How To Pick Out The Best Watermelon At The Store Every Time

Perfectly ripe watermelons bring about a kind of joy you really don't get from other summer fruits. We all know the experience. It's the nostalgia, it's the crisp flavor, it's the quintessential mental tie between summer freedom and a chunky watermelon slice. It's trendy to grill your watermelon these days, and you should try it if you've been reluctant to jump on the bandwagon because, frankly, it's worth the hype. But no matter what preparation you opt for, take the time to grab the best melon you can find. And lucky you, the internet is swimming with tips for picking out the plumpest watermelon on the shelves.

Let's start with some quick basics. First, slap that melon. You may feel silly playing bongo drums with your fruit, but the sound carries a whole lot of info. Grab a melon with a deep and hollow sound instead of a clear, high-pitched one since deeper pitches point to a melon full of juice. You also want to keep an eye out for the "ground spot." This is the discolored place where the melon rested on the ground as it grew. A big yellow or orange-colored spot usually indicates a ripe melon, while a small white spot means a melon you don't want to eat by itself. Instead, it's ready for watermelon burgers, which suit its firmer, less succulent, and sugary-sweet flesh perfectly.

Knowing how to snatch a perfect melon from a sea of duds is all well and good, but it's just as helpful to know what a dud melon looks like in the first place. Once you've done your bongo test and a ground spot check, take a look at the watermelon stem. A flexible, green stem will greet you if your melon is too young to be juicy. While you're at it, check the webbing (the crackly brown pattern creeping up the side of a melon). Melons with smaller webbing tend to be mild in flavor, so you're better off pairing them with mustard for a uniquely delicious experience.

But most grocery stores sell melons with the stems removed, so how else can you tell which melons are worth buying? The biggest giveaway lies in the size. Elongated watermelons ("males") have a mealy texture and watery taste. "Female" watermelons are round and bursting with flavor. So if you crave that sweet summery goodness associated with the biggest and brightest melons, remember: round, dry stem, orange spot, big webbing. With this knowledge in your back pocket, duds are a thing of the past.