Baffled? Here’s How To Tell If Watermelon Is Ripe
I think most of us have been there…Standing over a large box of watermelons at the grocery store, picking them up and trying to figure out which one is the ripest. Baffled? You’ll find out here how to tell if watermelon is ripe, from experts.
Honestly, the old saying “you learn something new everyday” certainly applies. I had no clue how to decipher the good from the bad when it comes to watermelon. I heard about the knocking on it trick, but frankly, they all sounded the same to me.
I did some watermelon digging for you (metaphorically speaking) and found some excellent suggestions on how to tell if watermelon is ripe. I consulted The Pioneer Woman, All Recipes and some general Google searches to fin the answers!
There’s More Than One How To Tell If Watermelon Is Ripe
There is more than one way to tell if your watermelon is ready to be eaten. But overwhelmingly, the best answer seems to be by lifting it up and looking at the bottom of the fruit. What you want to see is a yellowish spot on the bottom, and here’s why: “The easiest thing to inspect on a watermelon is the field spot or ground spot. It’s the side of the melon that rests on the field while it’s growing and it’s easy to find. If this area is yellow, amber, buttery, or creamy in color it means the fruit was left on the vine long enough to get ripe.” That is from All Recipes. But all of my searches agreed that is the most important clue. Beware, because if the spot is more whiteish in color, it’s not ripe.
There are a few other clues when you’re baffled at the supermarket. Here’s a handy dandy list of ways to tell if watermelon is ripe. Use it as your guide next time you’re going watermelon shopping.
- Look for the field spot- that creamy yellow spot from where it sat on the ground and ripened in the sun. So pick up the fruit to inspect all sides
- No stem! A stem means the watermelon was picked too soon and didn’t have a chance to ripen. It generally falls off the vine when ready to go. A green stem means it was just picked and not ripe. A brown stem where it was cut is better, at least it’s had a chance to ripen.
- Avoid the following: Cuts, dents, soft spots, or bruises
- Looks count. You want a round, not irregular shape fruit with a dark, dull skin. Shiny and pale skin is not good
It’s watermelon season, so go pick a good one and eat it as is or use in a recipe. One of my favorites is The Pioneer Woman’s Watermelon and Feta Salad. You can find that HERE as well as a graphic on picking watermelons. Eating watermelon is a summer treat with a lot less calories than ice cream. So, enjoy!
