the best way to pick a melon...

this idea came about on a twitter post from my cuz, won.

in my experience, this is what i have found to be the best way to pick a melon...

{watermelon}
    :by sight:

the stripes should be less distinguishable, if they  are very clear white and green, that means it has been picked too early. 
the bottom of the fruit, where it rests on the ground, should be yellow, not white. 
i tend to believe that if the spot on the bottom is larger, it has sat longer on the vine to ripen.
the stem...i try to look for a larger, curlier stem, (or the biggest circle) this also means it' been on the vine longer to ripen.

    :by sound:

thump the fruit, you should hear a nice hollow sound.  nice and deep. 
if it's a high pitch, it's no good.

{cantaloupe and honey dew} 
    :by sight:

i do the same thing as the watermelon, look where it has rested on the ground, and see if it's a  larger "spot"   
the stem size, i try to find the largest circle, for the same reasons above

    :by sound:

i hear that you're supposed to hear a rattling sound, but i still go by the hollow thump.

    :by smell:

this is the BEST way, smelling the melon at room temperature, you can smell the sweetness   of the melon.  if you can, it's a winner.  if you can't don't bother.

hope you enjoy these last days of summer with a nice juicy melon!  no doubt, it's THE BEST

Comments

[kristy]

yes, i go for the hollow thump, too! best kind of mellons.