Watermelon Thumping; How to Pick a Ripe Melon

Reader Contribution by Sherry Leverich Tucker
Published on July 18, 2011
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I want to start with a disclaimer: I am not an expert ripe watermelon picker, and, just because a watermelon is ripe doesn’t mean it will be perfectly sweet. I love growing and eating watermelon, but I have struggled with picking and then selling watermelon for the fear of cutting into an either green or over-ripe watermelon.

Oh, there isn’t anything like eating a cold, sweet watermelon on a hot summer day. It’s almost better than a glass of iced tea when you’ve been outside working and in need of refreshment. When you cut open that watermelon, it can be disappointing if it isn’t at it’s peak. Personally I do not mind a melon slightly under-ripe, but my palate is disturbed by a gritty over-ripe melon. An over-ripe melon also won’t keep at all, where-as a perfectly ripe or slightly under-ripe one will keep for up to a week in the fridge if kept in the rind.

At the Market:

If you are purchasing a melon at a market there are several indications of a ripe melon. Always look for a healthy looking melon with a green stem. If the stem isn’t green it has been picked for awhile or came off of a dead vine. The melon should be the right size for it’s variety, a smaller one could possibly be under-ripe (picked early along with larger more mature melons). If you rub your hand over the melon it should be slightly bumpy, a very smooth melon is probably immature. The underside of the melon should be creamy yellow (not green). Yes, thumping is good. Thump as many melons as you like. If it sounds hollow and not high pitched, it is a good indication of ripeness. In the old days small “plugs” would be pulled out of melons to check for ripeness, but that is rarely done in this day.

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