron, zinc, protein, and fiber. (In case you were wondering, seedless watermelons aren’t genetically modified, as they’re the result of hybridization.)

It’s Mostly Water

This might not be surprising, but it’s still a fun fact; watermelon is more than 91 percent water. This means that eating watermelon with you on a hot summer day is a tasty way to help you stay hydrated and avoid dehydration (it’s not a substitute for drinking plenty of fresh water, however).