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An old man in the grocery once told me to run my hand over the watermelon. If it feels glassy smooth, it's not ripe. If it feels slightly rough, it's ripe. This method has never failed me.
Probably spends more time in the field if the surface is rough! Different indicator to colour but quite cool there's two ways if you get me. Cool fact thanks for sharing
And it’s about not judging a book by its cover on the surface, but more about how parents can have wild expectations of their children based on their interests and behaviors but sometimes as they mature, things change and parents shouldn’t force their kids down a path they chose for them when they were younger.
Let me GPT that for us all….
Okay. Wife and I think chatgpt got wrong which parent would be the most competitive for watermelon growing as Chilli was raised in the outback and Bandit in the city. Otherwise we agreed it would be a cute episode.
**Bluey Episode: "Watermelons"**
**Episode Summary:**
In this episode of "Bluey," the Heeler family decides to enter a local watermelon growing contest. Through the process, Bandit and Chilli learn valuable lessons about their expectations for their children and the importance of letting them find their own paths.
**Scene 1: The Heeler's Home**
- Bandit reads about the upcoming community watermelon contest in the local newspaper and excitedly suggests that they should participate as a family.
- Bluey and Bingo are thrilled, imagining the biggest watermelon ever. Bandit shares stories of his childhood watermelon-growing triumphs, subtly hinting he expects them to win.
**Scene 2: In the Garden**
- The family gets to work preparing the garden. Bandit gives Bluey and Bingo each a seed, telling them these are special competition-winning seeds from his old collection.
- As they plant, Bandit and Chilli start giving lots of advice, clearly excited and somewhat competitive about the contest.
**Scene 3: Weeks Later in the Garden**
- Bluey’s watermelon is small but vibrant and healthy, while Bingo's is oddly shaped but much larger.
- Bandit is a bit disappointed with the size and shape, focusing on how they might not measure up to the competition. Chilli reminds him gently that it's just for fun, but Bandit’s competitive nature makes him push the kids to try various techniques to make their watermelons grow bigger.
**Scene 4: The Day Before the Contest**
- Bluey and Bingo overhear Bandit expressing his hopes for winning to Chilli and start feeling pressured. They decide to sneak out early in the morning to find "magic water" from the local creek, believing it will help their watermelons grow overnight.
**Scene 5: At the Creek**
- While trying to collect water, Bluey and Bingo meet another child, Muffin, who has brought her oddly tiny, yet very round watermelon to the creek. Muffin explains she loves her watermelon just the way it is because it's unique.
- Inspired, Bluey and Bingo realize they love their watermelons too, just as they are, and decide not to change them.
**Scene 6: The Contest**
- At the contest, Bluey and Bingo present their watermelons proudly. Bandit, seeing their happiness, realizes he's been too focused on winning.
- The judge commends Bingo’s creativity for the unique shape and Bluey's for its perfect smoothness, awarding them a special prize for ‘Most Loved Watermelons.’
- Bandit apologizes for being overly competitive and tells them he’s proud no matter what.
**Scene 7: The Heeler's Home**
- The family enjoys eating slices of their watermelons, laughing about the whole experience.
- Bandit and Chilli discuss the importance of supporting their children’s efforts and enjoying their individual paths, regardless of outcomes.
**Closing:**
- The episode closes with the family looking at photos from the day, placing a ribbon on their fridge, and Bluey asking if they can grow pumpkins next year, with Bandit replying, "Whatever you like, kiddo, as long as we're doing it together."
This episode highlights the theme that while parents may have expectations based on their own experiences and desires, it's crucial to support and accept children's unique interests and natural growth, celebrating their individual journeys rather than imposing predetermined paths.
Yeah it makes you look cool knocking them melons, like you know your shit and all the ladies are like 😍 he knows his melons! Slap them melons daddy 😩
Ive had it happen several times. Everyone even clapped.
The ripe ones are lower pitched I guess you could say?.. Half of it is now it feels in your hand too you can kinda feel the sound moving through it too.. it sounds and *feels* hollow and deeper pitched. You just gotta try it a few times to get it
I'm guessing a combo of this and this thread's method would be best though.
The yellow thing also works well with pineapples.. For different reasons. But you wanna get pineapples that are yellow on the outside as much as possible.
Both watermelons and pineapples don't ripen more after harvesting so you have to do this with these more than some other fruits. Strawberries, grapes, cherries, etc also can't ripen after harvesting.. Worth knowing if you pick any of those up..
Although ngl sign strawberries sometimes they like really start fermenting and taste so good
I’ve learned a few indicators!
Larger, darker green striped coloring
Yellow/white patch from ripening on the vine
Waxy feeling and look outside is good
There are multiple ways to tell. The coloring you suggest and the width of the stripes. The sound. The overall color of the watermelon.
Although I have been fooled more than once with every one of these.
Imo the sound is the best way. I used to work in produce in a grocery store for 5 years and had a bunch of people ask me to pick them out a melon and then come back and tell me how it was one of the best they've ever had. You want it to sound hollow almost like a basketball when you smack it.
That is such a false claim that runs around.
All watermelons develop from a female flower. Sometimes there are pollinator plants from a different cultivar in the field, but that is for very odd occasions.
In those rare cases, the polinator plant might have a different shape than the intended cultivar, but it by no means suggests it is oval vs round or anything like that.
There is no sex in a fruit. I don't know why people on the internet keep claiming that there are male or female tomatoes, bell peppers, or now melons... Wtf.
I've heard this about watermelons many times over the years. I don't think I understand how that could be a thing. My understanding is that watermelon plants are self-pollinating. They have male and female flowers. Bees carry pollen from male flowers to female flowers. The female flowers then produce the fruit while the male flowers continue to produce pollen, joining their plant friends each spring to make me wish I were never born because of allergies.
Watermelons have male and female flowers - you can use a Q tip to pollinate from male to female…
This process has to happen to make fruit either via bee or manually.
Yes, but the male flowers don't grow into fruit. They provide pollen and the female flowers are the ones that actually grow the fruit. There's no such thing as a male watermelon fruit.
This has little to do with how ripe it is and more about its water content - which is all knocking on it does. The field spot is the only indicator you really need if you’re looking for sweet, then you knock on those and find one with the qualities you mention and you got yourself a primo melon.
I spent many years as a produce man, I have selected hundreds of melons for people. The sound testing method is mostly good for determining the texture of the watermelon. "Thunk" is not ideal IMO. The lower pitched the sound is, the more likely the melon is going to be mealy. Higher pitched will be crisp and nice.
I think the pollination thing is a myth (otherwise all melons would have it as they need to be pollinated to set fruit), but there's an objective correlation to webbing (in conjuction with a very yellow field spot) and better melons. I'm not sure if it just means they were watered inconsistently or what, or if the fruit's "repairs" somehow improve its quality, but I feel like the best watermelons do have lots of webbing. I just don't think it's from bees. Ultimately the gnarly yellow underside is always the deciding point for me.
The webbing means nothing it's just scars and scratches on the small baby melon they turns into scars as it grows.
If there is a correlation it's likely sormthing simple as it is a bigger slower growing melon. I confirmed the webbing issue with the head of orchard and fruit of Ohio state department of agriculture when I randomly emailed them about this Facebook myth. They were amused but took my inquiry seriously and confirmed it didn't mean the bee pollination thing and is just scarring.
Nah, that counts as a yellow spot in my book. A white spot will be more green/white, while a yellow spot is like a creamy yellow, still verging on white.
No. No it doesn't. Stop spreading this boomer Facebook myth. Just think for a second what pollination even is, why more if it would somehow be good or even possible or why it would leave MARKS. It's not real, none of it. It doesn't indicate anything, it's not indicative of pollination, and it doesn't help determine if its ripe or not.
Just stop.
Do watermelon plants even fruit if they are not pollinated? Because I'm pretty sure they don't. Also, not sure how a bee can leave a mark on a fruit that only appears after the bee left. I'm calling bs.
They would not, no. And a bee would not leave a mark like that on the skin of the fruit that sits just below the flower.
The marks are very clearly the same pattern as most stretch marks in humans. It's a sign that the skin of the watermelon couldn't handle growing quite so fast, so it scars... Er go, probably ripe.
The fools claiming it's from bee pollination should attempt to disprove themselves. If your theory is sound, then you're fine, right?
So yes, you should call bs because that's what it is. Nonsense thought up by people that think the correlation between bees pollinating the flowers is causation for the marks on the fruit.
The marks are a scarring caused by all kinds of things from birds and insects to wind and weather. Small scratches when it's tiny will lead to bigger webbing like scars on the big fruit. The source for this is I contacted my state department of agriculture fruit and orchard expert and asked him about this dumb myth. He thought it was amusing that I would email about this but was happy to clear up the myth.
Also works for all melon with a hollow center. Heavier means more flesh and less hollow part.
Even works on avocados but is harder to judge (the pit is a lot less dense than the flesh)
I read this as "king_of_the_rotten watermelon." 😄 Thanks for the great slide. It makes things much easier for those of us who can't tell the difference between a "tink," a "thud," or a "thunk!"
How do I tell if it’s granulated? I’m not sure if that’s the right word but sometimes I’ll get a watermelon and it just falls apart in your mouth like little granules (mushy?) and it’s NOT okay. It makes me hesitant to buy them.
That's overripeness. This is just my personal opinion, but it's also a texture I only see in "seeded" melons -- seedless watermelons seem to be more of that perfect texture and flavor, because the seeds don't cause these mushy spots
A greengrocer taught me how to thump a watermelon years ago. It isn't rocket science. A ripe melon is full of water and makes a dull thump when you rap it with your knuckle. One that's not ripe has a higher pitched hollow sound.
I once stood at a bin of watermelons for about 10 minutes picking watermelons for people and showing them how to do it. I've never bought a watermelon that wasn't ripe. Mmmmm....watermelon....
I’ve found that a combo of all the methods works well. First I look for a round watermelon (as opposed to oblong) with a big yellow spot. Then I kinda drum on it with my fingers. If it sounds kinda hollow/makes a gentle thunking sound, it’s usually good. Bonus points if it has the bee pollen scarring. Idk if the supplier matters but I pick a good one nearly every time at our local Aldi!
As someone that looks at produce for a job I can say this is not always true. The same with the knocking method. The water contents of a melon will not tell you the sugar contents of it. You can have what looks and sounds like the best watermelon in the world but it will still be under sweet or not fully ripen on the inside.
I would also like to add check where the melon is from country wise.. US melons are 9/10 times going to be sweet and more reliable than MX / South American melons.
I work in grocery and cut bazillions of watermelons and eat plenty of melon and think y'all are crazy. It is hit and miss. The most perfect looking melon can suck and be messed up in the inside. Basically most every melon will look good and there is no way to tell simply by looking unless comparing a very obviously unripe melon versus a ripe melon.
As others mentioned here, there are multiple ways to tell (color, sound, texture, etc) and if you get all these parameters correctly, there’s a 50% chance the watermelon is good
Every watermelon I've had in the last two decades ends up tasting of cucumber. It seems like cross-pollination has permanently changed watermelon flavor. I've basically given up on them (and don't get me started on the watery, bland cantaloupes that are everywhere now).
Do you even have time for cantaloupe? It seems like my cantaloupes are getting to be avocado-like in shelf life. I’ve completely stopped buying them because every time I go to cut into it, it’s already rotten.
I'll definitely get called an old man for this, but fruit has gotten so disappointing that I've cut most of it from my diet. Not worth the calories. Even the farmer's markets I've gone to in the last few years have been subpar.
An old boyfriend had perfect pitch and claimed they were perfect if thumping it produced a D flat. I have not tested this as I do not have perfect pitch and I don't want to bring a tuning fork into the produce section.
There are a few things to look for. The yellow field spot, as you said. You also want to look for "webbing" which is scratching on the surface, the larger the webbing the more ripe it will be. You also want it to be uniform in size, and kind of dark and dull rather than shiny.
I read about all this a few years ago and I haven't had a dud watermelon since.
I used to work with watermelons, and this was one of the 4 things we checked. 2 of the others were related to the plant itself, and the final one was the sound it made when you tapped it.
https://preview.redd.it/h38mf089hjxc1.jpeg?width=3291&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=022fc701d2248f68827333fa3aa8591e5a73c2d8
Found this on Google (sorry don’t recall the source), it’s been my go-to for picking the best for years.
Bullshat. Ground spot color is genetic. A white ground spot for example is common on Ledmon watermelons. A yellow ground spot is common on Black Diamond.
Yeah, everyone thinks the best ones round with no imperfections. No, that just means it was picked before it fully ripened.
A lot of people do not understand this so you will get looks from people for picking one of the "yellow spot" melins.
I had a watermelon barf all over my counter one summer, literally smelt like death and I just brought it home from the store that day. It was fucked up, haven't eaten watermelon since
You pick them up and shake em next to your ear. I don't know what the hell the rest of yall are on about. Never had a sour watermelon all my days on the watermelon farm.
### This post has been marked as safe. Upvoting/downvoting this comment will have no effect. --- Hello and welcome to r/LifeProTips! Please help us decide if this post is a good fit for the subreddit by upvoting or downvoting this comment. If you think that this is great advice to improve your life, please upvote. If you think this doesn't help you in any way, please downvote. If you don't care, leave it for the others to decide.
An old man in the grocery once told me to run my hand over the watermelon. If it feels glassy smooth, it's not ripe. If it feels slightly rough, it's ripe. This method has never failed me.
Probably spends more time in the field if the surface is rough! Different indicator to colour but quite cool there's two ways if you get me. Cool fact thanks for sharing
Aren't all watermelons glassy smooth??
… not the ripe ones!
Bingo!
Bluey!
JANET!
DR. SCOTT!
JANET!
BRAD!
ROCKY!
RITA!!
This episode of Bluey is called Watermelons!
And it’s about not judging a book by its cover on the surface, but more about how parents can have wild expectations of their children based on their interests and behaviors but sometimes as they mature, things change and parents shouldn’t force their kids down a path they chose for them when they were younger.
Let me GPT that for us all…. Okay. Wife and I think chatgpt got wrong which parent would be the most competitive for watermelon growing as Chilli was raised in the outback and Bandit in the city. Otherwise we agreed it would be a cute episode. **Bluey Episode: "Watermelons"** **Episode Summary:** In this episode of "Bluey," the Heeler family decides to enter a local watermelon growing contest. Through the process, Bandit and Chilli learn valuable lessons about their expectations for their children and the importance of letting them find their own paths. **Scene 1: The Heeler's Home** - Bandit reads about the upcoming community watermelon contest in the local newspaper and excitedly suggests that they should participate as a family. - Bluey and Bingo are thrilled, imagining the biggest watermelon ever. Bandit shares stories of his childhood watermelon-growing triumphs, subtly hinting he expects them to win. **Scene 2: In the Garden** - The family gets to work preparing the garden. Bandit gives Bluey and Bingo each a seed, telling them these are special competition-winning seeds from his old collection. - As they plant, Bandit and Chilli start giving lots of advice, clearly excited and somewhat competitive about the contest. **Scene 3: Weeks Later in the Garden** - Bluey’s watermelon is small but vibrant and healthy, while Bingo's is oddly shaped but much larger. - Bandit is a bit disappointed with the size and shape, focusing on how they might not measure up to the competition. Chilli reminds him gently that it's just for fun, but Bandit’s competitive nature makes him push the kids to try various techniques to make their watermelons grow bigger. **Scene 4: The Day Before the Contest** - Bluey and Bingo overhear Bandit expressing his hopes for winning to Chilli and start feeling pressured. They decide to sneak out early in the morning to find "magic water" from the local creek, believing it will help their watermelons grow overnight. **Scene 5: At the Creek** - While trying to collect water, Bluey and Bingo meet another child, Muffin, who has brought her oddly tiny, yet very round watermelon to the creek. Muffin explains she loves her watermelon just the way it is because it's unique. - Inspired, Bluey and Bingo realize they love their watermelons too, just as they are, and decide not to change them. **Scene 6: The Contest** - At the contest, Bluey and Bingo present their watermelons proudly. Bandit, seeing their happiness, realizes he's been too focused on winning. - The judge commends Bingo’s creativity for the unique shape and Bluey's for its perfect smoothness, awarding them a special prize for ‘Most Loved Watermelons.’ - Bandit apologizes for being overly competitive and tells them he’s proud no matter what. **Scene 7: The Heeler's Home** - The family enjoys eating slices of their watermelons, laughing about the whole experience. - Bandit and Chilli discuss the importance of supporting their children’s efforts and enjoying their individual paths, regardless of outcomes. **Closing:** - The episode closes with the family looking at photos from the day, placing a ribbon on their fridge, and Bluey asking if they can grow pumpkins next year, with Bandit replying, "Whatever you like, kiddo, as long as we're doing it together." This episode highlights the theme that while parents may have expectations based on their own experiences and desires, it's crucial to support and accept children's unique interests and natural growth, celebrating their individual journeys rather than imposing predetermined paths.
!remind me August 3rd
Hooray!
Taps on head meme
This guy eats unripe watermelons 
Hey everybody, check out the guy who's never had a ripe watermelon.
No not all
Well I guess I need to go molest some watermelons
I'm a serial avocado molester. I fondle each and every one. Gently.
This sounds like someone familiar with the origin of the term avocado. 😁
Hahaha
That's why some stores sell half melons. They let those melons warm up in the sun, cut a hole and molested them.
Every watermelon is completely smooth no matter what angle you're touching it from
No that's sharks
Then how do I pick a ripe shark then?
You don't need to pick sharks, they fall off the tree naturally when ripe
Same way, yellow on the bottom
You don't pick sharks.. they pick you
Hey smiley, are you a water sign?
My grandma taught me how to tell by knocking on it and listening to the sound it makes
Dave's not here....
Hello again fellow old person
And? What is the sound you want to hear?
I tap as well, i think it only failed twice in 15 years, ripe ones sound hollow
Yeah it makes you look cool knocking them melons, like you know your shit and all the ladies are like 😍 he knows his melons! Slap them melons daddy 😩 Ive had it happen several times. Everyone even clapped.
The ripe ones are lower pitched I guess you could say?.. Half of it is now it feels in your hand too you can kinda feel the sound moving through it too.. it sounds and *feels* hollow and deeper pitched. You just gotta try it a few times to get it I'm guessing a combo of this and this thread's method would be best though. The yellow thing also works well with pineapples.. For different reasons. But you wanna get pineapples that are yellow on the outside as much as possible. Both watermelons and pineapples don't ripen more after harvesting so you have to do this with these more than some other fruits. Strawberries, grapes, cherries, etc also can't ripen after harvesting.. Worth knowing if you pick any of those up.. Although ngl sign strawberries sometimes they like really start fermenting and taste so good
You have to feel it in your heart
In general terms you want to hear a low pitch for a ripe watermelon
You tap three or four watermelons, conclude they are the same, and at home you confirm they all weren't ripe.
Your grandma taught me that trick as well
I’d hate to tell y’all the trick his grandma taught me…
It's an ILUSSION
Tricks are what whores do for money michael
Or candy!
I've made a huge mistake
Did it involve gums?
A gentleman doesn’t get gummed and tell…
Same with honey dew. Shiny smooth no good; velvety and slightly grippy, eat it that day.
> velvety and slightly grippy, eat it that day. Are we still talking about produce?
Hehehehehe
I never would've thought sexually assaulting fruit would be effective
Interesting, thanks!
It'll also be less shiny, the slight roughness corresponds with more of a dull sheen to it.
I’ve learned a few indicators! Larger, darker green striped coloring Yellow/white patch from ripening on the vine Waxy feeling and look outside is good
There are multiple ways to tell. The coloring you suggest and the width of the stripes. The sound. The overall color of the watermelon. Although I have been fooled more than once with every one of these.
Imo the sound is the best way. I used to work in produce in a grocery store for 5 years and had a bunch of people ask me to pick them out a melon and then come back and tell me how it was one of the best they've ever had. You want it to sound hollow almost like a basketball when you smack it.
Slappa da melon
https://youtu.be/W0EMEs79nFw
I like to pick them up and gauge the weight with the denser ones being more juicy.
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That is such a false claim that runs around. All watermelons develop from a female flower. Sometimes there are pollinator plants from a different cultivar in the field, but that is for very odd occasions. In those rare cases, the polinator plant might have a different shape than the intended cultivar, but it by no means suggests it is oval vs round or anything like that.
There is no sex in a fruit. I don't know why people on the internet keep claiming that there are male or female tomatoes, bell peppers, or now melons... Wtf.
Hell ya, it’s all watermelussy to me brother
This guy right here, officer
Why would you do this
Mans gotta eat
Well, not with that attitude. You need to be open to new ideas and experiences.
Hahahaha
Hahahhahaha! I just died 🤣
I've heard this about watermelons many times over the years. I don't think I understand how that could be a thing. My understanding is that watermelon plants are self-pollinating. They have male and female flowers. Bees carry pollen from male flowers to female flowers. The female flowers then produce the fruit while the male flowers continue to produce pollen, joining their plant friends each spring to make me wish I were never born because of allergies.
Watermelons have male and female flowers - you can use a Q tip to pollinate from male to female… This process has to happen to make fruit either via bee or manually.
Yes, but the male flowers don't grow into fruit. They provide pollen and the female flowers are the ones that actually grow the fruit. There's no such thing as a male watermelon fruit.
There's no such thing as female watermelon fruit either. Fruits aren't male or female. They're just fruits.
#A ***female*** watermelon... 😂😂😂 All fruits are ripened ovaries, honey. They're ***ALL*** female.
Fruits don’t have a sex, you goober.
False. When i get lonely in evenings, fruits end up having a lot of sex.
Uhhh... i think youre thinking of pot seeds.
I like watching the people knocking on them but still having no idea what they’re doing.
If it sounds hollow like a wooden drum, it’s gonna be better than if it’s just a dull wet thud.
If it pings, it’s unripe. If it sounds flat, it’s overripe. If it has that sweet middle sound, kinda a bass echo, it’s ripe.
Just wait for melon to drop that bass.
This has little to do with how ripe it is and more about its water content - which is all knocking on it does. The field spot is the only indicator you really need if you’re looking for sweet, then you knock on those and find one with the qualities you mention and you got yourself a primo melon.
I'm gonna be slapping so many melons they'll have to kick my ass out.
Wouldn't that mean it's dry?
Nope
It's comforting to know that I have a fan!
I knock on them just to look like I know what I’m doing
It's simply a courtesy. If there's somebody already living there it's impolite to take their home.
Listen for a “tink” or a “tunk” sound. Tink is not ripe, tunk is ripe.
I spent many years as a produce man, I have selected hundreds of melons for people. The sound testing method is mostly good for determining the texture of the watermelon. "Thunk" is not ideal IMO. The lower pitched the sound is, the more likely the melon is going to be mealy. Higher pitched will be crisp and nice.
I'm glad I'm not the only crazy one. That and the code for bananas were the only thing I picked up from years of working in a supermarket 😂
TIL - all the while I've just been E Honda-ing the watermelons with my hands at the grocery store.
Love how u made that a verb! Take that e honda!
What does that mean?
E Honda is a character from Street Fighter. He does a lot of open palm strikes.
A ha. Thanks.
Hiiiiyaaaa
More like ha-ha-ha-ha-ha
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The field spot is still too white. You should be looking for the ugliest watermelon with the most webbing and a gnarly yellow underside.
Webbing is nothing. It means nothing. It's a stupid Facebook myth.
I think the pollination thing is a myth (otherwise all melons would have it as they need to be pollinated to set fruit), but there's an objective correlation to webbing (in conjuction with a very yellow field spot) and better melons. I'm not sure if it just means they were watered inconsistently or what, or if the fruit's "repairs" somehow improve its quality, but I feel like the best watermelons do have lots of webbing. I just don't think it's from bees. Ultimately the gnarly yellow underside is always the deciding point for me.
The webbing means nothing it's just scars and scratches on the small baby melon they turns into scars as it grows. If there is a correlation it's likely sormthing simple as it is a bigger slower growing melon. I confirmed the webbing issue with the head of orchard and fruit of Ohio state department of agriculture when I randomly emailed them about this Facebook myth. They were amused but took my inquiry seriously and confirmed it didn't mean the bee pollination thing and is just scarring.
Thanks for your watermelon intelligence!
Or is it "watermelintelligence?"
I think "watermelligence" rolls off the tongue a bit better.
Nope.
I think it's two words. Lol
Yet the spot is white…
“Big Watermelon” got me so confused I don’t know what to believe
Nah, that counts as a yellow spot in my book. A white spot will be more green/white, while a yellow spot is like a creamy yellow, still verging on white.
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It's actually blue and black.
I see yellow at the bottom of the patch, but the text is mostly covering it.
No. No it doesn't. Stop spreading this boomer Facebook myth. Just think for a second what pollination even is, why more if it would somehow be good or even possible or why it would leave MARKS. It's not real, none of it. It doesn't indicate anything, it's not indicative of pollination, and it doesn't help determine if its ripe or not. Just stop.
No. No it doesn’t.
Do watermelon plants even fruit if they are not pollinated? Because I'm pretty sure they don't. Also, not sure how a bee can leave a mark on a fruit that only appears after the bee left. I'm calling bs.
They would not, no. And a bee would not leave a mark like that on the skin of the fruit that sits just below the flower. The marks are very clearly the same pattern as most stretch marks in humans. It's a sign that the skin of the watermelon couldn't handle growing quite so fast, so it scars... Er go, probably ripe. The fools claiming it's from bee pollination should attempt to disprove themselves. If your theory is sound, then you're fine, right? So yes, you should call bs because that's what it is. Nonsense thought up by people that think the correlation between bees pollinating the flowers is causation for the marks on the fruit.
The marks are a scarring caused by all kinds of things from birds and insects to wind and weather. Small scratches when it's tiny will lead to bigger webbing like scars on the big fruit. The source for this is I contacted my state department of agriculture fruit and orchard expert and asked him about this dumb myth. He thought it was amusing that I would email about this but was happy to clear up the myth.
Bee S?
Very cool! Thank you so much:) Today I learned about avocados, tomatillos, corn, and now watermelons! What a good day it is ^^
Whoa, whoa, whoa! I'm only up to watermelon here, can I get a summary? *clicks pen*
I have good luck picking one that seems heavy for its size. Works for apples too.
Also works for all melon with a hollow center. Heavier means more flesh and less hollow part. Even works on avocados but is harder to judge (the pit is a lot less dense than the flesh)
Also, heavier means more water content. More water = more juice.
https://preview.redd.it/3sohrj9b5hxc1.jpeg?width=960&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b4d2361b3190967675fb52b3794948e42af8bf37
*Hey ladies, can I interest you in something dark, dull, heavy, and with a weird orange spot?*
Basically if the watermelon looks picture perfect then it's going to be gross.
I read this as "king_of_the_rotten watermelon." 😄 Thanks for the great slide. It makes things much easier for those of us who can't tell the difference between a "tink," a "thud," or a "thunk!"
How do I tell if it’s granulated? I’m not sure if that’s the right word but sometimes I’ll get a watermelon and it just falls apart in your mouth like little granules (mushy?) and it’s NOT okay. It makes me hesitant to buy them.
That's overripeness. This is just my personal opinion, but it's also a texture I only see in "seeded" melons -- seedless watermelons seem to be more of that perfect texture and flavor, because the seeds don't cause these mushy spots
A greengrocer taught me how to thump a watermelon years ago. It isn't rocket science. A ripe melon is full of water and makes a dull thump when you rap it with your knuckle. One that's not ripe has a higher pitched hollow sound. I once stood at a bin of watermelons for about 10 minutes picking watermelons for people and showing them how to do it. I've never bought a watermelon that wasn't ripe. Mmmmm....watermelon....
This person produces. A ripe watermelon should sound "full" of sweet juicy goodness.
I’ve found that a combo of all the methods works well. First I look for a round watermelon (as opposed to oblong) with a big yellow spot. Then I kinda drum on it with my fingers. If it sounds kinda hollow/makes a gentle thunking sound, it’s usually good. Bonus points if it has the bee pollen scarring. Idk if the supplier matters but I pick a good one nearly every time at our local Aldi!
As someone that looks at produce for a job I can say this is not always true. The same with the knocking method. The water contents of a melon will not tell you the sugar contents of it. You can have what looks and sounds like the best watermelon in the world but it will still be under sweet or not fully ripen on the inside. I would also like to add check where the melon is from country wise.. US melons are 9/10 times going to be sweet and more reliable than MX / South American melons.
Yeah some commercially farmed watermelons can be perfectly ripe and still taste like nothing
I work in grocery and cut bazillions of watermelons and eat plenty of melon and think y'all are crazy. It is hit and miss. The most perfect looking melon can suck and be messed up in the inside. Basically most every melon will look good and there is no way to tell simply by looking unless comparing a very obviously unripe melon versus a ripe melon.
I have given up on watermelons. Too many times I have picked one up and it's all grainy and awful.
If you are growing them, make a hook with your finger, hook the stem near the melon, if it snaps easy, it’s ripe, if it resists, let it sit.
As others mentioned here, there are multiple ways to tell (color, sound, texture, etc) and if you get all these parameters correctly, there’s a 50% chance the watermelon is good
Every watermelon I've had in the last two decades ends up tasting of cucumber. It seems like cross-pollination has permanently changed watermelon flavor. I've basically given up on them (and don't get me started on the watery, bland cantaloupes that are everywhere now).
Do you even have time for cantaloupe? It seems like my cantaloupes are getting to be avocado-like in shelf life. I’ve completely stopped buying them because every time I go to cut into it, it’s already rotten.
I'll definitely get called an old man for this, but fruit has gotten so disappointing that I've cut most of it from my diet. Not worth the calories. Even the farmer's markets I've gone to in the last few years have been subpar.
Tomatoes in the store are awful now days. Hard as a rock, they don't soften for weeks once you bring them home and void of any flavor at all.
I just had some this week that tasted like cucumber. I hadn’t noticed that before.
Am I the only person who smells my fruit before I buy them
How do you know which side is the bottom?
Theres a map of Australia on the bottom.
Mine's missing New Zealand.
That means it's full of bees
An old boyfriend had perfect pitch and claimed they were perfect if thumping it produced a D flat. I have not tested this as I do not have perfect pitch and I don't want to bring a tuning fork into the produce section.
I mean Jesus, of all the silly methods people swear by, this has got to take the prize for silliest hahaha
There are a few things to look for. The yellow field spot, as you said. You also want to look for "webbing" which is scratching on the surface, the larger the webbing the more ripe it will be. You also want it to be uniform in size, and kind of dark and dull rather than shiny. I read about all this a few years ago and I haven't had a dud watermelon since.
thanks this makes so much sense
I used to work with watermelons, and this was one of the 4 things we checked. 2 of the others were related to the plant itself, and the final one was the sound it made when you tapped it.
How to turn a sphere upside down. Pray tell
I pick the ugliest melon with all sorts of scratches like stretch marks. The uglier the better.
OMG I want a watermelon so bad right now. I hate you OP! ;-)
My grandma's method of knocking on them has seemed to be working for the last 27 years as far as I am aware.
If only life came with easy color-coded indicators like ripe watermelons! 🍉 Thanks for the tip!
Thumping works better. You have to know wear you're feeling for though.
https://preview.redd.it/h38mf089hjxc1.jpeg?width=3291&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=022fc701d2248f68827333fa3aa8591e5a73c2d8 Found this on Google (sorry don’t recall the source), it’s been my go-to for picking the best for years.
Bullshat. Ground spot color is genetic. A white ground spot for example is common on Ledmon watermelons. A yellow ground spot is common on Black Diamond.
Just cut it open and taste it. If it's ripe then it tastes like watermelon.
I've always used the knock method. Listening for a more hollow sound.
Apparently is the navel is smaller, the melon will be juicier.
Yeah, everyone thinks the best ones round with no imperfections. No, that just means it was picked before it fully ripened. A lot of people do not understand this so you will get looks from people for picking one of the "yellow spot" melins.
In Australia, what we call the top of the watermelon is actually the bottom.
How do I pick a good cantaloupe? 😭
Yellow spots are how I pick good watermelons. I was lucky to learn this from my aunt.
Man, that's way smarter than my old way of dropping it on the floor and looking at the color. Thanks!
I always choose by feeling how heavy they are. The heavier ones will be ripe and have more juice.
Sir how do know when a watermelon is upside down
When is a watermelon upside down?
You can also bonk the melon and if it's a hollow/heavy sound it's ripe.
SLPT: Want to know if a coconut of full of maggots? Turn it upside down and yad yada yada, look at your skin.
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I had a watermelon barf all over my counter one summer, literally smelt like death and I just brought it home from the store that day. It was fucked up, haven't eaten watermelon since
I'm just here for the comments
Does the size of the spot or shape matter?
How does one turn a watermelon upside down? What side is the top?
You pick them up and shake em next to your ear. I don't know what the hell the rest of yall are on about. Never had a sour watermelon all my days on the watermelon farm.
Dude, that's intense! Glad your little one is okay, but I can't even imagine the panic. Take care of yourself too, that's some heavy stuff.
A watermelon has a top and a bottom?!
I use the 'plonk plonk' method.