Watermelon – Choosing a Ripe One
It’s terribly disappointing to cut into a watermelon and find that it is still mostly pink inside and has little sweetness to the meat. But what do you look for when choosing one at the grocery? How can you pick the ripest one?
There are two reliable methods:
Yellow Belly
Examine the underside of a melon. Ripe ones will have a cream or yellow belly, unripe ones will be white or green. A ripe watermelon’s skin will look dull when compared to the bright green of an unripe melon.
Slap Test
Ripe melons will sound hollow when you slap them. But what does “hollow” sound like?
Practice on your body. Give your forehead a couple of light slaps. Repeat on your chest. Repeat on your stomach. Notice how the sound changes for each one. The sound your stomach makes when slapped is the “ripe” sound you’re looking for.
It’s best to compare three watermelons side by side. You’ll easily be able to pick the one that sounds most hollow when slapped.
How to tell when a watermelon is ripe on the vine
This chart shows how to visually select a ripe melon.
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