It’s Watermelon Season: Three Tips for Quick Shopping

Summer is here, which means that it’s watermelon season!

Even though watermelon is my favorite summer fruit, how to choose the right one has always eluded me. I’ve always tried being “scientific” about it: first, I’d observe watermelon shoppers for 5-10 minutes, then I'd note their selection patterns, and finally, based on the patterns I observed, I'd choose a watermelon. Because I could never really tell why people were tapping, shaking, tilting, and even sniffing their watermelons, my ultimate choice always remained a guess, which often resulted in 15lbs of pinkish, sour yuck…

This year, I decided to explore ways to revise my methodology. This seemed like a good idea, not only because guessing clearly doesn’t lead to consistent success, but also because of COVID-19. Who wants to spend that much time spend at a grocery store and handle fruit that people may have stuck their noses to? In my research, I found that in choosing the perfect watermelon, there are 3 important clues to consider:

1. Go for heavy for its size watermelon. The heavier the watermelon, the richer in water and sweeter it is.

2. Look at the watermelon rind and search for what is known as a “field spot.” This spot is a yellow area, which indicates where it rested on the ground while in the field. The yellower the spot, the longer the watermelon spent in the field and the riper it is. Stay away from watermelons with white spots or no spots.

3. The external surface of the watermelon should be dull, uniform, and firm. Shiny watermelons are typically not ripe. Bumps on the surface imply that the watermelon may not have gotten enough or regular water and sunlight. If you tap the surface and hear a thud, the watermelon is probably soft on the inside and overly ripe.

How have you been choosing your watermelons? Have you ever used any of these methods? If so, have you found them helpful? Do you have additional tips to share?

Now go get yourself a watermelon and enjoy this summer delight!!!