| How to Make a Watermelon Keg Sep 11th 2012, 16:00 Instead of serving the same old selection of beer and wine at your end-of-summer bash, turn a ripe watermelon into a makeshift keg. Not only will this be a conversation starter, it's downright delicious. - Prepare the watermelon for cutting and carving. Before even creating your keg, ensure that you have chosen a strong piece of clean fruit. Prepare as follows:
- Wash the watermelon well and pat dry. Clean the exterior surface so that you can prepare it for decoration and carving.
- Draw a circle around the circumference of one end of the watermelon where you'll remove the top. You may want to use a drawing compass or simply sketch as neat a line as possible around the circumference of the watermelon top for accuracy.
- Draw decorative features on the watermelon using your pencil or Sharpie. You will most likely fill the watermelon with punch three quarters of the way, so if you want to carve any decorative shapes or designs toward the top, map out the design now.
- Cut off the top of the watermelon. You'll need the top as a lid that goes back on the melon after you've added the punch. Use your sharpest kitchen knife or a box cutter to slice cleanly through the melon.
- Follow the pre-drawn lines when cutting; this will make it easier.
- Gently remove the top and put aside.
- Clean the top (remove any flesh under it) and put it aside.
- Scoop out the watermelon flesh. Lay down newspaper or sheeting underneath the watermelon as this action may get messy; or, you could place the watermelon in a deep sink to reduce mess. Similar to the same action used when carving a pumpkin, scoop out as much flesh as possible with an ice cream scoop or large spoon.
- When scraping out the flesh, take care not to scrape too much of the skin. The idea is to hollow out the watermelon neatly without creating indentations in the outer edge.
- Consider saving the watermelon in another bowl to either eat or use in a drink recipe. Try to remove the watermelon in chunks so you can use the fruit later either in your punch or as a snack.
- Clean out the inside of the watermelon using a wet paper towel. Remove any errant seeds or pieces. You should be left with a smooth, hollow surface.
- Create the "watermelon keg". Make a hole toward the bottom portion of the watermelon using an apple corer. A hole approximately two to three inches (5-7.5cm) from the base of the watermelon is appropriate; this will mean that when the watermelon sits on a table, guests can easily place their glass underneath the spigot.
- Puncture the watermelon skin with the apple corer to create a hole. The corer will create a small hole for the spigot; apply more pressure when using it if the watermelon skin is especially tough.
- Make the keg hole the same size as the spigot line. You will want to fit the spigot snugly into the hole created by the corer, but not so large that a gap is created.
- If the spigot line has a sharp edge and the watermelon skin is not overly tough, try puncturing the skin using the spigot and bypass using the apple corer. You may find that you get a tighter fit this way.
- Fill the fruit keg with your favorite punch recipe. A punch recipe that infuses watermelon or watermelon flavors would be most desirable, but any punch recipe will work.
- Test first! Pour only a few cups of the mixture into the watermelon to determine if the spigot will leak. If it has a leak, fill the gaps with either pieces of rind or even duct tape around the inside the spigot line, inside the watermelon. Hold the duct tape in place with pins if it does not adhere to the watermelon (which it very well may not given the wet and slippery surface).
- Integrate pieces of watermelon flesh into your brew when preparing it. This will further enhance the flavor and taste. If possible, re-use the chunks of watermelon in your punch and float several pieces inside the punch for good visual effect.
- Place the watermelon keg on display. Decorate the watermelon using other pieces of fruit. For example, you could create a fun face using apple pieces, dried fruit and watermelon chunks. Affix fruit pieces to the watermelon using toothpicks.
- Be sure to tell your guests that the keg is edible.
- Keep the watermelon keg on ice to maintain freshness and a cool punch temperature.
Edit Things You'll Need - 1 medium-large watermelon with a strong rind (if you find soft spots on the watermelon , don't use for this project)
- Carving knife––use the same knife you might use to carve a pumpkin
- Wooden cutting board
- A marker to help you decorate the outside of the watermelon; a green Sharpie or a pencil is ideal
- Melon ball scoop
- Large spoon or ice cream scoop
- Apple corer
- Small to medium sized spigot (purchased from a restaurant supply company)
- Straight pins
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