The Solely Method To Inform When a Watermelon is Ripe, In accordance with a Farmer

A sweet, juicy slice of watermelon is among the many best points about summertime, nevertheless method too many events I’ve stared dubiously on the pile of melons on the retailer, attempting to resolve which one to determine on. Often after I get home and slice it open, the melon is a disappointing light pink and by no means sweet.

To avoid making the similar mistake this season, I consulted with Jordan Carter, director of product sales and promoting and advertising and marketing for Leger and Son, a three-generation watermelon farm that has been in enterprise since 1965. The farm is positioned in Cordele, Georgia, which calls itself the “watermelon capital of the world.” They know their watermelons.

How To Choose a Good Watermelon

One of many easiest methods to tell if a watermelon is ripe is by selecting it as a lot as seek for a yellowish spot beneath. “It should be boring in color and the abdomen or underside of the watermelon should have a creamy yellow spot,” says Carter. “That’s the place the watermelon sat on the underside and ripened inside the photo voltaic.”

Often often known as the sector spot or flooring spot, it should be a pale, creamy, buttery yellow if it’s ripe. If the realm on the underside of the melon is light inexperienced or white, that means it hasn’t pretty ripened however.

When you determine up the melon to place it in your cart, it is best to undoubtedly get suggestion of its weight, too. “It should be heavy for its measurement on account of watermelons are 92% water,” says Carter. Whenever you’re undecided, determine up one different watermelon that’s the similar measurement. The one which feels heavier will most likely be additional ripe.

What About Thumping?

Some of us advocate that you could possibly thump on the side of the melon to search out out ripeness. This won’t be most likely essentially the most scientific method and requires a fairly good ear, nevertheless there’s some actuality to the thumping method.

“A ripe watermelon can have a boring gap sound,” says Carter. “An immature watermelon can have a higher-pitched ping sound.”

Completely different Points To Look For

There are only a few completely different indicators that will help you to determine a ripe watermelon.

Seek for webbing, the brown, coarse strains on the side of a melon that will resemble a spider web. There’s no science to point out it, nevertheless some of us think about that webbing could very properly be attributable to pollination. The additional webbing, the sweeter and riper the watermelon is also.

Subsequent, scratch the watermelon’s flooring frivolously alongside together with your fingernail. If the rind comes away less complicated and divulges a white-green house beneath, it’s ripe. Whenever you scratch a watermelon that isn’t ripe, it merely leaves an indentation and darker line, in keeping with the Ohio State School School of Meals, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.

Lastly, determine a melon that doesn’t have cuts, dents, or seen bruises. Some minor scratching is OK. “Scratches usually come from coping with as harvesting could possibly be very labor-intensive,” says Carter. “Most of that’s eradicated all through grading on the packing facility, however when a scratched watermelon makes its choice to retail, it’s merely magnificence.”

Buy Watermelon In Season

For the best possibilities of a juicy, tasty watermelon, buy them in season which is roughly April to September, Carter says. As quickly as reduce from the vine, a watermelon has about three to 4 weeks of shelf life, she says.

Whenever you reduce open a watermelon and it isn’t pretty as tasty as you need, you might need only a few decisions. “Make a recipe with completely different elements added or buy one different one,” Carter says. Watermelon cocktails are a great way to utilize an underwhelming melon.