There are two particular fruits that don’t stand a chance in our house: blueberries and watermelon. And when I say they don’t stand a chance, I mean there are no rules, no niceties, and no sharing. Once the fruit makes it in the door, all bets are off … and waking up early to get your share is completely fair play.
That makes this time of year almost perfect: Florida is coming off the tail end of the blueberry season and in the thick of watermelon season. But what’s the trick to picking the perfect watermelon?
Here are some helpful tips.
- Shine or no shine? Look for a watermelon with a matte finish. A shiny melon is not ripe, and the flavor can be bland.
- Pounds matter. Heavier watermelons hold more water, making them juicier.
- Find the field spot. The field spot on a watermelon indicates where it was resting on the ground. The best melon will have a spot that is medium yellow in color. If that spot is lighter, or more white, it means the fruit didn’t have as much of a chance to ripen and will not be as sweet.
- Give it a thump. If you thump a melon and it makes a deep, hollow sound, you’re in for a sweet treat.
- Shape matters. The shape of the melon will tell you how sweet it is. In general, rounder melons are sweeter and oval melons are more watery and have less flavor.
- Bonus tip! You’ll occasionally see a watermelon that has brown or tan coarse webbing on it. Webbing indicates the melon has undergone extensive pollination, meaning it is likely to be sweeter.
Now that you’re prepped for success, go find your melon! Florida leads the nation in watermelon production, so you’ve got no excuse not to enjoy it!