How To Store Cut Watermelon So It Stays Juicy And Fresh

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Once you choose the perfect watermelon and cut it down to size, you have to figure out what to do with all of that beautiful fruit. The vibrant slices or triangles go fast when you're serving a group, but you need a proper plan for more everyday storage. A good ol' airtight container, such as the Pyrex Simply Store Glass Food Storage Container, is your best bet for longer-lasting watermelon.

It can be tempting, particularly if you are packing up after a party, to pile your watermelon pieces into any resealable plastic bag. This is fine in a pinch since getting watermelon out of the elements and into the refrigerator as quickly as possible is paramount for keeping it fresher for longer. But, if you left the rinds on for that handheld quality that gives watermelon part of its charm, those floppy plastic bags can't protect the structural integrity of the fruit's flesh. 

Watermelon is famously 92% water. That makes its tasty interior vulnerable to cracking, crushing, and pulverizing. A bunch of lovingly carved pieces just aren't likely to come out of a disposable zip-top looking the way they went in. A glass or hard, plastic container lets you arrange your watermelon pieces more snugly, like a puzzle, and keeps them intact for at least a few more days — and maybe even ready for a second round of company.

Sliced watermelon should zip into the fridge as soon as possible to preserve its longevity, but whole watermelon craves its moment in the fresh air (or at least on your kitchen counter). Unless you're quickly chilling it for summery watermelon paloma cocktails, don't worry about making room for that behemoth botanical in the ice box. A whole watermelon keeps just fine for about a week once you get it home, as long as you keep it out of direct sunlight.

You can also literally split the difference by only cutting into one chunk of watermelon at a time. If you already know you aren't going to finish the whole thing, it makes more sense to halve it, for example, and leave one side inside its rind; nature's one true watermelon container. Cut half your watermelon into all the sticks, cubes, and triangles of your desire, then just cap the red part of the other side. Wrapping the exposed half's red interior in a few sheets of cling wrap is one of the best storage tips for longer-lasting watermelon; you probably have a roll under your sink somewhere. Also, pop that watermelon half into a big bowl to contain any errant juices that might otherwise end up splashed across your refrigerator's shelves.