How to Pick the Perfect Watermelon for a Sweet Summer Treat

How can you tell if a watermelon is ripe? Here is everything you need to know to pick the perfect watermelon in the store or from the garden.

1. Choose the Heaviest

No matter what size you are angling for, pick the heaviest in that size range. Heavy means the fruit is bursting with water.

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How to Pick the Perfect Watermelon in the Produce Aisle

Melons with plenty of pink, juicy  flesh will sound hollow when you tap on them. Fruit that sounds solid, dull, or tinny when tapped likely has a thick inedible rind and probably isn't ripe.

2. Give It a Tap

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Melons have a spot where the fruit was on the ground. This is known as a “field spot.” In ripe fruits, the spot will be creamy and yellow. In unripe fruits, it will be white or pale.

3. Check the Spot

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Melons that received consistent watering will be juicier than those that did not. You can spot well-watered melons by their smooth, uniform shape (circular or oblong) and a lack of humps.

4. Look for Symmetry

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Dull watermelons are riper than shiny ones. Look for melons with scars on the side with the yellow spot. These are caused by sugar leaching from the fruit and indicate a sweeter melon.

5. Don’t Pick the Pretty One

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