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These super simple tips and tricks on how to pick out a good watermelon will give you a juicy and sweet melon every time!
Be sure to follow these steps on how to pick a good watermelon so it will be juicy every time. Serve up those sweet slices with a pile of Dr. Pepper Ribs and Corn on the Cob for a perfect summer BBQ!
Who Doesn’t Love Watermelon?!
In the summertime, I’m especially obsessed with this sweet and refreshing fruit, and I often think about how wonderful life would be if I had it in my fridge all year long!
Over the years, I’ve learned a few tips and trips for picking out the juiciest watermelon and I wanted to make sure you knew what they were so you could use them too.
I know people often say that buying a sweet watermelon is hit or miss, but it doesn’t have to be if you look for a few things when you’re picking out your melon. Once you have it chosen, I also have tips for cutting watermelon.
Delicious, red, and juicy!! That’s how a perfect watermelon should be, and if you follow these tips on how to pick a good watermelon it should help you snag a sweet melon. 😉
How to Pick a Watermelon
How to tell if a watermelon is ripe? When testing the ripeness of a watermelon keep these tips in mind:
- Look for the large yellow spot (field spot) on the underside of the watermelon. This is where the watermelon was laying in the field. Make sure it’s a decent size and has a nice creamy yellow spot.
- Give it a good thump. Give it a tap or knock, you want to make sure it has a hollow deep sound.
- Dull outside. Make sure the outside of the watermelon looks dull and not shiny. A shiny watermelon means it’s not ripe. The green stripes should be a deep dark green while the white strips should be a light yellow/cream.
- Lift it up. Make sure it’s heavy for its size, which means it has a ton of water in it (what you want!!)
- Nice oval shape. A uniform shape watermelon shows that it got the perfect amount of sunshine and water.
- Bee stings and white scars (sugar spots). Look for these little guys. These little marks show that it’s sweet enough that even the bees were trying to get to the inside. The stings look like brown lines or dots on the melon.
- Sweet aroma. The best watermelons have a sweet aroma. Scratch a bit off the green skin. You should be able to smell a sweet aroma through the rind of the melon.
- Tendril. Most watermelons at the grocery store will not have a tendril, but if you are choosing one from a farmers market or are lucky enough to have one growing in your garden, locate the curly tendril, where the melon is/was connected to the vine. The tendril should be dried out. If it still has a green stem, then the melon is not ripe.
- Avoid watermelons that are shiny, and have soft spots, bruises, dents, or irregular bumps.
Serving Tips
Not sure about you guys, but ripe watermelon is a must for the Fourth of July, so I’m hoping these tips will help you when picking a watermelon for Independence Day :).
Another thing we like to do for the Fourth and during the summer is making Watermelon Juice – SOOO good! Or whip up a big fresh glass of Frozen Strawberry Lemonade.
Storing Tips
An uncut watermelon. Keep the uncut melon at room temperature for 1-2 weeks, or in the fridge for 7-10 days.
For a cut watermelon. If you only sliced a portion of the melon, then tightly wrap the uncut portion with plastic wrap and store it in the fridge for 4-5 days. Cut watermelon cubes can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. Drain excess liquid before serving.
Freeze watermelon chunks. Store cut watermelon in the freezer to use in smoothies, sorbet, or gazpacho.
- Remove the seeds from the chunks and flash-freeze them.
- Line a pan with parchment paper and arrange the cut melon evenly over the pan.
- Freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe container. It can keep for 3-6 months.
Recipe FAQ
Look for melons with bee stings that look like brown lines or dots on the melon. These little marks show that it’s sweet enough that even the bees were trying to get to the inside.
When cut into ¾ inch wedges, a medium 20-pound watermelon can produce 66 pieces. Divide 66 by the number of pieces you think your guests will eat. I find people eat an average of 3 slices, so 22 guests.
Whether whole or cut, keep the watermelon in a cooler with ice. When it’s time to serve it, place some ice in a bowl and then nestle the bowl of cut watermelon into the ice.
For More Tips, Check Out:
- DIY Fruit Fly Trap
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How to Pick Out a Good Watermelon
Ingredients
- 1 watermelon
Instructions
- Look for the large yellow spot on the underside of the watermelon. This is where the watermelon was laying in the field. Make sure it's a decent size and has a nice yellow patch.
- Give it a good thump. Give it a tap or knock, you want to make sure it has a hollow sound.
- Dull outside. You want to make sure the outside of the watermelon looks dull and not shiny. A shiny watermelon means it's not ripe.
- Lift it up. You want to make sure it's heavy for it's size, which means it has a ton of water in it (what you want!!)
- Nice oval shape. A uniform-shaped watermelon shows that it got the perfect amount of sunshine and water.
- Bee stings and white scars. Look for these little guys. These little marks show that it's sweet enough that even the bees were trying to get to the inside. The stings look like brown lines or dots on the melon.
- Sweet aroma. Scratch a bit off the green skin. You should be able to smell a sweet aroma through the rind of the melon.
- Tendril. Most watermelons at the grocery store will not have a tendril, but if you are choosing one from a farmers market or are lucky enough to have one growing in your garden locate the curly tendril, where the melon is/was connected to the vine. The tendril should be dried out. If it still has a green stem, then the melon is not ripe.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I was raised in an Italian family, that LOVED produce, lol. I remember being with my mom at the store and she was getting a watermelon. I asked her ” How do know which one? ” she told me, ” Always try to get the most heaviest one you can get! The heavier, the most juiciest! Also, look around the melon. Sometimes there are bits of sugar drops that are like black crust on the melon. ” That’s probably where the bee stings were. Some of the watermelon juice drain out and dried up into sugary crystals. So now, when I wanna watermelon, That’s how I do it. Best of produce luck, lol. GOD bless! Chris.
Great tips – thank you!! 😀
Bees do not sting watermelons; I don’t know why this myth keeps getting spread around.
Any help on picking cantalopes?
Hmmm, unfortunately, I’m not the expert on cantaloupes. I will have to do some research and write a blog post about it. 😉
Look for where the cantalope was attached to the vine. Then, smell it. If it smells sweet– it’s a keeper. If there is no smell or an off smell– pass. You should want it to smell like what you want it to taste like. That is how I buy my cantaloupes.
Thank you Carol!! I’ll have to try that next time!! Hope that helps anyone 🙂
Thanks for the tips. Sweet watermelon….can’t wait 🙂
Did you know if you place a piece of straw (I break a piece off a straw broom) and place it across the middle of a watermelon, the sweeter and juicier the watermelon the straw will move (by itself) so it aligns vertically on top of the melon? No or little movement? Don’t bother buying it. Moves a lot? Guaranteed a winner.
Not sure how or why it works, but it does EVERYTIME!
WHAT?!?! I’ve never heard that but will have to give it a try!
Thanks for the tips! I knew to thump the watermelon and make sure it sounded hard but some of the others are new to me. 🙂 Hopefully they will be on sale this week! 🙂
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