How to Make a Summer Jack-o-Lantern + Watermelon Salsa

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Summertime and the living is…anything BUT spooky. While I don’t love the heat, I do love other things about summer, like long days, lemonade, swimming and fireflies. But…when you’re a Halloween lover, sometimes summer can feel a bit too long as you’re counting down to the best season of all.

What’s a Halloween lover to do? Create her own spookiness to fit the season, of course.

My favorite Halloween tradition is carving a jack-o-lantern. For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved the slimy squish of pumpkin guts in my hands, sketching out faces on newspaper and carefully carving the perfect face.

But pumpkin patches, like mine, are nowhere near ready to harvest yet so what’s a spooky little girl to do?

Pick the next best thing that’s in season – watermelons!

 

 

Obviously, this isn’t a new idea. Loads of people have carved up watermelons as summer jack-o-lanterns before me, but I thought I would give you a peek inside my process…AND provide you with a delicious watermelon recipe!

How to carve a summer jack-o-lantern:

 

 

First, start with a medium to large watermelon. Make sure it will stand up as a pumpkin would!

 

 

Cut open the top. I did a jagged pattern, but a straight cut would work too. Keep in mind a watermelon is not hollow like a pumpkin, so you’ll likely need to cut deeper into the flesh of the melon to get it open.

 

 

Pull off your lid, and trim away excess melon on the inside of the lid.

 

 

The start scooping! I found my ice cream scoop worked extremely well for gutting my watermelon.

 

 

All cleaned out!

 

 

YUM.

 

 

To make my face, I took my knife and lightly scored the outside of my watermelon before cutting. Watermelon skin is a heck of a lot easier to hack into than pumpkin skin!

 

 

 

Eh voila! A “pumpkin watermelon”, as my niece called it when her mom and dad shared my photo with her.

 

 

So cute! Can he stay all summer?

 

 

My watermelon was extra juicy, so I rinsed him out and then let him sit in my sink upside down to drain while I worked on my recipe that accompanies this post.

 

 

I’d also recommend storing your pumpkin in the fridge when you aren’t enjoying it so you don’t attract bugs.

(P.S. I swear I don’t live on beer, pickles and hummus like this photo might lead you to believe…)

 

 

Then, of course, add a candle and enjoy!

 

So what do you do with your summer jack-o-lantern guts?

My friends Mr. and Mrs. Halloween recently made a watermelon jack-o-lantern too, and I loved their Jack-O’-Melon cocktail they made with the guts.

As for me, I made some delicious watermelon salsa! And because no salsa is complete without chips…I also made some simple Halloween tortilla chips. (A project I’ve been dying to try for awhile now…)

 

Summertime and the living is...anything but spooky! What's a Halloween lover to do? Make her own summer jack-o-lantern, of course! Here's how.

Watermelon Jack-o-Lantern Salsa + Homemade Halloween Tortilla Chips

Carve up a summer jack-o-lantern with a watermelon, then use the fruit for a light and delicious salsa! Combine with homemade Halloween tortilla chips.
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 8 mins
Total Time 18 mins
Cuisine Halloween Party Foods
Servings 6 people

Ingredients
  

Watermelon Jack-o-Lantern Salsa

  • 4 cups diced seedless watermelon
  • 1 cup diced red onion
  • 2/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
  • 1 jalapeno seeded and finely diced
  • 1 lime, juice and zest

Homemade Halloween Tortilla Chips

  • 15-20 tortillas flour or corn
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • salt

Instructions
 

  • Toss all ingredients in bowl to combine. Allow mixture to stand in fridge overnight for flavors to meld.
  • Cut out chips using cookie cutters on tortillas. Place on pan.
  • Brush tortillas with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
  • Bake for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees.
  • Allow chips to cool before serving.
  • Enjoy salsa and chips while basking in the glow of your watermelon jack-o-lantern!

Notes

Recipe adapted from gimmiesomeoven.com.

Here’s how I made it:

 

 

Gather up all your ingredients.

 

 

Dice one cup of red onion.

 

 

Chop 2/3 cup of fresh cilantro.

 

 

Chop 1/2 cup of fresh mint.

 

 

Finely dice 1 jalapeno. I discarded the seeds because I’m a weenie and don’t like super spicy foods. If you enjoy spice, leave in the seeds as you see fit.

 

 

Toss it all in a bowl.

 

 

Then mix it up and add in 4 cups of diced watermelon.

 

 

How gorgeous is that?

 

 

The aftermath! This is blood and guts I can handle.

Allow your salsa to stand in the fridge overnight so the flavors meld together. While you’re waiting for that magic to happen…here’s how to make your own Halloween tortilla chips!

 

 

Grab 15-20 tortillas, depending on size of the tortilla and how many chips you want to make, and some Halloween cookie cutters. (I only did 5-6 since I made these for one person and had plenty!)

 

 

Cut out your shapes.

 

 

Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, then bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes until chips are golden brown…

 

 

…or crispy brown!

 

 

Don’t these look delicious?

 

 

A perfect summer snack!

 

 

Nothing says summer like a summer jack-o-lantern!

 

Will you be carving a summer jack-o-lantern?

I’d love to see your photos – be sure to tag me on Instagram or Twitter or share your photos on my Facebook page.

By the way, if you’re looking for more ways to make summer spooky…don’t forget to check out my Halloween beach party post!

 

Happy haunting,

Miranda | Spooky Little Halloween

Miranda is the Houston-based writer, blogger, and Halloween lover behind Spooky Little Halloween, the blog celebrating October 31st all year long. Her favorite Halloween things include pumpkin guts, chocolate bars in her trick-or-treat pail, real haunted houses (including the one she lives in!), and historic cemeteries.

11 Comments

  1. Reply

    Mr. and Mrs. Halloween

    June 14, 2017

    We LOVE it!!! He turned out beautifully, and we’re drooling over this salsa!

    Never would have thought watermelon for salsa, but I bet it’s the perfect combination of spice and sweetness. We can’t wait to try it out for ourselves!

    We wish we lived closer and could collab for a Midsummer Halloween Bash! It would be to die for!

    • Reply

      Miranda | Spooky Little Halloween

      June 14, 2017

      I’m a big fan of fruit in my pico, so I thought this would be a fun (and fresh!) alternative. I think this salsa would be great with your cocktail! We definitely need an in-person midsummer Halloween party to kick off the season. :)

      • Mr. and Mrs. Halloween

        June 14, 2017

        That would be so fun! I can only imagine all the spooky ideas we’d brew up!

  2. Reply

    Autumn

    June 14, 2017

    That salsa looks delicious! This makes me want to get a watermelon and make a jack!

  3. Reply

    Chelsea Celaya

    June 28, 2017

    I probably won’t be carving a “Summerween” jack-o-lantern this year (I couldn’t help but think Gravity Falls when I saw this post), but you definitely made it look super easy to pull off! And that salsa! I am definitely going to try my hand at that! It sounds perfect for the hot weather of summer and I’ve especially been craving watermelon since my pregnancy has kicked in all those fun food obsessions. XD This will be a great way to mix up how I’m eating it.

    • Reply

      Miranda | Spooky Little Halloween

      June 29, 2017

      I love fruit in salsa, and this was so light and refreshing…I felt like I could have eaten the entire batch! Let me know how it is when you try it. (And congrats! ????)

  4. Reply

    Candace Jedrowicz

    February 16, 2018

    Yes! Yesyesyes!

  5. Reply

    Shallot

    June 14, 2021

    Im going to send this recipe to my mom. We love fruity salsas and she made me a peach mango salsa a few years ago thats still one of my go to summer snacks.

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