Watermelons appear alike at first, but look closer for important differences.
Watermelon is one of the most versatile and useful fruits. It is made into many different alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, appetizers, salads, side dishes, entrees and desserts. There are even delicious, eye-appealing sandwiches with watermelon as the primary ingredient. Watermelon carvings are beautiful to behold when a chef has worked her magic or when a cook at home places a carved watermelon full of brightly colored cubed fruits on the holiday table. Choosing one watermelon from a huge display that is luscious, red and ripe requires some basic know-how.
Instructions
1. Inspect the sides of the watermelon for the "soil spot" -- where the melon rests on one side during the growth period -- to determine its color. If the color of the soil spot is greenish or white, the melon is not ripe. A ripe melon has a buttery yellow soil spot.
2. Find a melon that is symmetrical in shape with no cuts or blemishes in the rind, and, except for the ground-spot, is a shiny uniform color.
3. Thump the melon with the fingertips of one hand while listening carefully for a hollow sound that produces an echo, indicating a ripe melon dense with meat and moisture and no cracked meat inside. If the melon has a dull, solid sound, the melon may be over-ripe and somewhat mushy in texture and dull in flavor. A ringing sound indicates an immature melon. Thump several melons in the display and listen to the different sounds to select your purchase.
4. Ask the produce manager to cut in half lengthwise a similar melon in the display to the one you wish to purchase. The produce manager will wrap it tightly in transparent plastic wrap and sell it as a cut melon to other customers or to you, if desired, since you know exactly what you are getting. He may also cut it into small pieces and offer them as samples to store customers.
Tags: soil spot, produce manager, purchase produce, purchase produce manager, ripe melon
