3 tips to pick out a sweet watermelon

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A ripe, juicy watermelon can be a mouthwatering snack on a hot summer day

By Mary Leigh Meyer

Looking for the perfect summer snack? A ripe, sweet watermelon is hard to beat — if you know how to pick a good one.

This season, Texas watermelons are high quality and prices are lower for shoppers. So now is a great time to enjoy this refreshing, healthy fruit. An expert shares how watermelon sweetness is measured and how to spot the best one at the store or farmers market.

Sweetness that is off the charts

Watermelon sweetness is measured using the Brix scale, which indicates the sugar content. On this scale, 10 is considered standard, while 11-12 means a melon is extra sweet.

This year, Juan Anciso, Ph.D., a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service vegetable specialist, Weslaco, and associate head of the Department of Horticultural Sciences in the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, said Texas watermelon producers are reporting exceptional quality and consistently finding fruit with 11 Brix.

Here are three tips from Anciso to choose the best fresh watermelon.

Tip 1: Find the yellow belly, or the field spot

Other than cutting open a watermelon to see the inside, the field spot may be the best sign of ripeness. This spot shows where a melon was lying on the ground while attached to the vine.

If the watermelon is ripe, the field spot should be a large yellow patch on one side. The color should be a creamy, almost butter-like yellow. The bigger the yellow belly and the creamier the color, the more time the melon ripened on the vine. However, if the spot is small or looks more white than yellow, the melon may not be ripe.

Tip 2: Tap the underbelly and listen for a deep sound

Another way to find a ripe watermelon is to knock on the outside with your knuckles gently. A ripe melon will have a deeper sound, as opposed to an overripe one. A hollow thud, paired with an oversized yellow spot, indicates a melon may be mealy and overripe.

Tip 3: Look for a dull color and heavy watermelon

Although they may not be the prettiest or the easiest to carry to your car, the best watermelons are dull in color and heavy.

A shiny melon means the insides are underripe. Also, the best melon of the bunch will most likely be the heaviest one. A heavier melon likely holds more water. On average, a watermelon is 92% water, which is what makes it so juicy.