4 Ways to Tell if a Watermelon Is Ripe

Watermelon might be available year-round, particularly in the form of pre-cut cubes or wedges packaged in the refrigerated area of the produce section if not always sold whole, but there's just nothing like a peak-season, summer watermelon. The difference in color is mesmerizing, the concentration of flavor explosive. Biting into a juicy slice is the embodiment of summer itself.

Watermelons will be ripe a little over a month after the crop blooms and around 80 days on average from when they're planted. But since most of us haven't turned our yards into farms for 20–25-pound orbs to know when they're prime for plucking, simply rely on your senses to assist you on your quest: Sight, sound, touch, and smell.

How Do You Know When a Watermelon Is Ripe and Sweet?

Sight

The easiest thing to inspect on a watermelon is the field spot or ground spot. It's the side of the melon that rests on the field while it's growing and it's easy to find. If this area is yellow, amber, buttery, or creamy in color it means the fruit was left on the vine long enough to get ripe. An unripe melon's spot will be whiter.

Another easy indicator is the tendril where the fruit was connected to the vine, though since most grocery store melons won't have them still attached, this is often a moot point. If there is one, though, it should be dried out. A green tendril means it was picked too early.

Check that the melon is smooth, not lumpy. Irregularities in shape might indicated inconsistencies inside that will affect the taste. And the rind should be dull rather than shiny, as a shiny melon usually means it's young, (unless, of course, it's coated in wax).

Be on the lookout for dots. If there are any brownish, black ones, these are pollination spots (often called sugar spots) and are a sign of a higher sugar content, which is good news for your taste buds. But don't confuse these spots with belly rot, black and white specks that expedite rotting and guarantee your melon tastes bitter and might even make you sick.

Sound

Many call it the thump test. It's not exactly scientific, and it will certainly take practice, but once you get the hang of it and what the different pitches are, listening to your melon can prove a very handy trick. Pick up the melon and knock on it like you would a door. If it sounds deep and hollow, like a drum, it's a good one. If it's high-pitched, it's unripe. If it's more like a thud, it is likely past its prime.

Get the recipe: Refreshing Watermelon Salad

Touch

Find the blossom end of the melon – the end opposite where the stem was attached – and press on it with your thumb. An unripe melon will be completely solid in this area, and overripe one will be mushy, and a perfect one will simply bend in a bit.

A hefty melon also indicates a ripe melon, since juice has weight to it. Pick up a couple melons similar in size and choose the heavier one. Lighter and less sturdy means less ripe. Too heavy may mean overripe, but don't worry too much about that as it'll be hard to determine what "too heavy" is

Smell

Happily, you can smell a sweet watermelon right through its rind. If you don't smell anything, put it back. If the aroma is overwhelming, it might be past its peak ripeness.

Do Watermelons Ripen if You Let Them Sit?

Once a watermelon is picked and resting in the pile at the market, it's done all it can do. On your quest for the sweet and juicy fruit, do your very best to choose well, since nothing you do at home will make a difference. If you're especially worried and you're planning on eating it soon, grab some pre-cut melon, where the color and texture are visible to help in your decision.

Ways to Enjoy Ripe Watermelon

Watermelon is often a star in fruit salad, but also adds a pop of sweetness when paired with savory ingredients like in a watermelon feta salad. Make a sweet or savory skewer, place slices on the grill, or blend some in a chilled soup. The water content combined with the flavor makes watermelon and watermelon juice excellent in frozen goodies like sorbet, popsicles, or blended drinks. And, of course, simply sitting down and biting into a slice is about as lovely a thing as one can do.

Related:

• 12 Refreshing Ways to Make the Most of Watermelon Season
• What Is Yellow Watermelon and What Makes It Yellow?
• Does Watermelon Make You Poop?