Page 16 - Boca Club News - July '24

Page 16, Boca Club News
Get Fresh! Tips from The Produce Maven:

Watermelon…Not Your Average Berry

Irving Swedko and his wife, calories, 0.2 grams of fat, 1.5 milligrams of sodium, 11.5 temperature. Once ripe, keep it in the fridge to maintain
Beverly, are members of Broken grams of carbohydrates, 0.6 grams of fiber, 9.4 grams of its freshness.
Sound Club. He hails from Ottawa, sugar, 0.9 grams of protein, 12.3 milligrams of vitamin So next time you bite into a juicy slice, remember:
the capital of Canada, where he C, 42.6 micrograms of vitamin A, and a whopping 6,890 There’s more to this berry than meets the eye.
spent more than 50 years in the micrograms of lycopene.
produce business that included When picking the perfect watermelon, look for the
taking a small fruit and vegetable creamy yellow spot on the rind, known as the ground
retail store and expanding it across spot, which indicates where the watermelon rested on the
the city and into other areas to ground. The darker this spot, the longer the watermelon
include wholesale, food service and importing, bringing stayed on the vine, sweetening up. A white ground spot
trucks of fresh produce from across the U.S. directly into typically signals an underripe melon. Knock on the
Ottawa. His experience made him an expert on all things watermelon; a hollow sound means it’s ripe, while a dull
produce-related, from how to select the perfect melon to thud suggests it’s starting to spoil. Always choose the
the best way to store fruits and veggies. After retiring, heaviest melon for its size and avoid any with soft spots.
Irving and his wife Beverly became snowbirds and have An unripe watermelon should be stored at room
been enjoying life at Broken Sound for 20 seasons. He is
the proud father of three daughters and looks forward to
family time with his seven grandchildren.
Did you know that watermelons are actually classified Are You Ready Hurricane?
as berries? In botanical terms, a “berry” is a type of fruit
that has multiple seeds on the inside without any sort of
hard core. Watermelons, with their tough rinds, numerous For The Next Storm?
seeds and pulpy flesh, fit this definition perfectly.
Watermelons trace their origins back to Africa, and their
history is as rich as their taste. Seeds of wild watermelons No Air Conditioning?
have been found in Egyptian tombs dating back 5,000 No Refrigeration?
years. These ancient fruits were quite different from the
sweet, juicy varieties we enjoy today. They were likely
yellow with white flesh and lacked the high sugar content FREE 10% OFF
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Today, watermelon is grown worldwide, with annual $ 350 $ 1,000
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Watermelon holds a special place in many cultures. West Palm Beach, FL 33409
The Chinese, for instance, consume an average of four
pounds of watermelon per person each year and produce
two-thirds of the world’s supply.
Watermelons aren’t just the familiar green and red
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Seedless watermelons were a significant innovation, first
developed in Japan over 50 years ago. These watermelons
are grown from seeds produced by crossing watermelon
lines to create an odd number of chromosomes, making NOW ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS
the plants sterile and unable to produce seeds. For these
seedless varieties to develop fruit they must be pollinated
by normal watermelons planted nearby, which provide the
necessary pollen. Boca Raton Concierge Medicine Doctor
So much more than just a refreshing summer snack;
watermelon is packed with nutrients. Rich in antioxidants
and lycopene, a phytonutrient that may help relieve high Board Certified in
blood pressure, watermelon is a healthful addition to
your diet. One cup of diced watermelon provides just 46 Internal Medicine
with Added Qualifications in
Geriatrics (2002).

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Voted a “Best Doctor”
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Call to request a complimentary meeting
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561.368.0191

7280 W. Palmetto Park Road | 205N
Boca Raton, FL 33433
www.bocaconciergedoc.com