Pick the Perfect Watermelon!
I don’t know about you, but there’s nothing more frustrating to me than staring at a big pile of watermelons at the store, or my local farm, trying to predict which one is perfectly ripe, juicy, and sweet. I feel like more often than not -after spending more time than I’d like to admit choosing one-, I get home and the watermelon is breaking apart, mushy, or lacks flavor. Anyone with me here, or is it just me? Either way, I decided to do a little research to help solve this problem!
Watermelon season began in August and goes until the end of October, and though I started the first few weeks of August off with lousy picks, I was determined to end my losing streak of underwhelming watermelons! After a mix of googling, searching, and getting advice from other people (who swear by their picking techniques), I was able to put together a little list of some watermelon picking tips! Here we go!
Look at the field spot. I remember my aunt telling me a few years ago that the field spot was the best indicator of how ripe and flavorful a watermelon is, but I didn’t realize that color or size had anything to do with it. When you look for the field spot, you want to find one that is large and darkish yellow or creamy colored. The larger and darker the field spot, the longer it ripened on the vine, giving it much more flavor!
Look at the color of the skin. You want to find a watermelon that has a dull and almost matte appearance. Watermelons that are shiny may be more appealing to the eye, but don’t let that fool you! The shinier the watermelon, the more underripe it will be. A dark, dull looking watermelon will be nice and ripe!
Weight matters! The heaviness of a watermelon indicates how much water content it has. The heavier it is, the juicier it will be - yum! If you find a large looking watermelon that isn’t as heavy as you’d think, it probably won’t be as juicy. On the other hand, if you find a smaller watermelon that is MUCH heavier than you’d expect, it’ll be nice and juicy for you!
Give the watermelon a good tap. Yes you heard me right. Give the watermelon a good old “knock, knock.” If you hear a hollow, flat “thud,” put it back - that means that it's not ripe and juicy. Instead, you want to hear a deep, solid, thick sound. You won’t be disappointed!
These tips sound absolutely doable and I can’t wait to try them out the next time I head to my local farm to pick a perfect watermelon. I hope you have good luck with it as well! Cheers to endless juicy, ripe watermelons for the remainder of the season!
References:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/graphics/2024/07/05/how-to-pick-a-watermelon/74246645007/
https://agrilifetoday.tamu.edu/2024/06/27/three-tips-to-pick-out-a-sweet-watermelon/
https://www.themediterraneandish.com/how-to-pick-a-watermelon/
