Watermelon problem

[Oodalally13]

So yesterday, I saw my first yellow watermelon. I knew they existed but had never seen one in all of my 32 years. It was really good too! Nice and sweet. Almost a slight honey taste to it. Now I want another!

I like yellow meated too, but I think that they are a little grainy-er (not sure the proper word) in texture. Wait till you find an orange meat. The first time someone gave me some I thought it was diseased red!

 

[JustCallMeMommy]

Do any of yall know or do a watermelon thump to check for ripeness? It's something I learned as a young kid from my grandfather in his garden, but here in Texas we even have a festival dedicated to watermelons...the Luling Watermelon Thump. Anyways, you thump the melon (you know with thumb and pointer finger as if you are flicking someone's ear or nose). The deeper the tone and more hollow sounding, the riper the watermelon. I swear I am not looney.

Yep, I thump watermelons and always pick a great one. I learned the trick from my mom who grew up on a farm.

 

[wishesuponastar]

Thank you for posting the thump test. I will do that next time.

 

[EMode]

I'll try the thump trick today, thanks.

 

[TEENEE]

Do any of yall know or do a watermelon thump to check for ripeness? It's something I learned as a young kid from my grandfather in his garden, but here in Texas we even have a festival dedicated to watermelons...the Luling Watermelon Thump. Anyways, you thump the melon (you know with thumb and pointer finger as if you are flicking someone's ear or nose). The deeper the tone and more hollow sounding, the riper the watermelon.

I swear I am not looney.

You're not looney. That's how I was taught to pick out a watermelon. Works every time.

 

[momof1princess]

Not sure about other places, but here the watermelons are much better in July.

Even the guys on the side of the road that sell the ones they grow have better melons in July. Dh says its because they have but something on them to make them ripen faster rather than just letting it happen naturally.

And if they are trucked in, they are awful! The shippers put stuff on them to keep them from over ripening in transit. Or maybe its on them because they are picked green and they want them to ripen in transit. Either way, it makes for bad melons.

I have discovered the same thing in our area-we never buy a watermelon before July 4th, because they just don't taste good at all.

 

[rszdtrvl]

A thump and slightly yellowed on the bottom make for a ripe watermelon (I googled it last Friday before DH purchased ours).

Apparently the slight yellowing on the bottom (one end) of the melon means it was ripened on the vine.

Our watermelon was wonderful!

 

[wishesuponastar]

Thank you, I will look for yellow bottom melon.

 

[LilyWDW]

I have discovered the same thing in our area-we never buy a watermelon before July 4th, because they just don't taste good at all.

I have had a couple great ones already. Including the yellow watermelon the other night. Guess I just have great luck at picking them... that, or an unknown super power.

 

[KimR]

It seems to me like the fruit in general has not been very good this year. I just spent $40.00 on fruit yesterday and I'm going to wind up tossing the cantaloupe and grapes -they are inedible. The peaches and berries were ok - nothing great but edible at least. I remember fruit tasting so much better when I was a kid.

 

[pigletgirl]

We've had some great cantaloupe recently. Nice and ripe and very flavorful. DD is loving it! We bought our first watermelon this past week and it was good. Not awesome, but not terrible either.

I'm anxiously waiting for peach season to be here! The ones at the store are still rock solid.

 

[esk]

The Produce Guy at my local supermarket told me these things to do when picking a watermelon (because I'm not good at the thunking....)

1) push on it, all the way around....if it gives at all, it's going to be mealy inside
2) look for a good size white/yellow spot. if there isn't one, then it didn't ripen long enough
3) look for "sugar cracks" which are brown cracks that filled in, if that makes sense
4) on the opposite end from the "tail", the end should be black instead of brown....black is the sugar inside and the watermelon will be sweet

So far it's worked pretty well. I always thump it with my hand but honestly, they all sound the same to me! Although in the last 3 weeks or so (we go through one watermelon a week at my house) the watermelons haven't been very good. Maybe there was a problem with the crop?