Watermelon is one of my favorite parts of summer, but picking a sweet, ripe watermelon can be tricky. Sometimes I feel like the odds are stacked against me and I have a one in a million chance of picking a good one, but I was lucky this past weekend. I picked a sweet one at Sam's Club and that got me wondering what luck you have when picking watermelons. I've heard lots of old farmer's tricks like hollow thump sound, bee stings and heaviness. Some tips have worked and some have not, but when it's all said and done nothing beats a cold, juicy, sweet watermelon on a warm summer day. Here's some info I found online on how to pick a sweet watermelon. http://www.thissoutherngirlcan.com/gardening/how-to-pick-a-sweet-watermelon So how about you? Do you have good luck picking watermelons? Do you have any tips on how to pick a good watermelon? Do you buy watermelon at the store, grow your own or get it at a farmer's market?
A strong contrast between the white and the green and a thump. Your info is interesting- the holes...not sure I would be able to find them but it makes good sense! I could eat mostly watermelon all summer! This year we even had it in February.
Love these tricks to picking the perfect melon. I always leave it to DH - he's a country boy at heart.
Although I thought the convenience of seedless watermelons would be nice, since they started coming that way, it's the only kind I can find, and they are ALL tasteless! We can't really grow them in Western Washington, so must depend on imports. The closest suppliers are Eastern Washington. I'm sure they must grow some of the old fashioned BIG seed-in melons, but the stores around me only sell what I call designer watermelons...small, ROUND, seedless. blehhhhh. Why bother?
Yep! We have a good friend who lives in Moses Lake, so anytime he comes to visit us in Spokane in the Summer I always request a watermelon- he knows where to get the best ones! I'm terrible at picking out melons, but thankfully, I don't have to too often- since our friend brings us good watermelons in the summer!
I think I have purchased maybe one or two watermelons in my life, and that was 20+ years ago. I don't like watermelon When DS wants some, I usually just by him some that's already sliced or chunked
Never too old to learn a new trick - thanks Kayla. I always thumped the ,elon - turns out I was doing that incorrectly and all.
Thanks for the hints! I remember avoiding watermelon if they had brown patches on the underside. Now I'll know better.
I rarely buy a whole watermelon because it's so messy to cut up and then we usually waste about half of it. I love that my store sells it already cut up. When I do buy them I remember seeing a graphic on Pinterest or somewhere about all the things to look for, but I can never remember them at the actual store so I'm more of a grab one and pray it's good kinda gal.
Good tips. I've always done the thumping method, but last year I had read about the yellowness of the underside so I do that too!
The creamy yellow underside along with webbing and brown spots are the best indicators, at least as far as my mother's instruction goes . . . I love nothing better than a sweet and super cold watermelon!
I check for webbings and brown spots. I want some mini ones, my family doesn't like watermelons so it's all for me.
I asked my mom how she always chose such good watermelons. She said she bought ones that were already cut in half at the grocery store. I about died because I thought she had "the touch"!! My friend says her daughter is a "watermelon whisperer" and can pick out the best watermelon 100% of the time, but she can't say how she does it. Me? I just buy from Trader Joe's. They somehow always have sweet non-mushy melons.
