So how do you pick a good seedless watermelon?

The last few times I've bought watermelons, I haven't had a lot of luck.

The one I just purchased isn't good; it seems a little pinker inside than it should be, and the flavor isn't really there. The last one I bought had this fleshy, textured flesh inside that was just awful; it reminded me of the crap you get out of a cantaloupe or pumpkin. I couldn't even eat it. The one I got before that wasn't anything to sing about. The one back before that one, however, was a great watermelon -- delicious!

If there's a way to pick a good one, then I want to know about it. I'll pluck it, thump it, sniff it, or sing to it; and I won't care how stupid I look. I just need to know what to look for.

(I'll probably google this too but, with so many know-it-alls running around here, I figure there surely must be a melon expert around.)

reply to post by okayimhere


Ok... This might sound Racist and it's note. Here's the story on how I learned to find the "right" and "seedless" watermelons~

When I was a kid, me and my father (we live on the southside of Chicago) would bungalo bang (install carpet) in some shoddy neiborhoods (the heights, markham, robbins, the prime time blue light districts where you don't want to be once the sun goes down) Regardless (I needed to put a backdrop into the story) On our way home, we would always see Watermelon vendors by either Africans or Hispanics... I'm talking a whole friggin truck full of watermelons... Now i've bought plenty from the store in my time on this planet.... But my father was right when he said "Nate, if you want the best watermelon find one of these guys" and I could name countless times we stopped just to pick up a watermelon from a truck vendor...

In retrospect I feel if you go to any "fresh marketplace" you will find the cream of the crop in regards to vegitables and fruits and it's just logistically/geographically speaking that I was taught that way...

You also gotta do the thumb tapping trick... If it gives a good "Thud" and not a dull thud your good to go~

Just some pennies on my experiance with watermelons...

Also if you cut a hole and plug it with vodka, makes for a good summertime buzz~

The best chance of getting a good watermelon is to get a seeded one. If ripe, they seem to always taste better.

The best way to tell if a watermelon is ripe is by looking at a few things
1. Look at the stem if it is curled up then it was cut while it was green and ripened off the vine. If it has a straight stem then it was ripened on the vine.

2. Look for a big white or yellow patch on the melon. This shows it was ripened while still laying on the ground. If it has no spot then don't buy it.

3. When you thump or knock on it it should have a hollow sound if it doesn't have that sound then it isn't ripe.

Originally posted by buster2010
The best way to tell if a watermelon is ripe is by looking at a few things
1. Look at the stem if it is curled up then it was cut while it was green and ripened off the vine. If it has a straight stem then it was ripened on the vine.

2. Look for a big white or yellow patch on the melon. This shows it was ripened while still laying on the ground. If it has no spot then don't buy it.

3. When you thump or knock on it it should have a hollow sound if it doesn't have that sound then it isn't ripe.

What if it has no stem at all? All the watermelons I see for sale don't have any stems.

Also, a question about the color: does it matter at all if a watermelon is a darker shade of green or a lighter shade of green?

reply to post by sulaw


There isn't anything racist about what you said, so no worries. If anyone takes offense, then they're a wee bit too sensitive.

I always seem to be broke when I pass by those produce vendors who set up around town. A while back, I noticed there were some guys in the Bojangles parking lot selling baskets of strawberries out of their pickup. I wanted to stop, but it was a bad time of the month (dammit).

reply to post by okayimhere

I'm not positive, but I think it's still kinda early in the Season, which makes it more of a 'Hit or Miss' type thing. Some are good, while others are ".... meh.... idk, not so great."

Originally posted by okayimhere

Also, a question about the color: does it matter at all if a watermelon is a darker shade of green or a lighter shade of green?

Based solely on this↓article, I don't think the shade matters much. BUT, I'm not vouching for any of this↓. Most of it is probably accurate, but ya never know, some of it may be false.

[color=46C94D]Deciding when to harvest a melon is most difficult early in the season when vines are green and healthy.


Some indicators of a watermelon’s maturity are: tendrils or pigtails on vines change from green to brown, the ground spot on the belly of the melon turns from white to yellow, and the thumping sound changes from a metallic ringing when immature to a soft hollow sound when mature.

Watermelons should be handled carefully to avoid rolling, bumping or dropping and thus prevent internal bruising of the flesh.

Store watermelons at temperatures ranging from 60 to 70 degrees F. Temperatures below 50 degrees or above 90 degrees for extended periods will increase flesh deterioration. Once the melon is cut, it can be refrigerated in wedge form or in small chunks in plastic-covered containers.

[color=57FA60]Good quality melons are usually firm, symmetrical in shape, fresh, attractive in appearance and of good color. The external rind color may vary from deep solid green to gray, depending on the variety.

www.burpee.com...

Some of that↑ applies only if you're picking them out in the field, but not all of it.







If you don't like how it tastes, then you could always fill it up with something else that doesn't taste good: ie Vodka!

[color=868686](2 negatives = a positive)

Originally posted by okayimhere

Originally posted by buster2010
The best way to tell if a watermelon is ripe is by looking at a few things
1. Look at the stem if it is curled up then it was cut while it was green and ripened off the vine. If it has a straight stem then it was ripened on the vine.

2. Look for a big white or yellow patch on the melon. This shows it was ripened while still laying on the ground. If it has no spot then don't buy it.

3. When you thump or knock on it it should have a hollow sound if it doesn't have that sound then it isn't ripe.

What if it has no stem at all? All the watermelons I see for sale don't have any stems.

Also, a question about the color: does it matter at all if a watermelon is a darker shade of green or a lighter shade of green?

Personally I won't buy a melon with no stem because this is usually an indicator that it was shipped in from who knows where. Which means it was picked while it was still green. I am very picky when it comes to melons I never buy them from a store only from farmers markets or from a u pick farm.

Color really doesn't mean that much because different varieties of melons have different colors. This also means different flavors as well.

reply to post by buster2010

Originally posted by buster2010

2. Look for a big white or yellow patch on the melon. This shows it was ripened while still laying on the ground. If it has no spot then don't buy it.

It seems like you know what you're talking about, whereas I probably don't.

I'm just curious of your opinion pertaining to the part I posted which suggests that it's better to wait until after it has changed from white to yellow?

[color=46C94D]Some indicators of a watermelon’s maturity are: tendrils or pigtails on vines change from green to brown, the ground spot on the belly of the melon turns from white to yellow.....

hmmmm. I just realized this↓contradiction...

[color=46C94D]....and the thumping sound changes from a metallic ringing when immature to a soft hollow sound when mature.

Watermelons should be handled carefully to avoid rolling, bumping or dropping and thus prevent internal bruising of the flesh.

You should be careful not to bump it, but it's ok to knock on each of them in order to compare the thud sound they make.

reply to post by BrokenCircles


This is what I have always been told too...look for the "bad" part..or discolored portion with a flatish appearance on one side. If it is nicely rounded than probably not that great..I have heard the color (green/dark green) has nothing to do with how it tastes...but 9/10 times I always get a tasteless watermelon..when I was growing up (more local producers) the watermelon was heavenly..now they are bland and not as dark pink on the inside

reply to post by okayimhere
Bring a broom straw when you go to pick your melon. When you find one that looks good first thump it to see if it has a good hollow sound to it. If you're still not sure set the watermelon on the floor or ground and lay the broom straw on top of it near the middle. If the broom straw turns you have a winner, if it stays still keep on looking!

reply to post by BrokenCircles

I'm just curious of your opinion pertaining to the part I posted which suggests that it's better to wait until after it has changed from white to yellow?

The deeper the yellow the riper it is so if it has a very deep yellow color then chances are it is overripe. If you can find one where the color is changing from white to yellow then that is the best time because it is just getting to be fully ripe.

First thing, use some common sense. Consider where you live and then where are the melons from?

Ripe melons are hard to come by in early spring... and the reason tasty melons are hard to find is they have to be transported and stored for retail sales. If picked and shipped ripe, they would be soup by the time they got to the shelf.

That is probably why the "best" melon vendors are of color according to a previous post... they got them straight from the field or got seconds or over ripe melons... all at a cheap price and sell them from the road side. They could sell only half the melons and make back their cost... anything else is profit.

I know because I do this at my own farmstand.

To pick a good melon, look for a cream colored or yellow belly on the melon. This means it naturally ripened in the field.

Look at the end opposite the stem... this is the oldest part of the melon as it is the blossom end. Smell it,,. push and poke it. If soft.. over ripe.

Thump the melon... a hollow sound indicates ripe firm, succulent flesh.

Also, talk with the vendor... where are the melons from? Here in NC, most watermelons at this time are coming from the SE coast toward Wilmington or SC. We had a cool spring here in NC and very wet... so local melons are about 3 weeks late.

Look at your weather and region. If you are up north and it is not late summer, those melons are not local. Most were picked early to survive transit and thus picked too early and ... just like tomatoes... have no flavor.

Know your varieties... a good source is seed catalogues... lots of useful info here. My favorite are the "sugar babies" or "cannon balls." Aptly named as that is what they look like... totally round, about the size of a basket ball and dark green skin.... inside, a deep brilliant red flesh... with little sugar crystals along the cut flesh...

makes ya want to hurt ya self.... yummy.

OP star and flag for this timely thread!

Lots of good advice here and things I never knew. I would just thump and hope it sounded hollow. I never knew about the yellow rings, broomstraw or the soft end. Now I know this round beauty that is half gone and will be all gone very soon is a "cannonball" probably the best watermelon I have ever had! This was great getting all this info and just before the 4th. (for us here in the US)

Originally posted by okayimhere
...If there's a way to pick a good one, then I want to know about it. I'll pluck it, thump it, sniff it, or sing to it; and I won't care how stupid I look. I just need to know what to look for.
...

First thing to do is -
1. cut open the watermelon of interest
2. make certain it has no seeds (you may have to dig around a little to be absolutely certain)
3. dig out a chunk
4. sniff it
5. if it smells okay
6. taste it
7. If the taste suits your 'buds...you've found the one you want.
If it doesn't - leave that melon, and move on to the next.
Check as many as needed...until you find your soul-watermelon.
The process can be exhausting...so, count the cost before engaging.

All good advice. Also, keep in mind the GMO watermelons have less flavor.

Just find the produce manager and ask him to pick you one out.

WanDash - Thank you! The mental image of digging through a squishy, wet watermelon only to take a small bite and toss the whole thing aside at the farmer's market made me laugh. I'm a simple person and simply entertained.

calstorm - I didn't think watermelons had been genetically modified. Do you know in what way they were modified? Is it the seedless version you think is GMO? It's not - that's just a hybrid of the male pollen of a diploid watermelon and the female pollen of a tetraploid watermelon, which produces and a triploid watermelon whose seeds never ripen. That's not genetic modification as it requires no biotechnology, just human intervention.

Originally posted by Halekoch
WanDash - Thank you! The mental image of digging through a squishy, wet watermelon only to take a small bite and toss the whole thing aside at the farmer's market made me laugh. I'm a simple person and simply entertained.

...

Well - thank you!
Most people don't take me seriously. Can't be too careful when choosing the right watermelon.
I actually won a watermelon-seed spitting contest a little more than many moons ago...
My competitors had chosen seedless watermelons for their arsenal/cache.
...like shooting fish in a barrel...

reply to post by okayimhere


They just aren't making watermelons like they used to. I remember them always being sweet and red, never minded the pesky seeds that much. The best one I ever had was in Italy recently and grown from the water from the Marmount Falls. We got pictures of that one!

Recently I have had a couple of bad experiences buying a whole watermelon from my local market and even worse luck at my local fruitstand. Now I ask the grocer to give me a sample of the watermelon before I invest in a whole one. They usually have one they cut up to sell in pieces, so the sellers, (my local Publix) are very accommodating and happy to give you a taste.