Nothing says summer more than the tickling trickle of watermelon juice running down your chin and arms as you bite into a ruby red wedge.

Luckily for Atlantans, the July Fourth holiday gives us many reasons to celebrate. Although watermelon is available year-round, right now is the best time to enjoy local melons. "Watermelon is the perfect in-season summer fruit," says Charlotte Swancy of Riverview Farms, a family-run farm in Ranger. "We're lucky that watermelon has a long growing season in Georgia, lasting from late spring through the end of summer." While the recent drought has wreaked havoc with many harvests, the dry weather should bring a great watermelon year, Swancy says. "Dry weather is best for growing watermelons. Because of their high water content, when grow-

Chris Hunt/Staff (ENLARGE)

Cool off with watermelon drinks and salads or add some heat with watermelon salsa and gazpacho.

RELATED Watermelon: Juicy, sweet and cold symbol of summer  Watermellon recipes

ing conditions are drier, they are much

sweeter."

"The pairing of watermelon and holiday celebrations is almost iconic, with memories of eating watermelon and seed-spitting contests ingrained in the American psyche," says Gordon Hunt, director of retail marketing for the National Watermelon Promotion Board. "There is definitely a surge in sales for July Fourth."

This Fourth, the traditional seed-spitting competitions will be more challenging. In recent years, cooks tired of picking through the melon to discard the seeds embraced seedless varieties, only to witness the seeded versions of their youths all but disappear.

Hunt confirms the near extinction of watermelons with seeds in most supermarkets. "Growers responded to consumers' concerns about seeds by increasing production of seedless varieties. Not only is it difficult to find seeded melons at the store, you'll often pay a premium for these melons." Hunt discovered the dearth of seeded melons the hard way. After planning an out-of-town promotional event that included a seed-spitting contest, he panicked when he couldn't find any melons with seeds. He recounts having to wrestle a church group at a local Wal-Mart for the remaining stock. Luckily, all was resolved amicably, but not before he experienced a few nervous moments. "The strong association of seeds as part of the watermelon-eating experience by many consumers has prompted growers to increase production again," says Hunt. "Just as growers responded to the demand for seedless, they are now transitioning back to providing seeded varieties."

In the last decade, there has been a tremendous transformation in how watermelon is used in the kitchen. Cooks began incorporating this succulent fruit into all categories of dining. It began popping up in savory salads, which balanced the sweet and crunchy nature of the melon with soft and salty elements like feta, goat cheese and olives. Pureed watermelons became the base for margaritas, sorbets and chilled soups.

Although watermelon is 92 percent water, its nutritional value is not to be discounted. It supplies nearly a quarter of the recommended daily allowance of lycopene, an anti-oxidant found in tomatoes and other red fruits that has shown promise in reducing heart disease and certain cancer risks. Watermelon also provides vitamins A and C.

While most of us aren't as fortunate as Charlotte Swancy — whose favorite way to eat watermelon is to break a freshly picked one open while the flesh is still chilled from the night's air — with a little creativity and experimentation, watermelon need never be relegated to simple slab status again.

How to choose a whole watermelon

• Look for a firm, symmetrical watermelon without bruises, cuts or dents. The melon should be heavy for its size. Turn it over. The underside should have a creamy yellow spot from where it sat on the ground and ripened in the sun.
• Try Charlotte Swancy's ripeness test. Place a hand underneath the melon and thump it with the other hand. It should make a drumlike sound and your bottom hand should feel a vibration. "If there's no vibration, don't eat it," Swancy advises.
• A whole melon can be kept at room temperature for up to one week or refrigerated for up to two weeks.
• Always wash the melon just before cutting.

When buying cut melon, with or without the rind

• The flesh of the watermelon should appear dense and firm. There should be a sweet fragrance. Avoid melon with flesh that has pulled away from the seeds.
• Cover the cut surface with plastic wrap to prevent the flesh from becoming mushy.
• Store chunks of watermelon in covered plastic containers.
• Refrigerate to preserve maximum freshness. Eat within two to three days.
Source: National Water-melon Promotion Board