One of the most controversial summertime debates, in our humble opinion, is what seasonal fruit is the best. Most commonly in this area people get excited about fresh blackberries, blueberries, or strawberries – while others prefer melons like watermelon, cantaloupe, or honeydew.
With so many options, it’s kind of hard to choose – so why not throw them all into a tasty fruit salad that is one in a melon?! (See what we did there?)
Before you start shopping, whether you’re picking out melons at Nature’s Wonders or from your garden, it’s important to be able to tell the difference between a ripe and unripe melon because some, like watermelons, don’t continue to ripen after they’re harvested.
Sometimes it’s hard to remember how to choose the best tasting melons from year to year, and some people just genuinely don’t know what constitutes a good melon until they cut into it. No matter how you enjoy a melon, it’s imperative that you choose one that is perfectly ripe!
When you’re shopping for melons, check the field spot (the part that had contact with the ground as it was growing on the vine). This spot should be yellowish – not white. You can also try thumping the melon; tap on the middle of the melon with your knuckles or flick it and listen for a low-pitched hollow sound. There are other ways to test how ripe a melon is before you cut into it such as sniffing or squeezing the melon to test how ripe it is. It’s important to remember that most melons should be heavy for their size too.
Although it’s still a little early to find a melon close to being ripe from a garden here in the Ozarks, it’s still worth noting that the same principles apply for picking out a melon there too. While checking for the color of the field spot (and removing any of the bugs that might be camping out to keep them from enjoying the melon before you do) or thumping it are still viable options, you can also check the vine the melon is growing on. The tendrils closest to the melon itself will most often dry out and look brown when a melon is ready to harvest. If that’s the case, the melon likely won’t get any riper and you might as well enjoy it.
No matter where you’re getting your melon, beware of cracks or soft spots on the rind as that’s a telltale sign that it will not be a good one.
