How To Pick A Good Watermelon

Do you get stressed every time you have to choose a watermelon from the bunch at your grocery store? We get a lot of questions about how to pick a melon that is ripe and sweet. Here are a few tips for how you can pick the perfect watermelon every time! –

Find a watermelon that is a uniform size (oval or round) either is ok. You just want to watch out for irregular bumps.You want to find the melon that is heavy for its size. This usually means it will be sweeter and will have more water content.Look for an orange creamy field spot. The darker yellow field spot usually means it was on the vine longer and is full of flavor.If the field spot is white that’s a sign that the melon is not quite ripe.Larger “webbing” or “sugar spots” means that the melon is seeping out sugar and is usually the sign of sweet melon.Look for dark & dull melons which is a sign that the melon is ripe. When the melon is shiny it is underripe.

We hope this helps! Did you know Eagle Eye Produce grows and ships millions of pounds of fresh seeded and seedless watermelon nationwide? Find out more here !

How to tell if a watermelon is ripe and sweet at a grocery store?

The Right Way to Tell if a Watermelon is Ripe Watermelon is a sweet summer treat and has been a Southern favorite for generations. When you bite into a watermelon, what you want is juicy, sweet goodness. But if you don’t wait long enough for it to ripen, what you will end up with is watery sadness.

1. Nobody wants that.
2. And you can avoid by learning how to tell whether or not a watermelon is ripe before you slice into it, rather than waiting to find out with a mouthful of flavorless disappointment.
3. Unlike other types of summer fruit, you can’t give a watermelon the sniff test to determine whether it’s ripe and ready to eat.

When it comes to watermelon, you have to use your eyes and ears instead. Whether you’re buying watermelon from the grocery store, the farmers’ market, or off the bed of a pick-up truck, look (and listen) for these signs of ripeness. REDA&CO / Contributor If the melon still has a bit of its stem attached at one end, you actually want to select one that is more brown side than crisp and green.

While a hard, green stem is an indication that the watermelon was harvested recently, its greenness also means that the melon has not had enough time to ripen. When a watermelon is ripe, you’ll see a patch of yellow rind on its underside. This area is called the ground spot—or belly spot or field spot—because it’s the part of the melon that touched the ground and wasn’t exposed to sunlight as it grew.

If you can’t find the ground spot, it’s likely that the melon was harvested too soon and didn’t have a chance to fully ripen. Or, if there is a ground spot but it’s more white than yellow, that is also an indication that it may have been picked from the vine too early.

1. A yellow ground spot is the best sign that the watermelon is ripe and plenty sweet.
2. You should also look for brownish, black dots known as sugar spots on the melon.
3. These are a sign that the melon is practically brimming with sugar and will be quite delicious.
4. But the ground spot and sugar spot are not to be confused with the black and white specks that come along with belly rot, a condition that speeds up the molding process.

A melon with belly rot will not only have a bitter taste, but it might also make you sick. Avoid these at all costs. Give the rind a close inspection on all sides. Avoid watermelons with cuts and soft spots. It’s okay if the rind on the top of the melon looks a bit faded—that is due to sun exposure, and another sign of ripeness.

Furthermore, watermelon that is lumpy or irregular, its taste is likely to be inconsistent, as the fruit likely received inconsistent amounts of sun and water while growing. The skin should also look dull, not shiny. Shinier rinds are newer rinds, and that means the melon has not had enough time to mature.

You want a melon with a duller look, which indicates that it has spent enough time ripening on the vine. Opinions vary as to whether or not you should thump a watermelon to test its ripeness. It may sound silly, but some say you should lightly rap your fist on the underside of the melon and listen for a resonant, hollow sound.

This is supposed to indicate that the melon is plenty juicy and ready to eat. According to this theory, you should pass on the melon if the thumping results in a dull sound or if the rind feels soft. The easiest way to tell whether a watermelon is ripe is to simply pick it up. It should feel weighty in your hands, no matter its size.

But you can’t really be expected to know how much a watermelon of any given size should weigh. So, the best way to determine which melon is weighty enough is to pick up two or more melons of approximately the same size. Then, your best bet is to choose the heavier melon.

How can you tell if a watermelon is nice and juicy?

Can you thump a watermelon to see if it’s ripe? – Some folks swear by this method: If you thump the rind of a watermelon and it sounds hollow, then it’s ripe, juicy, and ready to eat; if the thump produces a higher-pitch ringing sound, it’s underripe; then if you just hear a thud, it’s overripe.

Another ripeness test that people often mention is picking up a watermelon to see if it feels heavy. So theoretically, you could even pick up two watermelons of similar size and see if one feels heavier than the other. Do either of these methods guarantee a juicy, sweet, ripe watermelon? Of course not.

The only way to know if a watermelon is truly sweet and flavorful is by taking a big bite! But these tricks work for many and might be worth trying!

What does a fully ripe watermelon look like?

How do you tell if a watermelon is ripe? – When do you pick a watermelon? Judging ripeness is one of the harder parts of growing watermelons, but luckily there are a number of clues to tell when a watermelon is ripe. Here’s what to look for:

Check the field spot: The field spot is the part on the underside of the watermelon that has been touching the ground. Check its color—you want it to be a golden yellow. If it is that bright yellow color—your watermelon is ready to harvest! If it is any other color, like pale yellow, white, or green, it needs a bit more time on the vine. Give it a knock: A good way to know when a watermelon is ripe is by listening for a hollow sound. Knock on an UNRIPE watermelon with your knuckles in the middle of the watermelon, and then thump on the one you think might be ready. A ripe watermelon will sound hollow in comparison to the unripe one. This one can take some practice to nail down, but your ears will learn to tell the difference! Look at the tendril: Look for the tendril and leaf that is closest to the stem end of the watermelon. If it is brown or yellow, then the watermelon is probably ready to harvest. Feel its weight: A ripe watermelon will feel heavy for its size—that’s a sign that there is lots of sweet juice inside! This can be a bit hard to tell—especially if you don’t have another watermelon to compare it against. Check the estimated days to maturity: Check that seed package and do some math! If you’re growing a melon that takes 100 days to maturity and it’s only been 70 days since planting, it probably isn’t ready yet.

We prefer to use all five methods when determining if one of our precious melons is ready to harvest—when a melon checks all five boxes, you know it’s time to enjoy!

What does a really good watermelon look like?

Do you get stressed every time you have to choose a watermelon from the bunch at your grocery store? We get a lot of questions about how to pick a melon that is ripe and sweet. Here are a few tips for how you can pick the perfect watermelon every time! –

Find a watermelon that is a uniform size (oval or round) either is ok. You just want to watch out for irregular bumps.You want to find the melon that is heavy for its size. This usually means it will be sweeter and will have more water content.Look for an orange creamy field spot. The darker yellow field spot usually means it was on the vine longer and is full of flavor.If the field spot is white that’s a sign that the melon is not quite ripe.Larger “webbing” or “sugar spots” means that the melon is seeping out sugar and is usually the sign of sweet melon.Look for dark & dull melons which is a sign that the melon is ripe. When the melon is shiny it is underripe.

We hope this helps! Did you know Eagle Eye Produce grows and ships millions of pounds of fresh seeded and seedless watermelon nationwide? Find out more here !

Should watermelon be hard or soft?

How to pick a ripe watermelon from the store –

Watermelon comes in different sizes, as well as with and without seeds. You can even by a half or a quarter of a watermelon at most grocery stores. And it’s also available in pre-cut slices or cubes — but you’ll end paying quite a bit more for that convenience.

A whole watermelon should be hard and firm, with no soft spots or cracks. Weight is a sign that there’s a lot of water inside and the fruit will be juicy, so look for watermelons that are heavy for their size.

If you knock on the underside of a ripe watermelon, it should sound hollow; under-ripe and over-ripe melons tend to sound dull.

How to tell if watermelons are ripe: A creamy yellow spot on the watermelon’s underside is a good sign of ripeness. It’s called the “field spot” and it’s where the melon was resting on the ground. Darker field spots usually mean the melon spent more time ripening on the vine, while a white or non-existent field spot typically means under-ripe fruit.

What do scratches on watermelon mean?

Look for those weblike/brown scratch-like spots. These mean that bees touched the pollinating parts of the flower many times, so brown scratches/spots mean more pollination, aka that the watermelon will likely be sweeter!

Does watermelon ripen as it sits?

How to determine a ripe melon Choosing a properly ripened, locally grown melon is easy in the summer, but how do you determine ripeness in the dead of winter? A sure sign of summer in Michigan is the number of locally grown, vine-ripened melons available at farm stands and farmers markets.

However, with modern transportation, watermelon, cantaloupe and other melons are available year around. So how does a buyer in the dead of winter determine a flavorful melon? It is important to understand that, Some, like watermelon, do not continue to ripen once harvested. Therefore, flavor will not improve nor will they become sweeter—t is what it is at harvest.

However, cantaloupe and similar fruit will continue to ripen after harvest. Once into the ripening process, fruit will gain sugar, flavor will improve and flesh soften. For the consumer, this means watermelon and similar fruit can be eaten as soon as you bring it home no matter what time of the year it is.

However, cantaloupe and similar melons bought in winter probably need to be held at room temperature for a few days or more to allow it to improve. The most reliable way to determine if a watermelon is mature is to observe it while it is still on the plant. Since that is not possible in winter, consumers have to use the next step and that is looking at the “ground spot” (Photo 1).

The ground spot is where fruit was in contact with the soil. It is easy to recognize since it will not have the same stripes and color of the rest of the fruit—it will have a more solid color. A mature watermelon will have a yellow ground spot (Photo 1). Photo 2. Summer cantaloupe showing typical golden color and the “dimpled” stem end where the stem has pulled free from the fruit. CC0 Public Domain. Honeydew melons are the hardest to know when they are mature. Being light colored, the ground spot technique does not work and they do not “self-pick” like cantaloupe.

• However, like cantaloupe, they continue to ripen off the plant.
• To eat a honeydew early is not a bad experience, but you do not want to wait so long that it goes bad.
• The fruit does not provide the signals watermelon and cantaloupe do.
• For honeydew, you have to rely on the grower picking it at a good time no matter the season since once you cut it open you have to eat it or refrigerate it.

Left on the plant, cantaloupe fruit begin to disconnect when mature and the fruit will essentially pick itself and be ready to eat right away. Summer melons have a noticeable dimple at the stem end and generally have a golden color (Photo 2). Since ripe cantaloupe are quite soft, they have to be harvested in winter production areas when they are less than fully mature so they are able to survive the transport process in good shape. Photo 3. Winter cantaloupe with the stem still attached. Look for cantaloupe where the stem end has begun to crack (arrow), thus indicating the melon is approaching maturity but will improve in flavor if allowed to sit at room temperature for a few days.

Photo by Ron Goldy, MSU Extension. For winter-grown melons, the stem attachment is still evident on the fruit—no dimple (Photo 3). As the fruit matures, you will be able to see the abscission zone form as a slight crack that gets larger over time and will eventually form a circle around the stem (Photo 3).

When selecting a winter cantaloupe, look for one where the remaining stem has started to crack and break away from the melon. When you can see that crack starting to form, that means the fruit was harvested mature enough that the ripening process will continue.

What Colour is a watermelon when it’s ripe?

The color of the ground spot is key to finding a tasty melon – July 15, 2020 MANHATTAN, Kan. – It’s common in most grocery stores this time of year to find shoppers who swear by the theory that a good “thump” on the outside of a watermelon is a sure way to pick a winner.

Ward Upham, a horticulture expert at Kansas State University, says there’s a more scientific way to take home a great-tasting watermelon. “Ripe watermelons normally develop a yellow color on the ‘ground spot’ when ripe,” Upham said. “This is the area that contacts the ground.” Upham said the depth of the yellow varies depending on the type of melon.

“Most striped melons should have a bright, buttery yellow color, and dark green watermelons a deep yellow color. Light green melons develop a light yellow coloration. As a general rule, if the ground spot has a cream-like, off-white color, the watermelon is not ripe.” When picking watermelons in a field, Upham advises looking for the tendril that attaches at the same point of the melon to dry and turn brown.

1. On some varieties, this will need to be completely dried before the watermelon is ripe,” he said.
2. On others, it will only need to be in the process of turning brown.” A ripe watermelon typically will develop a roughness on its surface (sometimes called sugar bumps) near the base of the fruit.
3. In the field, that’s when growers should harvest the fruit.

Many other melons also are in season right now. “Muskmelons are one of those crops that tell you when they are ready to be picked,” Upham said. “As a melon ripens, a layer of cells around the stem softens so the melon detaches easily from the vine. This is called ‘slipping’ and will leave a dish-shaped scar where the stem attaches.” When harvesting muskmelons, he notes, put a little pressure where the vine attaches to the fruit.

1. If it’s ripe, the melon will release, or ‘slip,'” he said.
2. Ripe melons usually will have the dish-shaped scar where the stem was attached.
3. Upham added they will also have a pleasant, musky aroma if they’ve been held at room temperature for a period of time, rather than refrigerated.
4. Honeydew melons are the most difficult to tell when they are ripe because they do not ‘slip’ like muskmelons,” Upham said, noting that the Earlidew variety is an exception.

“Ripe honeydew melons become soft on the flower end of the fruit, which is the end opposite where the stem attaches. Also, honeydews should change to a light or yellowish color when ripe, but this varies with variety.” Upham and his colleagues in K-State’s Department of Horticulture and Natural Resources produce a weekly Horticulture Newsletter with tips for maintaining gardens and home landscapes.

Is a lighter or darker watermelon better?

Step 2: Colour and Appearance – There is more to evaluate than just rough patches. The colour of the rind is extremely important. The ideal, perfectly ripe watermelon should be dark green in colour and dull looking. If it’s shiny, it’s not ripe yet. Another important thing to look for the field spot. Photo by Justin Schuble

Does darker watermelon mean sweeter?

FAQs – How do you pick out a good watermelon? Remember the 4 ” S ” features to pick out a good watermelon: shape, size, spot, and sound. Look for a melon that is round, heavy, has a noticeable creamy yellow spot, and makes a deep noise when tapped. Do watermelons ripen on their own after being picked? No, watermelons only ripen on the vine so it is important you know how to pick the perfect melon at the grocery store.

Should I buy a darker or lighter watermelon?

6 tips on how to select the perfect watermelon It’s barely spring, but I’m already two watermelons in and both of them were, well, blech. The watermelon gets eaten by the kids and my husband (who apparently have less discerning taste buds than I do). But it’s still a pain to lug a 10-pounder from the car and spend 15 minutes cutting it (then cleaning up the mess) only to discover the fruit is a little dry and bland.

1. If you’ve ever thumped 15 watermelons at the store, shrugged your shoulders and grabbed the one you thought just “might” be a good one, thump and shrug no more.
2. These tips should make finding the perfect watermelon a bit easier.1.
3. Check out the bum Once you pull a watermelon off the vine, it’s done.
4. No more ripening.

In a hurry to get watermelons to the market, farmers pluck some of the watermelons a bit early. If you look at the bottom of the watermelon, there should be a creamy patch without much triping. The bigger and darker the patch is, the better. Shutterstock 2. Check out the color Watermelons should be a darker green. Very light watermelons may not have ripened long enough on the vine. The watermen should have contrasting dark with lighter stripes.3. Lift a few Watermelon is primarily made of water. Shutterstock 4. Check the shape and shine Watermelons should be oval and uniform. If the melon has bumps, lumps, and indentations, skip it. Even coloring and shape means the melon got enough sun and water to grow and ripen properly. Ripe watermelons shouldn’t be shiny. The shine could indicate that the melon isn’t quite ripe. Shutterstock 5. Say no to stem If the melon still has a stem on it, move along. This means the melon didn’t come off the vine easily so it wasn’t quite ripe. You could look for a melon with a slightly indented end where the stem would be. This indicates that the melon fell off the vine on its own. Shutterstock 6. What about knocking? Knocking on watermelons is a surprisingly divisive topic. According to, knocking is pointless. You can knock and listen for a hollow sound, but you’re going to get better results by looking at the color, shape and yellow spot. Shutterstock Did these tips help you nab a good watermelon? Don’t forget to share them on Facebook. ​ : 6 tips on how to select the perfect watermelon

Does watermelon last longer cut or uncut?

What’s more fun than bubbles? Especially if they’re chewy and sitting in a drink. Intrepid reporter Tim Carman recently set out to learn how to make his own bubble tea, and you can follow his progress — or lack thereof — right here, Also this week, meet the man whose “world’s best” lasagna recipe is the perennial chart-topper on AllRecipes.com, with millions of views since it was first posted 12 years ago.

• Caitlin Dewey has the story.
• And Emily C.
• Horton introduces you to whole-diet CSAs : Instead of a basket of vegetables, these farms give you meat, dairy products, fruit, flours — almost enough to keep you out of the supermarket for good.
• Digest all that, and then join us for today’s Free Range chat.
• You know the drill: Show up here at noon, bring your questions and settle in for a fun hour of give-and-take.

Then next week, watch for another Chat Leftover. There’s bound to be one, because time has this annoying habit of running out. For example, here’s a leftover from last week’s chat : I just read that you can puree extra melon (cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon, etc.) to freeze for future use.

1. My question is, how long is melon “safe” in the fridge before I puree it? Is a week-old cantaloupe risky? If it looks fresh enough to eat — not soft, mush, watery or slimy — then it should be good to puree and freeze.
2. But how long can you keep it before it reaches the yucky point of no return? That depends a lot on whether you’ve cut it up or not.

A whole, uncut cantaloupe or honeydew melon should last for seven to 10 days in the refrigerator. A whole, uncut watermelon is even sturdier: It should be good for two weeks. The picture gets somewhat bleaker once you’ve sliced into your fruit. The shelf life for the cantaloupe or honeydew shrinks to a mere three to four days, and so, interestingly, does the shelf life for the watermelon.

The National Watermelon Promotion Board, by the way, says the fridge is not the best place for a watermelon until you cut into it. The scoop: “Researchers have found that whole watermelons stored outside the fridge in a cool, dark place (around 55 or 60 degrees) last much longer than watermelons stored in the fridge (around 41 degrees).

So, if you’ve already got a whole watermelon in the fridge, you should keep it there. But if you’re storing it outside the fridge, put it in the fridge about three hours before you plan to eat it in order to cool it down to just the right temperature.” We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

How do you know if your watermelon is sweet?

How to Pick a Good Watermelon – Servings: 8 Prep Time: 2 minutes Total Time: 2 minutes Here are six tips for How to Pick a Good Watermelon that’s ripe and sweet.

Find the Field Spot – Look for a deep yellow color. If there’s a white field spot, or no field spot at all, it likely won’t be good. Pick a Dull Looking Watermelon – A shiny appearance indicates an underripe melon. Knock on It with Your Knuckles – Your knuckles should bounce off the melon, and the surface should be pretty hard/firm. Soft flesh indicates it’s starting to spoil. Get the Heaviest One for Its Size – This applies to pretty much all produce, but you want to pick the watermelon that is the heaviest one for its size. That means there’s more water in it. Check for a Uniform Shape – Some watermelons are round, some are oval, and either is fine. But if there are irregular bumps, this indicates the melon may have gotten inconsistent amounts of sun or water. Look for the Sugar Spots and Pollination Points – If you see black spots on the melon, this is where sugar is seeping out and indicates a sweet melon. Also, if you see dots in a line (not a scratch), these are pollination points, and the more of them the better. If you want an easy way to cut the watermelon into sticks or cubes, see my How to Cut a Watermelon post. Enjoy!

Calories: 106 kcal, Carbohydrates: 27 g, Protein: 2 g, Fat: 1 g, Sodium: 4 mg, Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 22 g Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes. Course: Snack Cuisine: American Post updated with new photos and more tips in June 2018. Originally published April 2011.

Does watermelon ripen after you buy it from the store?

How to determine a ripe melon Choosing a properly ripened, locally grown melon is easy in the summer, but how do you determine ripeness in the dead of winter? A sure sign of summer in Michigan is the number of locally grown, vine-ripened melons available at farm stands and farmers markets.

However, with modern transportation, watermelon, cantaloupe and other melons are available year around. So how does a buyer in the dead of winter determine a flavorful melon? It is important to understand that, Some, like watermelon, do not continue to ripen once harvested. Therefore, flavor will not improve nor will they become sweeter—t is what it is at harvest.

However, cantaloupe and similar fruit will continue to ripen after harvest. Once into the ripening process, fruit will gain sugar, flavor will improve and flesh soften. For the consumer, this means watermelon and similar fruit can be eaten as soon as you bring it home no matter what time of the year it is.

However, cantaloupe and similar melons bought in winter probably need to be held at room temperature for a few days or more to allow it to improve. The most reliable way to determine if a watermelon is mature is to observe it while it is still on the plant. Since that is not possible in winter, consumers have to use the next step and that is looking at the “ground spot” (Photo 1).

The ground spot is where fruit was in contact with the soil. It is easy to recognize since it will not have the same stripes and color of the rest of the fruit—it will have a more solid color. A mature watermelon will have a yellow ground spot (Photo 1). Photo 2. Summer cantaloupe showing typical golden color and the “dimpled” stem end where the stem has pulled free from the fruit. CC0 Public Domain. Honeydew melons are the hardest to know when they are mature. Being light colored, the ground spot technique does not work and they do not “self-pick” like cantaloupe.

• However, like cantaloupe, they continue to ripen off the plant.
• To eat a honeydew early is not a bad experience, but you do not want to wait so long that it goes bad.
• The fruit does not provide the signals watermelon and cantaloupe do.
• For honeydew, you have to rely on the grower picking it at a good time no matter the season since once you cut it open you have to eat it or refrigerate it.

Left on the plant, cantaloupe fruit begin to disconnect when mature and the fruit will essentially pick itself and be ready to eat right away. Summer melons have a noticeable dimple at the stem end and generally have a golden color (Photo 2). Since ripe cantaloupe are quite soft, they have to be harvested in winter production areas when they are less than fully mature so they are able to survive the transport process in good shape. Photo 3. Winter cantaloupe with the stem still attached. Look for cantaloupe where the stem end has begun to crack (arrow), thus indicating the melon is approaching maturity but will improve in flavor if allowed to sit at room temperature for a few days.

Photo by Ron Goldy, MSU Extension. For winter-grown melons, the stem attachment is still evident on the fruit—no dimple (Photo 3). As the fruit matures, you will be able to see the abscission zone form as a slight crack that gets larger over time and will eventually form a circle around the stem (Photo 3).

When selecting a winter cantaloupe, look for one where the remaining stem has started to crack and break away from the melon. When you can see that crack starting to form, that means the fruit was harvested mature enough that the ripening process will continue.

How can you tell if a watermelon is artificially sweetened?

How To Identify An Injected Watermelon? – Check white powder: Many times you will see white and yellow powder on the top surface of the watermelon. You will brush it off as dust, but this powder can be carbide, which causes the fruit to ripen faster. These carbides are also used in cooking mangoes and bananas.

Therefore watermelon should be washed thoroughly with water before cutting. Is watermelon too red? Often injected watermelons will appear too red. You will feel redness and sweetness more than usual while cutting into it. Also, while reaching the middle, you will see a slightly burnt mark due to chemicals.

In the first go, the watermelon may seem red and fresh, but it would be rotting. See if there are any holes or cracks: Many times there is a small hole in the watermelon while it is injected. This is often asked by people but brushed off a natural appearance on the watermelon.

Will watermelon ripen on the counter?

Avoid the disappointment of cutting open an unripened watermelon. Treehugger / Kristine Hojilla There is nothing quite like the disappointment of biting into what you thought was ripe watermelon, only to experience a bland, unsweetened taste. Watermelons don’t continue to ripen after being harvested, unlike many other fruits.