Help me pick a good watermelon!

RavensGryf

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Does anyone know?

As some of you know, I love melons. My favorite Casaba and Crenshaw went in and out of season in what seemed like a blink of an eye, and now we are back to the usual common melons. I do love watermelon, and it's still in season! It's hit or miss though. Sometimes, as I pick one at random, it ends up being sweet, juicy, and delicious :32:. But sometimes you pay $10 for a decent sized melon and it just ends up being unripe, not flavorful and juicy, and a huge disappointment.

As far as they say about tapping the rind with your hand... what sound are we hoping to hear... a deeper more resonant tone? After slapping several of the nearby melons in the bin, I have to say they all sound the same :(. Visually, they all look the same too. Tonight I got lucky and picked a nice sweet one. I like to cut up bite sized pieces and freeze it for a few hours until they're a 'half frozen' texture :32:

Do share if you have any tips to picking a great watermelon!
 

Mimsy01

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My favorite melons are casabas too! Watermelon I only love if it's really sweet and cripsy..if that makes sense. I hate them when they are funky textured and without much flavor.

I c an't help you pick them though. My husband and I are always trying different ways of getting them and have yet to find a way to know if it's going to be a good one.
 

Aquila

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This link has the basics, How to Select a Watermelon: 14 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow you want the ground patch to be small and deep yellow. The stem end should smell sweet (goes for any melon really) but not be wet as it might be over ripe, or quickly turn to mush after bringing it home.

The other thing is looking at the stem end, it should be concave, indicating it fell off on it's own rather than being picked.
If you have space, watermelon also grow super easy, though you probably won't get the giant ones, I used to spit the seeds all over when I was a kid and ended up with quite a few in our garden and grass!
 

Kiwibird

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I thump them and see if they sound "hollow". If they do, they're ripe.
 

Surfincr

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i'll add what i just read and am waiting to try, where the watermelon attaches to the vine there is a leaf supposedly when that leaf starts to die off the melon is ready. i havent tried it, as i'm waiting for the leaf to die off on mine but on the thumping method i'm 0 for 3
 
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RavensGryf

RavensGryf

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My favorite melons are casabas too! Watermelon I only love if it's really sweet and cripsy..if that makes sense. I hate them when they are funky textured and without much flavor.

I c an't help you pick them though. My husband and I are always trying different ways of getting them and have yet to find a way to know if it's going to be a good one.

I was so disappointed when I heard the Casaba season was over. The Crensaws (Casaba hybrid) were in season slightly longer, but when they were gone for the year, I was truly sad!

This link has the basics, How to Select a Watermelon: 14 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow you want the ground patch to be small and deep yellow. The stem end should smell sweet (goes for any melon really) but not be wet as it might be over ripe, or quickly turn to mush after bringing it home.

The other thing is looking at the stem end, it should be concave, indicating it fell off on it's own rather than being picked.
If you have space, watermelon also grow super easy, though you probably won't get the giant ones, I used to spit the seeds all over when I was a kid and ended up with quite a few in our garden and grass!

Thanks for the great tips! I know I could have just gone on the internet, but I thought it would be fun to start a thread and see what forum members had to say. Interesting how the yellow 'ground patch' gives a clue. I will read the link now, thank you :)

I thump them and see if they sound "hollow". If they do, they're ripe.

They all sound hollow to me... I must not have a good ear for it lol.

i'll add what i just read and am waiting to try, where the watermelon attaches to the vine there is a leaf supposedly when that leaf starts to die off the melon is ready. i havent tried it, as i'm waiting for the leaf to die off on mine but on the thumping method i'm 0 for 3

Interesting Chris, I'll be looking forward to hearing if this proves to be true!
 
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RavensGryf

RavensGryf

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This link has the basics, How to Select a Watermelon: 14 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow you want the ground patch to be small and deep yellow. The stem end should smell sweet (goes for any melon really) but not be wet as it might be over ripe, or quickly turn to mush after bringing it home.

The other thing is looking at the stem end, it should be concave, indicating it fell off on it's own rather than being picked.
If you have space, watermelon also grow super easy, though you probably won't get the giant ones, I used to spit the seeds all over when I was a kid and ended up with quite a few in our garden and grass!

Bookmarked the link :) Thanks again. Hopefully this will help me to never waste my money on a bad one again!
 

DexMom

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If you get a melon that is less than delicious, you can always quick puree it in the food processor (I use my ninja) add some vodka and freeze. When you're ready to enjoy it, scrape it off like a snow cone. Even the losers of the watermelon world make delicious slushies :D.
 
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RavensGryf

RavensGryf

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The bad ones go mixed in the ninja with other fruits to cover it up :) Smoothies. Still it's a bummer to pay $8-12 for something you don't want.
 

Taw5106

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I thump watermelons. Cantaloupes I smell where the stem was, if it's smells sweet I buy it. Never got a cantaloupe I didn't like this way. A mental image just popped in my head, smelling the watermelon, lol. If it sounds hollow, I buy it. I've found thumping works most times. We have a grocer that cuts watermelon in half then wraps in plastic wrap, if I buy them, I get the reddest neater half I can find.
 

Scott

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There's a certain resonance to the thumping trick with a good watermelon. Hard to describe, but it's almost a high-pitch metallic sound.

If you are a Costco member, (don't recall if you are) not only are the prices good but they have an overly generous refund policy. A bad watermelon can be returned, but of course you have to schlep it back and wait on line. I don't abuse the policy for anything, but good to know it exists!
 
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RavensGryf

RavensGryf

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There's a certain resonance to the thumping trick with a good watermelon. Hard to describe, but it's almost a high-pitch metallic sound.

If you are a Costco member, (don't recall if you are) not only are the prices good but they have an overly generous refund policy. A bad watermelon can be returned, but of course you have to schlep it back and wait on line. I don't abuse the policy for anything, but good to know it exists!

In the link Aquila provided, it says the resonance of a ripe melon is more of a tenor sound, so that would be congruent to what you describe as a higher pitch. I'm assuming that "ripe" means it's sweet? The last time, I had one which tasted like... water. Literally nothing. Maybe the problem was that it wasn't ripe enough?

I'm not a Costco member, but I believe regular supermarkets take food back like that also. I'm usually too lazy to go back lol.
 

Surfincr

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So i realized after i posted last time that you meant from the store and not picking fresh whoops. :eek:

but if you are picking fresh watermelons i was able to confirm when the leaf is almost dead where the watermelon attaches to the vine the watermelon is ripe.
 

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