Watermelon is a sign that summer is here. Just thinking about the sweet and juicy fruit makes you think of sweltering hot days and rushing to eat a freshly cut slice before the juices run down your arm. There are so many different kinds of watermelons that they can vary in size, color, taste, and even the type of seed they have. Even though white and black watermelon seeds are different, you don't have to worry about growing a watermelon in your stomach if you eat either one.
Even though 90% of watermelons are seedless (according to Epicurious), the first watermelons were full of seeds. The first watermelons were grown in the deserts of southern Africa about 5,000 years ago. They were white, had seeds, and were a great way to stay hydrated. National Geographic says that trade spread watermelons to Egypt, India, and China, where they were valued for their spiritual and medicinal properties as well as their usefulness. Eventually, they made their way to Europe and North America.
Unripe vs. Ripe Seeds
Statista says that each American eats about 14 pounds of watermelon each year, so it's likely that you've cut into one and seen either black seeds, white seeds, or a mix of both. But what do all these colors mean?
The National Watermelon Promotion Board says that the tiny white spots on watermelons are empty seed coats that show a seed didn't fully mature. The Kitchn says that you can always find both seeded and seedless varieties of these white seeds. They are soft and almost see-through. But white seeds do show up in seedless watermelons, even though they are more common in watermelons with seeds. Allrecipes says that cross-breeding has made it so that these young seedlings can't reproduce like the mature and fertile black seeds.
Even though watermelon seeds are safe to eat, some people don't like the extra crunch they add. You could spit them out, but you could also make a tasty snack out of them. Food52 says to roast seeds to get the most out of the protein, amino acids, B vitamins, and magnesium they contain. Food & Wine says that they can even be used to make watermelon seed butter, which is a real thing.
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source: https://www.tastingtable.com/868079/the-difference-between-white-and-black-watermelon-seeds/
