How many times have you brought a nice-looking watermelon from your local grocery store, only to discover that the fruit is soft, bitter, or lacking in sweetness? This is something that happens to the best of us, but it sure doesn’t have to! Below are 7 traits that indicate that the watermelon that you’re about to buy is bad:
A melon that has white and black dots, or has a lot of cracking, could be afflicted with what is known as belly rot, a condition which is known to speed up the molding process. This rot will obviously affect the taste and can even end up making you sick.
While carrying a light watermelon back to the car on a hot summer’s day may sound like an advantage to some, the most informed know that this is a sign of trouble. This is because a lightweight watermelon informs you that there’s not enough water inside the rind, which means that you’ll likely be met with a dehydrated fruit once you cut into it.
When you knock on a watermelon, you’ll want to hear a hollow sound as this is a sure sign that the fruit is juicy and filled with water. On the other hand, if you hear a thud, it’s a dud.
When buying a watermelon it’s a good idea to take a close look at the stem. While a parched-looking stem might look like a warning, it’s actually a good thing as it means that the fruit is ready to eat. If it has a rich green stem, the fruit definitely needs some more time to ripen.
Watermelons that have flawless rinds are not the ones to go for. If a melon is devoid of webbing, then it means that the fruit didn’t receive enough pollination. Though this won’t necessarily result in an inedible watermelon, it could mean that your fruit won’t be as sugary sweet as it should be. Sometimes, ugly is better!
While watermelons with long bodies are not necessarily bad for eating, rounder ones are generally much sweeter.
When you turn over your watermelon you should see what is known as a field spot. The sweetest melons have a yellowish color on their underside – the darker, the better. However, keep in mind that a white spot is better than no spot at all.
