Look for the Color
One of the most important aspects when selecting a watermelon is the color. A ripe watermelon will have a dark green rind, and some may even have a yellow hue to it. The underside of the watermelon should be yellow, and there should be a creamy yellow color on the ends. A good watermelon will also have a “webbed” skin, which gives it a slightly bumpy texture. If the watermelon is dull in color, it may be overripe or unripe.
Choose a watermelon with a deep green color
When shopping for a watermelon, there are several key points to consider. One important factor to look for is the color. The outside or “rind” of the watermelon should be a solid deep green color. The darker the better, since this indicates that it was allowed to ripen completely on the vine and will be sweeter. The surface should also have a glossy appearance and shouldn’t show any signs of fading or discoloration.
Additionally, you should choose a watermelon that has an even shape and that is symmetrical with no bumps or bruises on its surface. It should feel heavy for its size and when you knock on it with your knuckle, it should sound hollow with just a faint vibration coming from the middle of the fruit. If it sounds too resonant or muffled, then it could indicate that the fruit is either overripe or rotten inside.
When choosing a watermelon in-store, make sure to inspect it from multiple angles so you can get an idea of its overall shape and surface condition. Avoid any fruits with
- cracks running horizontally along its exterior
- as this is usually an indication of poor quality
- and could mean decayed spots inside which would ruin your drink!
Avoid watermelons with white or yellow spots
When you’re looking to purchase a watermelon, it can be difficult to know whether the one you pick will be sweet or sour. There are several clues, however, that can help you choose a good one.
- Avoid melons with white or yellow spots which indicate they were picked too early and won’t ripen.
- Select a melon that is symmetrical in shape and free of soft spots, bruises and cuts.
- Additionally, watermelons with the ‘field spot’ on the underside are generally sweeter because this is where the melon rested on the ground and was exposed to more sugar from the sun.
- Look for deep colors when choosing your watermelon; usually darker greens tend towards being ripened longer and therefore sweeter than lighter colors.
- If you thump your melon, it should sound hollow, not dull like a drum; if all else fails just pick whichever smells sweetest!
Feel the Watermelon
One of the best ways to figure out if a watermelon is of good quality and ripe or not is by feeling it. Gently pressing down on the watermelon will give you a good indication of its ripeness. Just as you would press down on a cantaloupe, if it yields to the pressure, then it is likely a ripe watermelon.
Let’s talk more about this technique, as well as other indicators you can use to check whether a watermelon is good quality or not:
Look for a watermelon that has a firm, heavy feel
When you’re shopping for a watermelon, the most important factor is choosing one that has plenty of luscious juice. One way to gauge whether a watermelon is sweet and juicy is by its size and weight – look for melons that are relatively heavy for their size. A smaller, light melon doesn’t have as much juice as a heavier one.
When picking up the watermelon, you should be able to feel the flesh through the thick rind. It should feel firm and plump – a good indication that it will be ripe enough when you cut it open. Avoid any that are too soft or which have bumps or dents on their rinds (especially around their bottoms).
Also, look out for any yellow spots on the surface – these indicate it may not be entirely ripe yet and aren’t recommended. Once you’ve chosen your watermelon, take it home and leave it out at room temperature to ripen up before slicing into it.
Avoid watermelons that are soft or have dents
When shopping for that perfect watermelon, it’s important to look and feel the rind. Avoid any watermelons that are soft or have dents. These could be signs that the watermelon is overripe or damaged and not full of flavor.
It is also important to look at the coloring of the melon. Dark green rinds are often associated with sweet fruit, while those with a light, mottled color indicate a less flavorful fruit. The light area may indicate an immature melon that was harvested too early, and tend to have an acerbic aftertaste when eaten.
In addition to looking for dark green skin, also check for any scratches on the surface of the watermelon as these can be indications of age or rough handling during transport. Check for signs of pollination near the stem end; if the indentations are small and developed close together, it’s likely this melon will have fewer seeds when cut open and therefore more flesh to enjoy!
Finally, look for unharvested sticky residue from on top around its stem which could be a sign that it is overly ripe as they sometimes will drip sap like syrup when you shake them lightly. Your perfect watermelon should feel heavy in comparison to others in its size range and tapping on it should produce a hollow sound indicative of its fleshly condition inside.
Tap the Watermelon
Tapping a watermelon is one of the oldest tricks for telling if a watermelon is ripe before you buy it. The sound that it emits when tapped lets you know if the watermelon is ripe and juicy inside. Freshly picked watermelons should have a hollow sound when tapped compared to a dull sound from ones that are not as fresh.
In this section, we will discuss in detail how to use tapping to determine if a watermelon is good or bad.
Tap the watermelon and listen for a hollow sound
To identify a ripe, juicy watermelon, first pick up the melon and feel its weight. It should feel heavy for its size. Also, look for a brown patch on the underside of the watermelon, called the field spot. The darker and larger it is, the better – it generally indicates that the watermelon was allowed to ripen on the vine.
Once you’ve selected a possible candidate, it’s time to test it – but be careful! Tap your knuckle lightly against each side of the watermelon; if you hear a hollow sound instead of a thud, you’ve probably chosen a ripe one. This method also helps distinguish unripe from overripe melons: You’ll hear more of an echoing sound from unripe melons and more solid thudding from overripe melons.
Last but not least: Give your melon a smell near its stem end which can help you determine if it is perfectly ripe or over-ripening already. Remember that sweet smell? That’s exactly what you want! If there’s no scent at all, that indicates that your watermelon isn’t quite ready – try another one down in your produce section.
Avoid watermelons with a dull sound
One of the best indicators for how ripe a watermelon is, and how juicy it will be once it’s cut open and eaten, is sound. Before you buy your watermelon in the store, give it a gentle thump with your knuckles. A ripe watermelon should sound hollow – a deep echo chamber-like sound – while an unripe or overripe one sounds dull or dead.
While it’s not an exact science, this method gives you an idea of the melon’s freshness and allows you to pick out better specimens. Avoid any watermelons that have a dull thud because these usually have fewer seeds inside and are more likely to be overripe, mushy or even mealy.
Take a close look at the stem as well; if there’s still some stem left attached to the rind, chances are you’ve got a pretty good one in your hands! As with the thumping test, avoid any melons whose stems look dried out or withered since this signals that their harvest was either too early or too late.
Check the Tail
When selecting a watermelon, one of the most reliable indicators for a good quality watermelon lies in the tail. The presence of a curly tail indicates that the watermelon was harvested at the perfect time of ripeness and has the best quality and taste. On the other hand, a straight tail indicates that the watermelon was harvested too soon and will not have the same flavor and juiciness.
Look for a watermelon with a brown and dried tail
When it’s time to pick up a watermelon from the store or farmers market, one of the quickest ways to determine ripe and sweet melons is to check for a brown and dried tail attached. This indicates that the watermelon was left on the vine for an adequate amount of time to achieve optimum ripeness—which is key for getting sweet, juicy fruit.
If the tail still has an off-green color, this could mean that the watermelon wasn’t ripe enough when picked. Other indicators are color—opt for melons with bright stripes on their surface in addition to looking at signs of ripeness around the stem and blossom ends. The rind should be firm but not too firm and some varieties may have areas of yellowing on their outer skin, telling you they’re perfectly ripe.
Finally, once you’ve chosen a melon that looks healthy and ripe, pick it up in your hands—it should feel heavier than average due to its heavy liquid content. If there are any soft spots or dents around its surface, pick another one instead.
Avoid watermelons with a green tail
Although it looks harmless enough, one of the best ways to determine whether a watermelon is fully ripe or not is to check the tail. If a watermelon has a light brown or pale green tail, it could mean that the development on the inside is incomplete. It is best to avoid purchasing any watermelon with a green tail so that you can be sure that the flavor and texture of your fruit will exceed expectations.
A yellow-colored tail, on the other hand, signifies that the melon has ripened on the vine and should be full of flavor and sweetness. For additional assurance, tap or thump each melon with your knuckles – ripe watermelons have a deep hollow sound; if there is no sound at all or if it sounds dull and flat, move onto another candidate. Finally, pick up each melon and weigh them; heavier fruit generally means riper flesh beneath that thick rind.
Cut the Watermelon
One of the most important factors in determining if a watermelon is good or not is by cutting it open. Cutting a watermelon into two is usually the best way to tell if it is ripe, sweet, and juicy. It is also a great way to look for signs of mold or discoloration on the inside.
Let’s explore the steps involved in cutting a watermelon properly:
- Choose a ripe watermelon.
- Wash the watermelon with cold water.
- Cut the watermelon in half.
- Scoop out the seeds.
- Cut the watermelon into slices or cubes.
- Enjoy!
Cut the watermelon and check the color of the flesh
When cutting a watermelon, it is important to consider the color of the flesh and the size of the seeds. The color of the flesh can generally indicate the maturity and quality of the melon. Watermelons that ripen fully in the field typically have bright pink or dark red flesh, although there can be variation in color depending on variety. To confirm that a watermelon is ripe, inspect for maturity and sweetness by cutting it open.
Examine both ends of a cut watermelon for color and shape before tasting it. The underside should be mostly dark greenish with lighter green webbing; also look for a creamy to golden yellow underskin hue where the melon touched sunlight while growing on the vine. When tapping a ripe watermelon with your knuckles, it should sound hollow; overripe ones will sound duller than ripe ones. Checking if there is a flat spot on one side can also indicate ripeness as well because those are caused by melons laying right on their sides while they mature in the field instead of standing upright as most melons do normally when growing – this “flat spot” indicates centered sweetness in particular areas of fruit.
Look closely at your watermelon’s seeds as well; larger darker seeds are usually more mature than smaller white/tan colored seeds since they had more time to develop into their darker colors with proper maturing processes from fruit to fully-grown seed. Make sure you take these indicators into account when determining ripeness – if these signs are not present then you may need to pass up on any particular selection for something else or wait longer until your desired melon truly reaches peak quality!
Avoid watermelons with pale or white flesh
Watermelons can vary by color, so it’s important to choose a melon that is the right color and ripe. Avoid selecting watermelons with pale or white flesh; these often lack sweetness, have a poor texture and are over-ripe. The smooth rind should have no punctures, bruises or cuts.
To judge ripeness, thump the watermelon with your hand and listen for the sound—it should sound hollow. If the color is still pale green on the underside, allow it to ripen further before you buy it. Good-quality watermelons will display a dark green exterior and dark yellow-orange hue on its underside when ripe.
When selecting cut watermelon (or other pre-sliced fruits), check that the white portion of fruit isn’t slimy or too moist—a sign of storage at an incorrect temperature or humidity level. Once cut into, you’ll want to eat it within three days for optimum freshness.
