When the Cuisine team briefed me that watermelon would be the seasonal ingredient for this column, I will admit I was a little stumped. The most I had done with a watermelon was slice it into pieces and eat it, like any normal person does! Turns out, watermelon is incredibly versatile, and I loved experimenting with this fruit. These recipes are great because, let’s be real, a watermelon is huge and I think more often than not you end up with watermelon in the bin. These ideas help to use all parts of the fruit so you don’t need to throw any away.

Top tip from my partner, who I can only describe as a watermelon connoisseur: to find the best one, tap the outside of the watermelon and if it has a low, dull pitch to it, it’s good. I don’t know why – all I know is that it works!

1 Chilli watermelon sorbet This classic sorbet is perfect if you are not sure what to do with the remainder of a giant fruit (otherwise just use a medium sized watermelon). Cut the watermelon flesh into cubes and freeze. Make a sugar syrup by heating together 100g sugar and 100ml water then cool. Blend the frozen watermelon and some chilli (2 chillies if you like it hot, or just 1 if you don’t like heaps of heat) in a food processor. Slowly add the sugar syrup and blend until smooth. Put in the freezer and leave until frozen.

2 Watermelon pickle Instead of throwing out the white part of the watermelon rind, pickle it instead. Heat ½ cup vinegar and ½ cup of water, add 1 tablespoon sugar and a pinch of salt. Dice the white part of the watermelon – around 1 cup. Pour over the hot pickling liquid. Let it sit for at least 1 hour.

3 Looking for something savoury? Try this sensational watermelon salsa. Dice 2 cups watermelon, ½ cup pickled watermelon, 1 red onion, a bunch coriander and 2 jalapeños. Dress with the juice of ½ lemon, some olive oil and a touch of salt. Serve with tortilla chips and a cold beer.

4 Why not try a delicious watermelon salad? Cut ¼ watermelon into large cubes. Add ½ cup pickled watermelon, 1 cucumber cut into cubes the same size as the fresh watermelon, and cubed feta. Dress with lime juice, olive oil and lots of fresh mint.

5 To make watermelon flatbreads mix 200g self-raising flour and 200g yoghurt. Knead until smooth, adding a bit more flour if needed. Season with salt. Divide into 4 portions and let rest for 15 minutes. Roll and fry in a buttered pan until golden. For the topping, slice some feta lengthways and fry in a nonstick pan. Slice watermelon into strips and dress with lime and mint. Layer feta and watermelon on top of flat breads, drizzle over more oil and enjoy.

Alice Taylor is a pastry chef, MasterChef finalist and the author of Alice in Cakeland. @alicetayloreats