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Watermelon basket. Watermelon basket: an original dessert for the summer table
- Wash the watermelon and wipe dry.
- On paper we draw a sketch of a handle for the basket. To do this, you just need to draw a strip at least 6 cm wide. The strip can have curly edges or consist of hearts, diamonds and other figures.
- On another sheet of paper we draw another narrow strip: one edge is smooth, the other is jagged or wavy. We need this strip to decorate the edge of the basket.
- We place the watermelon on the table, apply a ruler to it perpendicular to the table and mark the desired height of the basket on the watermelon. We place marks at the same height on four sides of the watermelon’s circumference. We need this so that the basket is of uniform height. Marks can be made with a pen, marker, or knife. Whichever is more convenient for you.
- In the center of the watermelon we mark the place of the future handle. We attach a pre-prepared sketch, secure it with tape so that it does not move, and trace it with a marker.
- We attach a sketch of the edge of the basket to the marks around the entire circumference of the watermelon. The flat side of the sketch must be applied directly to the marks, and then we will trace the upper curly side with a marker, bypassing the place for the pen. We also secure this sketch with tape so that it does not move out.
- Our watermelon is marked. All that remains is to cut out the basket, following the markings. Take a sharp knife. First, we rough cut out small pieces of watermelon on both sides of the handle (between the edges of the handle and the basket).
- Now we take a spoon and carefully (you can figuratively) remove the watermelon pulp from the future basket. For beauty, you can leave a small layer of pulp. About half a centimeter, no more.
- The pulp has been removed from the watermelon. It's time for jewelry work. We take a sharp knife of a smaller size and carefully cut out the excess along the edges of the basket and on the handle according to the markings.
Carving a watermelon basket is easy.
The technique of shaped cutting of vegetables and fruits is called carving.
For a watermelon fruit basket you will need a watermelon. But this is not enough. You will also need a ruler, a pen or marker, sketch paper, tape, a spoon, and a pair of sharp knives (larger and smaller).
The basket is ready. You can let it dry, or you can immediately put fruit in it.
Using the same principle, you can cut a basket from a melon, from a pineapple, from a pomelo... From any fruit of a suitable size.
If you want to cut a basket without a handle or with additional patterns, prepare appropriate sketches and cut according to them.
By the way, you can serve fruit in a beautiful and original way in a watermelon basket. For example, cut watermelon pulp, peeled bananas, or any other fruit into cubes. We put all this on wooden skewers and insert it into the basket.
I don’t know much about carving, but I wanted to be original and serve the guests fruit in an unusual watermelon basket. And, in general, I achieved my goal, the basket turned out, the guests oohed and ahhed, the children generally squealed with delight. I don’t know whether my carving algorithm is correct or incorrect, but if you are interested in how I did it, please, I will be happy to share my first experience.
You will need:
Watermelon
Scotch
Paper
Scissors
Knife
Non-toxic felt-tip pen (regular children's marker that washes off with water)
To fill the basket:
Kiwi
Strawberry
Grape
Peaches
Orange
and other fruits
1. Place the watermelon on its flat side - as it lay on the ground while growing. This will ensure your basket is in the most stable position.
2. Before cutting out the basket, plan where the basket itself will be and where its handle will be:
a) Using a felt-tip pen, draw a line along the “equator” of the watermelon. To make it even, you can try first sticking tape and then tracing it with a felt-tip pen. This will determine where the basket itself ends.
b) To plan the handle, find point “A”. If you measure a watermelon with a centimeter from the place where its flower was to the place where the stem was and divide the distance in half, then in the very middle there will be point “A”. Point "B" will be on the opposite side of the watermelon.
3. If you want to make a patterned handle for the basket, then determine which stencil to use. We offer you two designs, but with the help of your own imagination you can invent a much more complex and interesting weave.
a) Attach the stencil motif to point “A”, attach it with tape and trace it with a felt-tip pen. The first link in weaving the handle is ready!
B) Move the stencil up one link, tape it to the watermelon and trace again. Make sure that the chain does not break - it is better if the links overlap each other.
C) Repeat until the pen pattern reaches point “B”.
4. Now you can start cutting out the basket. Use a small knife, preferably one with serrated teeth. Cut out the basket along the drawn outline using confident sawing movements.
And then continue cutting on the other side.
(I used a thin file-knife from a children's craft kit and it seemed more convenient and maneuverable to me than a regular knife). 
When you've finished cutting out the sides of the basket, carefully scrape out the watermelon flesh under the handle. 
5. The basic shape is formed, now you can cut out smaller details: teeth around the circumference, small hearts, squares or circles in the center of the handle.
6. Thread strawberries, grapes, tangerine slices, peach slices and other fruits onto toothpicks. You can cut out flowers from kiwis and oranges and also string them onto toothpicks.
7. Attach toothpicks to the bottom of the basket, artistically filling it with various “fruits and flowers.” 
Olga Iskakova,
especially for herself
Watermelon is not only a juicy and tasty fruit, it is a wonderful decoration for both festive and everyday tables. Watermelon can be served on barbecue, alcoholic and even hookah. Interesting methods and tips are described in this article.
Watermelon lends itself to slicing and cutting out many beautiful shapes from it. This feature allows you to serve beautiful dishes of fruits, cheeses, sweets and other snacks. It is often served instead of tea to guests on a festive table.
Interestingly, watermelon is a berry, although in its biological qualities it is similar to a vegetable, and the sweetness and taste of watermelon appears as a fruit and is served for dessert.
You can simply cut the watermelon with a knife, or you can use a special curly tool to cut it into balls, hearts and stars. Such figurines are not only tasty, but also pleasant to eat at events and just at home for variety and aesthetic pleasure.
Watermelon is a very juicy and sweet berry.
In the modern world there is also such an art as “carving”. Carving is the ability to beautifully and originally make curly carvings on fruits and vegetables, including watermelon.
watermelon, sliced using the carving technique
An unusual cut of watermelon can surprise guests at the festive table. Each family necessarily has its own individual way of serving watermelon, but in any case it is worth taking into account that it is eaten without peel and seeds.
The easiest way to serve watermelon conveniently and beautifully is remove seeds, peel and cut into cubes. This watermelon is usually served on a wide dish, and everyone takes it with a fork.
simple traditional serving of watermelon on the table 
the usual serving of watermelon on the table in the form of cubes On the other hand, you can make sure in advance that your watermelon presentation is original and beautiful. To do this, you can purchase a special knife or simply have cookie cutters.
The simplest ones will come in handy heart shapes, stars, droplets and others. Such molds are placed on the pulp of a cut watermelon.
With a little hand pressure, the curly flesh of the watermelon is separated from the rest of the pulp. Such beautiful watermelon figures can be served with other fruits, cheese and sweets.
beautiful curly serving of watermelon in the shape of a star with blueberries 
original serving of diced watermelon on a bed of arugula with goat cheese 
beautiful serving of watermelon in a feed of curly cut into hearts Finely chopped watermelon into cubes and other shapes can be easily served in:
- cocktails
- fruit salads
- in the form of canapés
- on desserts
- on fruit cakes
- in salads
Original serving of watermelon, how to serve watermelon beautifully?
In addition to standard simple cuts, there are a number of ways to present watermelon on the table in an original and beautiful way for guests. For this, both special knives and spoons and ingenuity will be useful.
Watermelon is an excellent platform for culinary creativity, providing the opportunity to make the presentation of the berry unusual and original.
Watermelon is often served not in its pure form, but with many additives:
- berries
- fruits
- jam
- nuts
- powdered sugar
- liquid chocolate
- sweet sauces
- yogurt
Some winning and unusual ways to serve watermelon at the holiday table:
Watermelon ice cream - this is a symbolic name for serving berries. To do this, cut off a fairly thick piece of watermelon vertically or horizontally. After this, the large skit should be divided into several small ones of a beautiful triangular shape.
A wooden ice cream stick is inserted into such a piece, into the crust (it is not cut off). Such skibochki can simply be served on a wide platter.
It is convenient to take them one by one for each guest and eat them. You can also dip such a piece in chocolate in advance and let it harden in the refrigerator.
Ice cream - an original serving of watermelon Another unusual way to serve watermelon is to serve it in the form watermelon kebab. To do this, watermelon can be combined with some compatible products:
- cherry tomato
- ham (don’t be surprised, but better try it)
- fruits (banana, grapes, peach)
- strawberry
For such a kebab you will need special wooden skewers. A cube of watermelon is combined with other ingredients one by one: watermelon, another ingredient, watermelon again, and so on. The sweet taste of watermelon in combination with smoked meats, such as ham or jamon, will be unusual and pleasant.
unusual serving of watermelon in the form of shish kebab Another non-standard way - watermelon "Rubik's cube". To do this, you will have to do a lot of work to cut out identical and uniform cubes from the watermelon and the pulp of other elastic fruits:
- apple
- pear
- banana
- peach
- mango
All fruits are formed into a beautiful cube consisting of cells and served with powdered sugar and sprigs of fresh mint. You can also prepare a special honey sauce for fruits and pour it beautifully on a plate.
watermelon-fruit sliced “Rubik’s cube” What kind of knife is there for slicing watermelon?
Watermelon is a popular berry in many countries and is often served on holiday and everyday tables. Inventive cooks have long used special tools in the kitchen for slicing and carving watermelon.
knife for convenient cutting of watermelon 
round knife for cutting watermelon into slices and core 
spoon for cutting watermelon into balls Beautiful and unusual cut of watermelon, watermelon hedgehog
An unusual cut called “Hedgehog” is distinguished not only by its original appearance, which children will definitely like, but also by its convenience. It’s not a shame to present such a cut in the form of a round prickly hedgehog to guests at a children’s birthday party or even at a wedding celebration.
The cut received such a “prickly” name because it owes its external resemblance to an animal. From available materials: fruits and berries, it is easy to form a hedgehog’s face: nose, eyes and paws.
An abundance of wooden toothpicks inserted into the peel will look like needles and at the same time act as a cutlery. A “needle” protrudes from the peel and a piece of watermelon is pricked with it to be eaten.
You can cut watermelon into portions using a special watermelon spoon. Watermelon balls always look advantageous and attractive. In the absence of such a spoon, you can cut the pulp into cubes and sprinkle them with powdered sugar.
traditional watermelon hedgehog for the festive table How to beautifully cut roses from a watermelon?
If you master the art of carving professionally enough, then it is quite possible to get an excellent result. You can personally cut beautiful roses, voluminous and edible, from juicy watermelon pulp.
- Take a juicy and ripe watermelon
- Wash it thoroughly to remove any dirt.
- Cut the base of the watermelon so that it stands straight and stable on the platter.
- The rough green skin of the watermelon should be carefully cut off with a sharp knife blade, leaving the white part
- A hole two centimeters deep is made in the upper part of the watermelon using a special or regular spoon.
- This hole will be the main depression of the rosebud.
- Your next job is to sequentially cut out all the rose petals in a circular motion.
- This flower can be made of any size; there is no need to narrow the bud
- It is better to cut out the leaves of the flower at the base (see the video for more details)
You can diversify such a clipping by creating not just one flower, but a whole bouquet of blooming flowers. This cutout looks most impressive on the table.
Video: “How to cut a rose from a watermelon?”
How to make a basket out of watermelon? Original serving of watermelon on the festive table
In addition to the Hedgehog, there are several interesting and original ways to serve sliced watermelon. A watermelon basket involves completely clearing the berries of pulp. The basket itself is a peeled green peel into which pieces of watermelon, berries, and other fruits are placed.
Options for serving watermelon baskets:
shaped watermelon basket filled with apples, oranges, grapes and watermelon 
a simple watermelon basket filled with watermelon balls sprinkled with goat cheese and fresh mint 
watermelon basket filled with watermelon and grapes 
watermelon basket with a handle filled with watermelon pulp, grapes and fruits 
watermelon basket in the shape of a turtle filled with berries and watermelon balls 
watermelon swan basket filled with fruit How to decorate a watermelon with your own hands?
In some cases, you can decorate a watermelon basket or any other cut yourself. To do this, you need to show your imagination.
Most often, decorations are created based on the theme of the holiday: birthday, wedding, Halloween, and so on. You can decorate the watermelon with any available means, fruits and berries, toothpicks, skewers and herbs.
Options for decorating sliced watermelon:
watermelon slice decoration in the shape of a shark 
decorating a watermelon basket in the form of a well 
watermelon decoration in the form of an owl 
watermelon basket decoration “pig” 
watermelon decoration "barrel" 
watermelon decoration for a wedding and for the celebration of the birth of the first child in the family - “stroller” Alcoholic watermelon. How to pump up a watermelon with vodka?
Some holidays require adult snacks on the table. Alcoholic watermelon can serve as an original treat. The secret of this snack is that this berry is filled in advance with strong alcohol - vodka. You can use any other type of alcoholic drink, but vodka works best.
Alcoholic watermelon will be a tasty change for those who are already tired of regular alcoholic drinks. The sweetness of the juicy pulp goes well with the tart taste of vodka. The strength of the drink is not felt at all in such a treat and therefore it should always be consumed with caution so as not to quickly get drunk.
You will need:
- One watermelon sweet and ripe
- Half a liter - a liter of vodka (depending on the size of the watermelon and its desired strength)
- Metal knitting needle
- Large syringe with a needle
The needle is too thin to pierce the thick skin of a watermelon and therefore it is best to pierce it with a thin metal knitting needle. After the hole is made, the needle of a syringe filled with vodka is inserted into this hole and all its contents are injected into the pulp. So you should make “injections” all over the berry from all sides.
Video: “Watermelon with vodka”
How to make a watermelon hookah?
- Place the watermelon on a plate with the tail facing up, cut off part of the base to stabilize the fruit
- Cut off the tail and use a spoon to carefully scoop out as much pulp as possible
- The pulp should be crushed with a blender and squeezed out the water.
- The watermelon juice comes back. The hookah shaft is placed on top in the cut hole
- Try to do all cuttings as carefully as possible so as not to cut off too much and damage the fruit or cut a very large hole.
- You can choose absolutely any flavor of tobacco for smoking such a “natural” hookah, but it is best to give preference to watermelon
- If you are not experienced enough in cutting out such a hookah, electrical tape or adhesive tape will come to your aid, which will slightly help correct the situation
- When you grind the pulp to fill the watermelon, add some ice to the blender - a useful secret for a tasty hookah
hookah made from real watermelon - a delicious and luxurious treat for hookah lovers Video: " How to cut a watermelon correctly - 4 ways"
Carving from A to Z Part 2
Carving from A to Z
Part 2
Watermelon Fruit Basket
For a holiday or picnic, you can cut an original fruit basket from a large watermelon.
In a similar way, a basket can be made from melon, pumpkin, and for a child, even from a large, thick-skinned orange.
You can also place unsweetened foods in the pumpkin basket.
This basket is cut out shortly before serving.
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1. Wash the watermelon, dry it, measure its diameter and remember the size of half the height. |
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2.Using the tip of a knife, lightly mark (scratch) the middle of the height along the entire circumference. |
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3. While moving the template, mark the entire handle of the decorative basket, securing the template with tape each time for convenience. |
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4. On both sides of the handle, carefully cut two quarters from the top of the watermelon, without touching the pulp under the handle of the basket. |
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5.According to the markings made, use a sharp narrow knife to cut an openwork pattern on the handle throughout the entire thickness of the crust. |
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6.Then, using a spoon, piece by piece, remove the pulp from the lower half of the watermelon, leaving a layer of pulp about 1.5-2 cm thick on the rind. |
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7.Place fruits and berries in the prepared basket and serve. If desired, the contents of the basket can be filled with slightly lukewarm jelly and allowed to harden in the refrigerator. |
WATERMELON
using carving technique
The main thing is the sharpness of a knife with a narrow blade
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1.Prepare the watermelon by cutting off part of the rind as shown in the photo. |
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2.Continue to design the next petals. |
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3.Complete the first row of petals. |
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4.Cut a small decorative hole. |
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5.Start cutting out the second row of petals. This row is made with more open petals. |
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6.Complete the second row of petals. |
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7. We cut out the third row of petals and in some places we make blanks for the subsequent design of the buds. |
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8. Cut out the finished buds from the blanks. Don't forget to enjoy the creative process, use more imagination. |
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9.Draw the next row of petals in the form of curls. |
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10.Design the resulting row of petals in the form of flowers. |
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11.Draw some of the petals (step 9) in the form of open tulips. |
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12.The lines of the white borders create the appearance of thinness of the petals. Some petals are decoratively pleated. |
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13.Cut out a star from the bud blank left earlier. The white part is made wider to contrast with the red center. |
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14.Make decorative cutouts in the form of curly stripes on the remaining intact crust. |
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15. Ceremoniously serve the watermelon on the table, turning the most beautiful side to the admiring spectators. NOTE: |
Watermelon design option:
Leaf decoration:
The easiest and fastest way to decorate a watermelon:
Goby
You will need: 1 tomato, 1 green olive stuffed with red pepper, 1 pitted black olive, 1 cucumber slice, 2 caviar, one sprig of dill and parsley.
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1. Cut a thin slice from the stem side of the tomato for stability. |
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2. Cut two segments from this slice - these are the “ears” of the bull. |
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3.Cut a circle from the tomato - the “base”. |
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4.Cut another thin circle and cut out “horns” from it, as shown in photo 4-a. |
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5. Divide the remaining tomato cap into two unequal slices - one larger, the other smaller. |
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6.Install on the “base” b O The largest slice of tomato is the “forehead” of the bull. |
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7. Place a smaller slice next to it - this is the “muzzle”. Place the “horns” behind the “forehead”. |
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8.Insert the ears as shown in the photo. |
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9.Slice the green olives stuffed with red peppers into thin circles - these are the “eyes”. |
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10. Make “pupils” from eggs, “eyebrows” from sprigs of dill. |
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11.Glue the eyes with mayonnaise. Insert a slice of cucumber into the “mouth” - this is the “tongue”. |
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12. Cut two circles from a pitted black olive - these are the “nostrils.” |
Red apple swans
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1. Cut the apple in half, carefully remove the core and place the half cut side down. Leave a 1 cm strip in the middle and cut to the left and right of it, not all the way from top to bottom. |
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2. We cut from the bottom towards the top cut - we get a corner. |
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3.We repeat the cuts in this corner in a similar way. |
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4. Repeat this work with the other side. |
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5. We form the “neck” of the swan and insert it into the cut. |
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6. Place the finished “swans” on a dish. |
Green apple swan
Fierce Orange
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The faces can be made kinder:
Tomato flower
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Make 8 deep cuts on the tomato, as shown in the photo. Carefully separate the skin so that some pulp remains.
Cut cucumber slices of suitable size into halves and insert into the slits.
Decorate the top of the “flower” with olives or herbs.
Santa Claus made from vegetables
You will need: red bell pepper (larger), Chinese cabbage (head lettuce), a slice of cucumber, toothpicks for fastening.
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Mandarin flower
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1. Using the tip of a knife, mark shallow scratches on the peel of the tangerine, thus dividing it into 6 equal parts. |
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2. We make a slot on the petal, as shown in the photo. |
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3. Repeat this with other petals. We do not throw away the cut out parts. |
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4. We collect small cut out petals into a flower and insert it into the top of the tangerine. We place a tangerine flower in a festive composition. |
Orange Decorating Ideas
You can put something in this rosette of orange peels:
“Sailboat” made from melon and watermelon
1. To give the sailboat stability, cut the side of the melon flat.
2. Cut the melon in half and remove the seeds. The lower part will be the hull of the "sailboat".
3. Cut the top part into slices (about 1 cm), then cut the slices in half.
4. Place the slices on the “bow” and “stern” as shown in the photo.
5. Make a “sail” from a thin slice of watermelon and place it in the center of the melon using a skewer.
6. Place grapes or other berries in the middle of the melon.
7. Place pieces of watermelon pulp along the edges of the dish.
“Roses” from potatoes (or turnips, beets)
These deep-fried “roses” can be made from potatoes or turnips (“white roses”) or beets (“red roses”). Red roses can also be made from potatoes by coloring them with beet juice. It is advisable to take older potatoes - slices from young potatoes turn out to be quite fragile.
It is convenient to cut the “petals” of the future “rose” with a thickness of 1-1.5 mm from raw potatoes on a special grater for vegetables.
And if you don’t have it, then try to cut it with a sharp knife as thinly and evenly in thickness as possible.
The “petals” should be thin and translucent.
We cut one plate thicker (3-4 mm) in order to cut it into long square bars for the central “buds”, around which we will wrap the “petals”.
Then soak the “petals”, “buds” and toothpicks for chopping the “rose” in a bowl of cold water, to which you must add salt (1 full teaspoon of salt per 1 liter), for 2-3 hours. This will soften the petals by dissolving some of the starch and make them much more pliable when rolling the roses.
Toothpicks need the smallest ones you can find on sale. If you do not first soak them in water for 2-3 hours along with the “petals,” they will burn when frying the roses in hot oil.
Let's start making roses.
Take the central “bud” and wrap it tightly with one petal. Then we take another petal and twist it in the other direction. After this, secure the bud with a piece of toothpick.
Like this:
The larger you want to make the “rose,” the more petals and toothpicks to hold them together.
Then lightly shake the “roses” from the water and set them aside on a napkin to dry for 3-5 minutes. Otherwise, in hot oil, excess water will “explode” and splash. (If you put a wet rose in boiling oil, then you will have to spend a long time and tediously cleaning the entire kitchen from scattered grease.)
While the roses are drying, put a small cauldron with vegetable oil on the fire and heat to the desired temperature.
To check if the oil is hot enough, take one petal from the bowl, dry it with a napkin and drop it into the oil. If it sizzles happily and bubbles appear, then the oil is ready for frying, but if it sizzles weakly, then you need to wait a little longer.
So, the oil has reached the desired temperature.
We lower the rose head down and try not to let it tilt to one side for 1-2 minutes. At this time, all the petals will open. Now carefully turn it over and fry on all sides until golden brown.
When the “rose” acquires a crispy color, it is ready.
Remove it from the cauldron onto a paper napkin to allow excess oil to drain. Lightly sprinkle with salt.
When the “roses” have cooled a little, remove the toothpicks. It is easier to pull them out if you turn them a little around the longitudinal axis before pulling them out.
The finished “roses” no longer want to fall apart into “petals”, and they can be carefully transferred to a plate. You will need: cheese (sliced), pitted olives, a piece of cucumber, a piece of pepper for the star.
1. Cut a thick circle of cucumber or half a strong tomato and attach a long wooden skewer in it (the height of the “Christmas tree”).
2.Cut triangles from the cheese and thread them onto a skewer. After three pieces of cheese, string one olive.
3.Cut each next three cheese triangles into slightly smaller sizes.
4.Cut a star or spire from the pepper and attach it to the top of the head.
Snowmen made from cheese mass
You will need: Adygei cheese - 300 g, Fetaki cheese - 4-5 tablespoons, butter - 2 tablespoons, 1 clove of garlic, vegetables and herbs for decoration.
Soften the butter well at room temperature and mix with the cheese.
1.Grate the cheese into fine shavings.
2.Add half the cheese to the cheese and butter. Leave the second half for rolling.
3.Knead the cheese mass with your hands. Add crushed garlic clove.
4. Roll into lumps of different sizes and then roll them in grated cheese.
5.Place the lumps on a plate and place in the refrigerator to harden. Can be placed in the freezer for 15 minutes.
6. Collect snowmen from two or three lumps. You can connect them with toothpicks, a skewer or a salty straw. You will need: Adygei cheese - 300 g, Fetaki cheese - 4-5 tablespoons, butter - 2 tablespoons, 1 clove of garlic, vegetables and herbs for decoration.
Make the cheese mass as in the previous recipe “Snowmen from cheese mass.”
Make a mouse body and roll it in crumbs of grated cheese. Attach a ponytail. Insert ears from tomato or radish slices, make eyes and nose from pieces of olives, and antennae from dill sprigs.
"Boat" made from cucumber
You will need: cucumbers, pickled straws, sliced cheese, ready-made salad with mayonnaise, for example, cheese or crab, pitted olives.
1. Divide long cucumbers into parts; short ones can be used whole. Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise. Cut the bottom a little for stability.
2. Cut out the cucumber pulp. It can be used in salad.
3.Fill the cucumber with a thick salad (heaped).
4.Cut the olives crosswise to make rings. Lay them along the sides, like portholes.
5.Put a slice of cheese on a salted straw and secure it to the boat.
6.Make a flag from red pepper or tomato.
