Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data. Select personalised content. Create a personalised content profile. Measure ad performance. Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance.
Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Featured Video. Read More. Your Privacy Rights. To change or withdraw your consent choices for thespruceeats.
At any time, you can update your settings through the "EU Privacy" link at the bottom of any page. Watermelons don't continue to ripen after being harvested, unlike many other fruits, so it's no good to just buy one and try to let it ripen on the counter. Cantaloupes and other melons do tend to get softer after sitting at room temperature for a few days, but their sweetness is determined by when they were picked, not by how soft they get on the counter.
To help do my part for world peace by reducing the disappointment of eating an unripe melon, here are a few tips on how to tell if a watermelon is ripe for eating, whether you bought it at the market or grew it at home. Look at Its Belly. Watermelons have an underside, or belly — which is in contact with the ground throughout its growth — called a "field spot. Thump It. Using your knuckles, rap on the middle of the watermelon while holding it up to your ear, or flick it with your finger like flicking a crumb off your shirt.
A ripe watermelon will have a hollow sound when knocked, which sounds more like a "plunk" than a "thwack. Learning the difference between the sounds of an unripe vs. Sniff It Pick up the watermelon and carry it a little bit away from the rest of the melons so you don't pick up the smell of other melons , and give it a good sniff. A ripe watermelon should smell slightly sweet, and similar to what a melon tastes like, but not overly sweet which can indicate an overripe watermelon.
This sniff test also works great actually, even better than for watermelons on other types of melons, such as cantaloupes and honeydew. Squeeze It Gently squeeze the side of the watermelon to see if there's a bit of "give" to it. The rind of the melon shouldn't be soft, as the skin of some fruits get when ripe, but it also shouldn't be hard as a rock with no give to it at all. Heft It If you've gone through the above tests and still can't narrow down your choices between a couple of watermelons, try comparing the weight of similarly-sized ones and pick the one that seems heavier to you.
This isn't a fail-proof test, but it can be fairly reliable. Watch the Calendar and Break out the Measuring Tape. You did remember to save your watermelon seed package and write down the date you planted them, didn't you? Don't even bother. They taste like cardboard. As a backup, smell the vine end of the melon. It will smell like cantaloupe. Honeydew melons will be soft on the blossom end when pushed.
The softer, the more ripe until it's overripe. Yellow skinned honeydews are easier to pick. They don't turn yellow until they are close to ripe. There is no substitute for the thump test. Once you've heard the sound of a ripe melon, it will forever be unmistakeable unless you have a tin ear. I am a city boy gone seaside yankee and I had to learn many years ago incity markets how to pick a good melon or grandma would never forgive me.
An old man at a farmers market showed me what to look for and I've never been wrong since. We eat watermelons like a main course around here and buy several a week during season. My dad was a farmer, and he grew just about everything, he always said when the bottom of a melon is yellow, then its ripe. He didn't grow the sugar babies so not sure about them. Thank you, Susan Reynolds. Skip to main content. You are here Gardening Advice.
When to Harvest Watermelon. By Robin Sweetser. July 30, About This Blog. Related Articles Gardening Harvest Watermelons. Tags Ripeness Guide ripe melon. What do you want to read next? When to Harvest Vegetables and Growing Melons in the Garden. Houseplant Care Guide. Vertical Gardening: Grow More Cucumbers Harvest: Best Varieties How to Ripen Avocados and More Tips.
Sowing Seeds in the Vegetable National Watermelon Day is August 3. Tips and Treats.
0コメント