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It’s all about the spot.
Summer simply isn’t summer without cold, juicy watermelon. Whether it’s diced into a salad with feta and mint, turned into a margarita, or simply sliced into wedges for nibbling, this refreshing fruit is a seasonal treasure.
While eating watermelon is a delight, buying a watermelon can be an intimidating shopping experience. Unlike smaller fruits like berries, a watermelon is a commitment. If you end up with a lousy one, you’ve got a lot of subpar fruit to deal with.
This makes it especially important to pick a perfectly ripe watermelon when you’re at the store. No pressure, right? Luckily, there’s an easy way to tell if you’re getting a quality melon or a dud.
The One Thing To Avoid When Choosing a Watermelon
First, it’s helpful to know a key fact about watermelons: They do not ripen off of the vine. That means watermelons must be picked at peak ripeness, as they will not continue to ripen at the grocery store or on your kitchen counter.
If you examine a few watermelons in the produce section, you’ll notice that they have a pale spot interrupting their pretty green peel. This spot, called a “ground spot,” is where the melon sat on the ground as it grew on the vine, and is totally natural.
According to the National Watermelon Promotion Board, you should look closely at this spot, and compare it to the other watermelons. If the spot is white or pale green, leave the melon behind. A pale spot means the fruit was likely picked unripe, yielding a melon that’s not as juicy or sweet as you’d like. Instead, look for a yellow spot. The brighter yellow the spot, the riper the melon.
More Tips for Picking the Perfect Watermelon
While the ground spot is a reliable method, here are a few extra tips to help guarantee you get a perfectly ripe melon:
- Pick it up. The watermelon should feel heavy for its size, indicating its nice and juicy inside.
- Look for damage. Avoid watermelons with cuts, punctures, or brown spots.
- Check the end. If there’s any stem still attached at the end, don’t purchase; this often means the fruit was picked unripe. Look for a brown, flat, or slightly indented stem spot.
- Look for a dull peel. While a shiny green watermelon looks pretty, a dull peel is more likely to be hiding ripe fruit inside.
- Check for webbing. While not required, brown, dull webbing on the skin can indicate extra-sweet fruit.
Read the original article on Allrecipes
