How to Pick the Best Watermelon Every Time

It’s the season of watermelon! Your summer outing or gathering will not be complete without a delicious watermelon. Enjoy this fruit while you can still get the best in town. If you don’t know how to pick the sweet one, check out this tutorial by USA TODAY. Not all watermelons are sweet, juicy, and delicious. Sometimes, even if they are in season, you can still get tasteless watermelons.

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Believe it or not, there are a lot of things that you need to check for you to get the best watermelon every time. I know most of us just look for the yellow spot, but that is not only the indication of a sweet watermelon. You should also check the stem, color, shape, weight, and markings. Read the detailed instructions below.

For watermelon recipes, check these out: Watermelon Strawberry Agua Fresca Recipe, 2-Ingredient Candied Watermelon Rind Recipe, Rainbow Jelly Watermelon Candy

How to Pick The Perfect Watermelon

Step 1:

Make sure the watermelon has a strong and consistent striping pattern. Watermelon that only has one color is probably not going to be ideal. The green should be a deep dark green tone. The pale part on the other hand, should be a creamy light yellow.

Step 2:

Look for a large pale spot on the watermelon. The color of the spot should be a pale creamy yellow.

The best watermelon is the one that’s ripened on the vine. It has soaked up all those nutrients and had time to mature in flavor. If it is picked too early it’s gonna be less sweet.

Step 3:

Look for a stem that’s yellowy brown. The green stem means unripe.

Step 4:

Knock on the watermelon and listen for a deep hollow sound. If the sound isn’t hollow, it means the rind is too thick.

Step 5:

Look for spots on the outside of the watermelon that look like dry weathering. They are very textured and rough. Those spots indicate that the watermelon is extra sweet.

Step 6:

When you lift the watermelon, it should weigh much heavier than it looks. The outside should compress. If it’s too tough, it’s not the right one.

Step 7:

Go for a round ball watermelon rather than the oval-shaped one.

Step 8:

The best watermelons are in season from May to September.

How to Pick the Best Watermelon Every Time