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cooking

How to tell if a Watermelon is ripe?

Anne Miller

steward

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Location: USDA Zone 8a

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posted 5 days ago

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How to tell if a Watermelon is ripe?

As a kid, I was taught to thump the watermelon.

Dear hubby uses the yellow spot.

What method do you use?

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Alder Burns

pollinator

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Location: southern Illinois, USA

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In addition to the two clues you've mentioned, I also look for the tendril closest to the melon....it should be brown and dried out, rather than green and live. The sound clue is pretty subtle and takes some practice...it's a deep, resonant "thunk"; as contrasted to a high-pitched "plink" for a too-green one and a flat, watery sounding "thwack" for overripe. Going to a market and practicing on a bunch and taking home the most likely candidate is a good way to learn!

Riona Abhainn

pollinator

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Location: Milwaukie Oregon, USA zone 8b

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I was always taught by my mom to knock on it, the deeper and hollower the sound the riper the watermelon.

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William Bagwell

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Location: North Georgia USA

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Yellow spot is best. Other more subtle methods might help as a tie breaker.

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Annie Collins

pollinator

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I just read that the wider the dark green stripes, the riper the watermelon will be, and therefore the tastier. So far I have found that to be true, but I have only tested that on the last 3 watermelons - not quite enough yet to make it so. I will continue testing (before the season is over).

Joao Winckler

master pollinator

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Location: UK

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posted 4 days ago

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The tendril method is the one I've ended up trusting most. Easier than getting the thumping sound right, and you can check it without even picking the melon up. Yellow spot is a good backup when the tendril isn't clear.

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Pete Grego

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just give it a knock and its got a harder shell....also, its possibly preaching to the choir here, but spread the word that seedless watermelons are an abomination

not to mention seedless dont have the full flavor and taste of a delicious seed watermelon

i mean the seeds in watermelon kill tapeworms apparently, ( which is so amazing ) so we definitely want to propagate seeded watermelons as the status quo

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