The Rush Springs Watermelon Festival Is Coming… Here’s How to Pick the Perfect Melon

The annual Rush Springs Watermelon Festival is coming up. What better time to break down the proper way to pick out a watermelon?

The Age-Old Tricks

My parents always thumped watermelons in the store. And even now, there's some validity to that method, but it's only one step in the process of picking out a winner.

All the same, it's a really hard way to guess if a watermelon is ready or not. You want it to sound hollow, which means it's ripe. But if you're not thumping watermelons all the time, you'll need some additional tell-tale signs you've got a winner.

Granted, this is an art, not a science.

The Shape

This is the first thing you're looking for. And while it may seem like a tremendous bargain to find a giant, long watermelon for the same flat price, that's not what you're looking for.

Ideally, a perfect watermelon is going to be more round than elongated, but that doesn't mean a long oval won't be delicious. It's all about symmetry.

Are the two long ends of equal size? Is one smaller around than the other? That tells more about development and field conditions. It's not that round melons are better, they're just easier to judge.

Weight is something to consider too. The heavier it is, the juicier it will be.

The Color

The second thing you should confirm is the color of the watermelon.

Is it shiny? A gleaming example of what perfect fruit Mother Earth can produce?

Hard pass.

Shiny melons aren't ready yet. You want to look for the dullest melons in the bunch. That's going to give you the deepest red, juicy interior.

You should also check the stem. Make sure it's brown and dry. You can still buy a green-stemmed melon, but you'll want to let it sit and ripen up before cutting into it.

Experts like to highlight the design of the rind, lots of uneven stretch marks, but I've had plenty of perfect plain green watermelons in my life.

The Spot

This is the most important of them all. It has to have a spot.

That's the field spot, where it sat on the ground while growing.

Sometimes they're white. Pass. White spots usually mean a little less flavor than those with yellow or orange field spots. Those are the true keepers.

If you want to eat it that day, look for round, dull, dry-stemmed watermelons with yellow field spots. If you're planning next weekend's picnic, get whatever and toss it in the pantry for a few days. Just be sure to chill it down before eating. Nobody wants hot watermelon.

Take A Watermelon Crash Course

If you'd rather be shown what to look for rather than trust your own intuition, the Rush Springs Watermelon Festival is coming up August 6th through the 8th in Rush Springs. Always a deliciously good time.

Get more details here.