I’ve always loved watermelon. I remember sitting outside on the farm as a kid, holding a big, juicy slice in my hands. No need for plates, forks, or knives—my mom would just hand it to me, and I’d dive right in. My dad even taught me the art of sprinkling salt on the watermelon, adding that perfect touch of flavor. Delicious!
Have you ever gone to the local market craving a juicy melon, only to realize you had no clue how to choose the perfect one? Many of us remember watching our parents thump on watermelons, listening for that telltale ripe sound. I’ve tried it myself, not always sure what tone to listen for. Sometimes I was lucky and found the perfect melon—other times, not so much.
After visiting Watermelon Day at the State Farmers Market in Raleigh, I was inspired to dig into some tips that could help me pick the perfect, juicy watermelon every time.
Here is what I found.
Here are some helpful tips I found to guide us in our quest to pick the perfect watermelon.
*The Field Spot is the spot where the watermelon rested on the ground while growing. It should be somewhat large and be a creamy yellow to orange color.
*The watermelon should be heavy for its size. This lets you know it is filled with water.
*The Stem should be dry and brownish in color. This indicates it was ripe when it was picked.
*Sugar Spots are small black spots. It is sugar seeping from the melon, and that is a good thing.
*The more Pollination Points and Webbing you find on your watermelon, the sweeter the melon.This is scarring that is caused during the pollination process. The more webbing, the sweeter the melon.
*The Rind should be firm and not give when you give the melon a squeeze. If the melon is overripe, the rind will not be firm.
*Look for a Dull Rind not shiny. A shiny rind may indicate an under-ripe watermelon.
*The watermelon should have a Consistent Shape. If there are irregular lumps and bumps, it could mean that it received an inadequate amount of sun and water during the growing process. This could lead to a dry and inconsistent melon.
*The Round Melons tend to be Sweeter than the oblong. I don’t know why:-)
Mine did have sugar spots and webbing.
With the helpful tips, I was able to find that delicious watermelon.
How about you? Do you have any hints for selecting that perfect watermelon?
I would love to know.
Happy Eating!
KathieyV