How to pick the perfect watermelon: 5 key tips from an experienced farmer

Nothing is as refreshing as the sweet, juicy taste of a watermelon on a summer day.  However, a watermelon can only be as good as the one you choose from the market. You may think that choosing a great watermelon is up to chance, but there are actually several ways to spot the perfect watermelon.

1. Field Spot

When viewing watermelons, the first thing that sticks out are those weird white spots. However, these spots (called field spots)are quite natural. The field spot is the area where the watermelon rested on the ground. While every watermelon has a field spot, the best watermelons have creamy-yellow or even orange-yellow spots. Go for the gold.

2. Webbing

The webbing of a watermelon indicates the amount of times that bees touched the flower. The more pollination, the sweeter the watermelon is.

3. Boy or Girl?

You may have not known this, but watermelons have genders. The ‘boy’ watermelons, are taller and more elongated, while the “girl” watermelons are more round and stout. The boy watermelons are more watery, while the girl watermelons are sweeter.

4. Size

Our common sense tells us that bigger is better. So we may think that we should get our money’s worth and get the biggest watermelon we can haul onto our carts, but in reality, the best watermelons are average-sized. Don’t go for too small or too big, but just right. Size matters.

5. Tail

The tail of a watermelon indicates its ripeness. A green tail indicates that it was picked too soon and will not taste as good. Go for the watermelons that have dried tails for the best taste.

You can’t judge a book by its cover, but you can judge a watermelon by its shell.

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[Credits: Shareably]