Nothing tastes better during a sweltering summer’s day than a cold, juicy, sweet watermelon. It’s perfect for that satisfying sweetness and it adds hydration to the body since it is loaded with water (up to 92%) and nutrients. However, picking that one perfect watermelon that can give that sugar high or a bitter low is not hard if you follow three tips given by those who know best Texas A&M AgriLife.
AgriLife says this season of Texas watermelons is high quality and prices are lower for shoppers. Juan Anciso, Ph.D, a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Services vegetable specialist, offers three tips to help choose the best watermelon.
First, find the yellow belly or the field spot. The field spot
is where the melon was lying on
the ground while attached to the vine. If the watermelon is ripe, the field spot should be a large yellow patch on one side. The color should be creamy yellow. The bigger the yellow bellow, or field spot, and the creamier the color, the more time the melon ripened on the vine.
Second, tap the underbelly and listen for a deep sound. Gently knock on the underside with your knuckles. A ripe watermelon will have a deeper sound. A hollow thud, paired with an oversized yellow spot, may mean the melon is overripe and mealy.
Third, look for a dull color and a heavy watermelon. It may not be the prettiest watermelon in the patch or the easiest to carry to the car, but the best watermelons are dull in color and heavy. A shiny melon means the insides are underripe.
A watermelon picked at the right time out of the field and se lected by the shopper who knows how to pick that melon will make a lot of kids, grandkids or just the “kids in us” very happy.
