Choosing the perfect watermelon from a crate full of the green goodness is no less than having an anxiety attack. If you are lucky, you will enjoy the sweet, red, juicy goodness and if you are not (trust me we all have been there) you will be left a whopping 8-15 lbs of bland something. You will either force yourself to eat it or throw it away and in either case u will be one unhappy fella.
Let me share some tips which will help you pick the perfectly sweet and juicy watermelon every time.
FIELD SPOT:
Look for the yellow spot which is also called the field spot. It should be creamy yellow which means that the watermelon had enough time to rest on the ground and ripen. Stay away from watermelon with no field spots which indicate that it was picked too soon.
WEIGHT TEST:
Pick up the watermelon. It should be relatively heavy for its size. This means that the watermelon is full of water and is ripe. It is best to pick up two watermelons which are approximately the same size and buy the heavier one.
SHINY WATERMELON?? NO THANKYOU:
Choose a dull green watermelon without any shine. The shine indicates an under ripe watermelon.
FIRMNESS:
Whatever the shape of the watermelon, round, oval, long, make sure that it is free of major bruises and is firm. Symmetry is very important. Minor scratches are okay.
STEM:
If the watermelon has a stem, make sure it is dried out. A green stem indicates that the watermelon was picked too soon and will be under ripe.
There is one more test where people knock or tap on the watermelon to hear the sound but I stay away from it since it does not always work for me. If you are still interested, all you have to do is to give the watermelon a tap and you should hear a hollow sound which means the watermelon is ripe whereas under-ripe or over-ripe melon will give a dull sound.
Now that you know all the tips, go ahead and pick the watermelon with confidence and enjoy a juicy sweet one tonight.
Happy Summers.