How can you tell if a watermelon is ripe?

Question

Although I'm not a bad judge of when a canteloupe or honeydew melong is ripe for eating, I have practically no experience in testing watermelons. Does the same "finger-press" technique apply? Thanks very much for your help!

Answer 1

I am from a country where it gets very hot in the summer. Watermelons provide an excellent and affordable means of cooling for your entire body system in the middle of a hot summer day. Occasionally, when a watermelon bought from local markets turns out to be unripe the disappointment can be massive. It can be very exhaustive to venture out yet again into the sun again. I therefore do realise how important it is to get a melon that is ready for the job at the first place.

There is often a half cut watermelon on display at the top of the pile for sale, but that is not always that case. So we usually test a watermelon for its ripeness by just tapping our first two fingers on it and concentrating on the sound coming from the pith. Doctors apply an almost similar technique to check children tummy. You can master this technique by trying it out a few times yourself.

I cannot tell exactly what a ripe watermelon would sound like. It is, in general, a hollow sound for an unripe melon, and a dull sound for a ripen one - both the pith and the flesh of ripen melon under its skin go a little soft. Good luck!

Answer 2

We raised watermelons on our farm. Patting it, or tapping on it you should get a nice mellow hollow sound. If the sound is too "flat" it isn't ripe. Don't go for the ones that sound really hollow, they are too ripe and the flesh will have started to wither away and have a limp nature. Sniffing it helps, too. The melon should have a nice shape and shouldn't be larger or smaller on one end. It's an uneven growing pattern and one end can be ripe while the other end is still hard. The bottom patch (lighter color, sometimes yellowish) tells you how much sun the melon has received. Generally dad said the smaller this patch and the greener, the sweeter and riper the melon. If the patch is too yellow it means the melon was in a wet patch and was subject to disease and rot.

When you're at a stand or in a store, thump a lot of melons to get a feel (and smell) for them With a couple of tries, you should get the hang of it. Good Luck and Enjoy the fruits of your labor!

Answer 3

While "thumping" is okay, there are a few other ways you can tell about watermelons - all very useful. The basics are all the same - no cracks or blemishes, and they should seem heavy for their size. With watermelons, turn it upside-down, and check for the discolored patch - usually yellow. That's the ground spot - where the watermelon lays on the dirt - and it should have a yellowish tint to it. If it's white, it's still not ripe (immature). So, stop hitting these poor melons, and just look for the tell-tale signs.

...Of course, you could always do what the Japanese do and do a full MRI on the watermelon...

Answer 4

My experience is the thump test. The more ripe the more its tends to have an "echo" in the thump. Unlike a cantaloupe if the skin is beginning to get a little soft it means the watermelon is over ripe and should be eaten immediately or it will begin to ferment.

Here's a recipe. Chop up watermelon and mix it fresh basil steamed (chilled) shrimp and drizzle a little balsamic vinegar. makes a great salad

Answer 5

Actually you can "thump" a watermelon..it will sound dull but you can smell the ripeness of a watermelon just like cantaloupe...Unfortunately some of the melons are cold and with other fruit it is hard to smell the ripeness,

Answer 6

No the finger press does not work. The best way for watermelon is to look at the color. On the oval ones, look for a white area on one side. On the round ones, look at the stem end to see that it is not too shriveled. On both, pat with four fingers, like a baby's bottom. Should sound hollow.

Answer 7

Yes, I believe the finger press technique is good for watermelons. One may need a little practice because different types of melon have different skin thickness.

Answer 8

You pick up the watermelon and pat it a couple times with one hand. If you hear a hollow sound come out of it, then that is your melon! Take it and enjoy. Yummy.

Answer 9

I heard that tapping them is a good way, but I don't know what a ripe one or unripe one sounds like! Go around a shop tapping them and see which one sounds the most appealing!

Answer 10

Eh, no, you have to hit in and then you can tell whether it's ripe or not by the sound it makes.
I have no idea what sort of sound it is supposed to make though.