Here’s How To Pick The Best Watermelon Every Time

All praises to the summer gods, watermelon season is upon us! Watermelon is the most delicious fruit treat for any summer gathering. But some people don't know how to pick the best watermelon at the store. I'm here to share the inside info on how to pick this family favorite the next time you're at the farmers market. The watermelon is a simple, wholesome and yes, even patriotic, part of any summer gathering. I don't know how a fruit can be, "patriotic" but if there's a fruit that is actually patriotic it's the watermelon. You can't really have a July 4th BBQ without a watermelon, But how to you choose the best watermelon at the store or local farm stand? Ahhhh, there's a method to that. And I'm about to impart on you the genius. The Source Of The Info I don't recall much from that trip, but if my memory serves me correctly, I was a young man in my mid to late twenties. While on a family vacation down south, we hit the local farm stand for fresh produce. It was one of those side-of-the-road farm stands with everything picked just the day before. There was a dusty farmer sitting in the shade nearby as I looked at the generous offerings from the harvest. A roadside farm stand is a great way to get fresh local fruit and veggies. "Son, are you looking for the best fruit, today?" The farmer had looked up and spoke the beginnings of advice that would stick with me forever. "Yes, sir. I am". "Well, then, let me show you what to look for. You'll get a treat every time with these here words." How To Pick The Best Watermelon The dusty old farmer rose slowly to his feet came by my side and looked at the collection of watermelons on his cart. There were at least 8 or 10 to choose from. "First", he said, "You have to look for the ones that have been on the vine for the longest. You'll know that it's been on the vine for a good long spell if its got a big yellow spot on it's side. That big yellow spot is where it's been sitting in the dirt getting ripe." Tip number one: No big spot means not much time in the field to get ripe. Look for a big spot, the color of rich creamy butter. This picture of the yellow spot will give you an idea of what to look for when picking a watermelon. Don't be afraid if it looks like it's spent too much time in the field. That watermelon rind is thick and anything on the outside usually isn't on the inside. That big yellow spot is a big part of how to pick the best watermelon in a whole lot of 'em. "Now, son. Have a feel of this one right here." He picks up a watermelon and hands it to me. "Feel that weight? Now, hold up this one.... seems a little heavier, right? "You want the one that feels heavier for its' size. That means it's got more of that goodness in it." Tip number two: Pick the melon that feels heavier for it's size. It will be juicier than the others. The watermelon that weighs more (for it's size) will be juicier! "Now, here comes the tricky part of this whole thing," my farmer friend continued. "If you see one watermelon that has squiggly little lines on it... that's gonna be the one for you. Those little lines are the marks that little critters in the field left. Those little insects know which ones are the sweetest and they go for 'em like bees to honey. They don't get at the inside though." Tip number three: Try to find one with little squiggly insect lines. The thing is, with modern pesticide technology it's sometimes hard to depend on using the "squiggly line" trick. But if you do see it, it's a near guarantee that the fruit inside is super sweet. So, that's how I got a free education about how to pick the best watermelon when I'm at the grocery store or farmers market. A lot of this advice works for other fruit too, like cantaloupe or honeydew melons.