Watermelon Slices Stay Ice-Cold With This Dirt Cheap DIY

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

With summertime gatherings comes the classic cookout foods — from hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill, to a tasty side of coleslaw. However, with an outdoor picnic you'll also have to deal with the summer heat, which can quickly ruin your food. Watermelon is always a must at the picnic table, though this fruit doesn't stay cold and refreshing in the hot weather for long. If you don't want your watermelon slices to quickly become one of the worst BBQ side dishes at the table, there's one dirt-cheap hack that will keep your melon fresh and delicious — and it starts with a disposable foil tray. 

To keep your watermelon cold all summer long, the trick is to add that disposable tray with a layer of ice underneath your tray of fruit. Ice has always worked well to keep appetizers cold, but this DIY creates the perfect sheet of ice for even cooling. Simply take your tray and fill the bottom with water, and let it freeze overnight. When you're ready to serve your watermelon, add the slices to a separate aluminum tray and place it on top of the tray with ice. The cold will transfer through the tray, keeping your fruit at a cool temperature for your guests to enjoy. 

While the aluminum ice tray is a solid way to keep your fruit chilled, there are some downfalls to this method. The biggest problem with this hack is the ice melting — when this happens, your tray may become a sloshy mess. Of course, how quickly the ice melts depends on how hot it is outside, but it will likely melt during your party. To prevent this, you could try adding dish towels soaked in water to the pan and freezing that rather than the water. That way, the towels will soak up the water as it melts without making a mess in the pan. If you're traveling in a car, you could even put the wet dish towels in a plastic bag before freezing them to completely avoid any spillage. You can also keep your fruit cold with ice packs rather than ice; there are Kona XXL Slim Ice Packs that could fit perfectly at the bottom of your tray. 

Keep in mind that perishable food, including sliced watermelon, shouldn't sit out above 40 degrees Fahrenheit for over two hours — or one hour if it's above 90 degrees Fahrenheit outside, per the USDA. So, it could be helpful to have a back-up tray in the freezer to swap in on a long, hot day — better to follow food safety tips for picnics or cookouts than risk illness. That guidance, along with this ice water hack, means there's no need to worry about warm, soggy watermelon slices ever again.