6 Traits That Indicate A Watermelon Should Be Left On The Shelf
July 17, 2019
source: Inside Edition
When it comes to certain types of fruits and vegetables, knowing how to pick them is super important. There’s nothing worse than spending money on something, only to get home and discover that it’s either gone bad or won’t be ripe for days. When shopping for watermelons, look for the following six traits that will tell you the watermelon you’re holding is better off left on the shelf.
1. Green Stem
Although you may think a green stem indicates a healthy watermelon, it actually means that the watermelon is nowhere near ripe yet. Look for watermelons that have brown, dry-looking stems instead.
2. Not Very Heavy
If your watermelon feels light when you pick it up, then the water content of that melon is not very high. You want a watermelon that feels a little heavy, as the fruit will be juicier.
3. Oval Shape
This one is more based on preference, but the rounder the watermelon is, the sweeter it will be. If you like sweet watermelon, leave the long, oval ones on the shelf.
4. Cracked
If a watermelon has a crack in it, you certainly don’t want to take it home. The crack will lead the fruit to rot, and is often accompanied by mold. Yuck!
5. Not Hollow
Gently knocking on a watermelon will indicate the quality of fruit inside. If you knock and it sounds hollow, the watermelon is juicy and ready to be eaten. If it doesn’t sound hollow, you should leave it behind.
6. No Field Spot
Most watermelons have a yellow or white spot on one of their sides. This doesn’t mean the watermelon is unhealthy — it’s simply the part of the watermelon that sat on the soil in the field. If a watermelon has no field spot, it wasn’t left to ripen long enough before being picked.