Have you ever chunked an unripe "green" watermelon? Cutting a watermelon to find out it is green or half-ripe and tasteless! Very disappointing to say the least. I've always used the finger-thumping method as I'm pretty good at it. I need a foolproof method that's easier, 100% reliable, money-saving and never disappointing! Nowadays with watermelons close to $10 a piece, it is more important than ever to know how to pick a ripe one!
I read several tips in Southern Living and saw an article on facebook that I put to the test. The
tips to picking a ripe watermelon I tried are:
1. Look for a yellow belly which means the watermelon has been in the field a long time hence riper. See the yellow?
2. Look for scarring on the skin of the melon, the blacker the scars, the riper the melon.
These two pictures are opposite ends of the same watermelon. Some yellow belly and an impressive scar pattern! How did this seedless watermelon taste? AMAZING! The sweetest, juiciest, early "May" watermelon I've ever tasted. The appearance of the inside of the watermelon looks questionable but trust me, the taste is delicious! My family and I enjoyed every ounce of the goodness!
I was pretty pumped that I had found a method other than thumping to pick a ripe watermelon! I couldn't wait to try out this new found skill again. I walked into the BI-LO strutting like a peacock with a fanned tail. This trip to the same store picking from the same watermelon bin turned out quite differently. I went thru the same process looking for a definite yellow belly and dark black scars, no thumping.
Found one! Brought it home. GREEN AS A GOURD! Had to chunk it! Now...
I'm a yellow-bellied, black-scarred, finger- thumping watermelon picker!
Is there a foolproof method out there for picking a ripe watermelon? I'm not so sure! What's your watermelon picking secret? I'd love to know. Leave me a comment and share it with us folks who are ready to give up!
Let them ripen before picking please,
Tammy
The Happy Handicap
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