How To Pick A Ripe Watermelon

Look for the yellow spot: Watermelons develop a splotch where they rest on the ground. When this splotch is creamy yellow, it's ripe. Give it a thump: Tap the underbelly of the watermelon. A ripe one will have a deep hollow sound, which means it is brimming with juice and at the peak of its ripeness.

How can I tell when my watermelons are ripe?

A ripe watermelon will feel sturdy and have a resonant, satisfying hollow sound. That means it's bursting with watermelon juiciness and is at its peak of ripeness. If the thwap is dull sounding or the fruit feels soft, pass on it.

What color should a watermelon be when it is ripe?

A greenish-white color beneath the outermost layer of the rind signifies a ripe watermelon. Remember that watermelons, unlike other melons, do not continue to ripen once they have been picked. Be on the lookout for firm, juicy, deep-colored flesh.

How long do watermelons take to ripen?

Watermelons are generally planted from seeds when the ground has warmed to at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit. On average, it takes about 80 days for the seedlings to mature and produce ripe fruit.

What can I do with watermelon that's not sweet?

If you slice in and are disappointed with the flavor, we've found that adding lime zest and juice helps pump it up and honestly... adding a little sugar does too. To make these drinks we pureed the food milled watermelon with sugar, ice and lime juice for a sweet treat.

Which type of watermelon is the sweetest?

Sultan is one of the sweetest varieties you'll find, this one measures 12.3 on the Brix scale. The fruits average 15 pounds and ripen within 95 days.

Can you sweeten watermelon?

If once you have cut up your watermelon, you find it is not as sweet as you like, sprinkle it with a little salt to enhance its natural sweetness. ... Also, check out our How to Cut Watermelon video to see how to cut and remove the seeds from your watermelon.

What color watermelon is the sweetest?

A large, yellow spot indicates that it spent more time ripening on the vine and should be sweeter. On the contrary, a whiter spot suggests that it was picked too soon and didn't reach peak ripeness.

Do watermelons ripen off the vine?

Melons don't ripen as they age like other fruit. "In general, melons will not change significantly once they're harvested from the vine," Green explains. ... Since melons don't ripen, an under- or overripe or bad one will never become good the way a green banana eventually becomes yellow.

Should I trim my watermelon vines?

Pruning watermelons promotes healthier vines and increases fruit size. Look for irregular or rotting fruit to prune from the plant. Removing the less than perfect melons will enable the plant to focus energy towards growing bigger, healthier, juicier melons. ... Watermelons need both male and female flowers to set fruit.

How do I make my watermelon sweeter when growing?

Sweetness Starts in the Soil

To encourage strong growth, blend 4 to 6 inches of composted manure into your melon beds prior to planting. Then add a balanced organic fertilizer (such as a mixed blood meal/bone meal product) every 3 to 4 weeks.

How do you sweeten a bland watermelon?

Use a knife to slice a lemon or lime in half and squeeze about 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of juice over sliced or cubed watermelon. Some people find that a boost of acidity makes the melon taste sweeter. Try adding salt and pepper to round out the flavor. Or, if you like spicy foods, add some cayenne or hot sauce!

Why is my watermelon bitter?

Why does watermelon taste bitter to some people? ... Members of the family Cucurbitaceae that includes cucumbers, melons, watermelons, pumpkins, gourds, etc produce a number of bitter tasting chemical compounds known as cucurbitacins. [1] Wild varieties produce high levels probably to deter pests from foraging.

What's good to put on watermelon?

Sprinkle lemon zest over watermelon, squeeze some fresh lemon juice on top and then finish seasoning with coarse sea salt. Sesame, Ginger & Soy Watermelon: Sprinkle sesame seeds (white or black) on watermelon and sprinkle with ground ginger. Serve with salty soy sauce for an extra punch of flavor.

Which type of watermelon is best?

25 of the Best Watermelon Varieties

Picnic. Allsweet. Charleston Gray. Crimson Sweet. ...
Icebox. Blacktail Mountain. Bush Sugar Baby. Sweet Beauty.
Personal. Golden Midget. Little Darling. Mini Love.
Giant. Black Diamond Yellow Belly. Carolina Cross #183. Florida Giant.
Seedless. Big Tasty. Mini Piccolo. Triple Crown.
Orange, Yellow, or White Flesh. Orange Crisp. Orangeglo.

What color watermelon is best?

The ideal, perfectly ripe watermelon should be dark green in colour and dull looking. If it's shiny, it's not ripe yet. Another important thing to look for the field spot. This will be a yellow splotch on the underside of a watermelon.

Which watermelon is sweeter round or oblong?

An oval (elongated) shaped watermelon will be more watery while a round shaped watermelon will be sweeter. Webbing is the brown, course web looking materiel. This is caused when bees pollinate the flower and scar the membranes that later forms the fruit. The more pollination the sweeter the watermelon.

How do you make watermelon taste better?

The salt brings out what little flavor a bad melon has and compensates for any lack of sweetness. It works, truly—trust me. Since, I've introduced this idea to the office, and it turns out there are even other ways to gussy up an otherwise drab melon. Some swear by a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime juice.

Does Salt Make watermelon taste sweeter?

When a fine sprinkle of salt is added to watermelon, the balance of flavors shifts a bit, and watermelon becomes increasingly sweet. ... This way, the first flavors to come across are the salt, which makes the next bite, the sweet fruit, taste even sweeter by comparison.

Can you eat a unripe watermelon?

According to Treehugger, unlike other fruits, watermelons don't continue ripening after they've been picked, so your best bet is to avoid choosing an unripe melon if you can. ... Eating watermelon that isn't fully ripe isn't dangerous, but it's not as good as a ripe melon.

Are darker or lighter watermelons better?

Color check – The ideal watermelon should be a very deep green. Lighter colored watermelons probably didn't ripen long enough on the vine. When inspecting color, look for the signature contrasting dark green with lighter stripes to find a winner.

Are watermelons with seeds sweeter?

Because it has more genes, a seedless watermelon's sweet flavor is actually expressed more, so the fruit is actually more likely to be more flavorful than a seeded watermelon.

How do you ripen a watermelon at home?

Wrap a picked, unripe watermelon in a paper bag. This could help it ripen some if you inadvertently obtained a melon that does look ripe. Store it at room temperature, not in refrigerator. Check every few days to see if the watermelon has ripened.