How To Pick A Good Watermelon
Here are six tips for How to Pick a Good Watermelon that’s ripe and sweet, gathered from lots of conversations with produce people, farmers, and personal experience. If you know how to check for things like the field spot, it makes the selection process much easier!
Picking out a perfect watermelon at the grocery store was always a semi-anxiety plagued experience for me when I didn’t know what I was looking for.
If you pick a bad one, you’re stuck with 15-20 whopping pounds of watermelon terribleness. And then your options are to either force yourself to eat this yucky watermelon or throw it away…and both are less than desirable options.
There have been a few times where I ended up throwing it out because it tasted like a crunchy watermelon rind cucumber, and no one in my family would eat it.
My goal today is to help you pick a sweet, ripe watermelon because I know how disappointing it is to get home, take your first bite of some sort of produce you buy, only to find out it isn’t good.
All the tips here are tidbits I have gathered from personal experience and lots of conversations with produce people and farmers. Here’s how to pick the best watermelon!
Tip #1: Find the Field Spot
If you don’t even read the other tips, I find this is the biggest indicator of a good watermelon.
The field spot, or ground spot, is a creamy spot on the outside, and it’s where the watermelon was resting on the ground, or the underside of the watermelon.
The field spot should be a yellowish creamy color, like shown with my watermelon:
The more dark yellow the field spot is, the longer it was on the vine sweetening up. If the field spot is a white spot (or not even there), this indicates an underripe melon.
What’s interesting is you’ll notice that the other side of the same watermelon looks completely different:
It’s much prettier and more typical of what I picture when I think of a watermelon, and that’s okay.
I find that the best watermelons I buy can sometimes look really gnarly on one side, usually the underside of the melon where it was resting on the ground, and then unblemished on the other. But you don’t want it to look perfectly green all the way around.
Note: It’s fine if there are green stripes, or not, or if there’s solid green color on most of the outside of the watermelon. The exterior pattern is more about the varieties of watermelons that your grocery store carries, and not anything to do with being a ripe melon or not.
Tip #2: Pick a Dull Looking Exterior
A shiny exterior appearance indicates an underripe watermelon, though this can be a bit tricky if they’ve added wax, and then you can’t really tell. This applies to honeydew melons too. Don’t be put off by a dull looking watermelon.
Tip #3: Knock on It with Your Knuckles
Your knuckles should bounce off the melon, and the surface should be pretty hard and firm. You will get a dull thud if the flesh is soft, which indicates it’s starting to spoil. Avoid any melon with soft spots!
Rather than a dull thud, you are looking for a hollow sound, a deep sound. It takes a lot of testing to learn what this sounds like, so don’t use it as your only indicator.
If you don’t want to knock with your knuckles, then you can push firmly with the tip of your thumb. Ideally there should be little or no give when you push in.
Tip #4: Get the Heaviest One for Its Size
This applies to pretty much all produce, but you want to pick a heavy watermelon, meaning the one that is the heaviest for its size. That means there’s more water in it, which means a juicy watermelon.
The easy way to check for this is to pick up a few melons and compare their weights (or, if there’s a scale nearby, actually weigh them).
The whole watermelon pictured above here in my post was a whopping 18 pounds! It was heavier than the other comparably sized melons around it. It’s more bang for your buck too.
Tip #5: Check for a Uniform Shape
Some watermelons are round, some are oval, and either is fine. They are just different varieties. But if there are irregular bumps, this indicates the melon may have gotten inconsistent amounts of sun or water, and you should avoid that one.
Tip #6: Look for the Sugar Spots and Pollination Points
This tip was emailed to me many months ago by Tom, a produce manager for a major grocery chain. If you see black spots on the melon (as pictured above), this is where sugar is seeping out and indicates a sweet melon. At first glance, a sugar spot might just look like dirt, but if it doesn’t rub off easily, then it’s a sugar spot.
Also, if you see dots in a line (not a scratch), these are pollination points, and the more of them the better. I’ve been looking for these every time I pick up a melon and have had great luck with it in addition to the other tips. Thank you, Tom!
Though the above melon did not have a creamy yellow spot (it’s a little white), the sugar spots are a good sign. It was indeed a sweet watermelon.
What about the stem?
I’ve never seen a watermelon with its green stem on, though perhaps you’re more likely to find one at a farmers market. Odds are it won’t come up anyway, but I don’t know if any ripeness indications from the stem.
Once you’ve picked out a good watermelon, take a look at my quick guide for How to Cut a Watermelon, which is how I always cut watermelon to keep in the fridge. But is especially the best way to serve this delicious fruit for parties and entertaining.
The middle of the watermelon always has the best flavor, so you’ll want to cut away a substantial amount of rind.
This method of cutting is SO much easier than cutting the typical triangles that include the rind, and you can either cut it into sticks or cubes. My perfect slice is actually the stick!
Just make sure to use a sharp knife so you get crisp pieces.
Click the photo above for my guide on cutting. Enjoy watermelon season!
More Tips and FAQ
If it’s cut, the watermelon must be stored in the fridge and can be kept in a large container for up to 5 days. An uncut watermelon can be kept at room temperature for a few days, but I find it’s best to get it into the fridge as quickly as possible, especially since watermelons do not ripen further on the counter.
Yes, but it’s not something you’ll want to eat again in a thawed state. I freeze watermelon to blend into a Watermelon Slushie or as ice cubes for Summer Drinks.
In the South they serve pickled watermelon rinds as a kind of relish, and it’s very good! I’ve never made it myself though. Only had it in restaurants.
Did you enjoy the recipe? Please leave a 5-star rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. Or, follow me on Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest!
How to Pick a Good Watermelon
Ingredients
- 1 large watermelon
Instructions
- Find the Field Spot – Look for a deep yellow color. If there’s a white field spot, or no field spot at all, it likely won’t be good.
- Pick a Dull Looking Watermelon – A shiny appearance indicates an underripe melon.
- Knock on It with Your Knuckles – Your knuckles should bounce off the melon, and the surface should be pretty hard/firm. Soft flesh indicates it’s starting to spoil.
- Get the Heaviest One for Its Size – This applies to pretty much all produce, but you want to pick the watermelon that is the heaviest one for its size. That means there’s more water in it.
- Check for a Uniform Shape – Some watermelons are round, some are oval, and either is fine. But if there are irregular bumps, this indicates the melon may have gotten inconsistent amounts of sun or water.
- Look for the Sugar Spots and Pollination Points – If you see black spots on the melon, this is where sugar is seeping out and indicates a sweet melon. Also, if you see dots in a line (not a scratch), these are pollination points, and the more of them the better.
- If you want an easy way to cut the watermelon into sticks or cubes, see my How to Cut a Watermelon post. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
Post updated with new photos and more tips in June 2018. Originally published April 2011.
288 Comments on “How To Pick A Good Watermelon”
I once knew a man that watermelons he grew in his backyard. He told me the way to know they were ready was they had a curly “pigtail” on them that was dried out which meant they ripened on the vine. He said he did not cut them off the vine, he let them ripe on the vine. They were so good!!!
Hey Kristina, very interesting, I’ve definitely seen these little pigtails!
Oh, I meant, if I don’t have the melon cut, I may buy 2 or 3 at a time.
I love watermelon and I’ve already gotten burned on two bad ones this year. I go around knocking like an idiot because, to be honest I never knew what I was listening for! I’m so thankful that you made the printable to take with me to the store – on number two I already knew I’d be printing this baby out. Thanks so much!
Good luck Allison! So far from the comments I’ve gotten people have had success, but I must say, the other day while I was at the store the produce guy offered to cut one open for me and let me taste it…and that’s the best way to tell of all, isn’t it! haha.
Another comment, yes Joanne, having the melon cut is one of the best ways to find out if you got a good one. Sometimes I buy 2 or 3 if I need to make sure at least one is good. Then I bring the others back if they’re not good.
One caveat to that: Over my years of selling fruit, I’ve found that a watermelon gets sweeter after it’s been cut and in the fridge for half a day. Soooooo, if you have it cut at the store, if it’s not a super-tasting melon, but good, it might taste better after a half a day in the fridge.
Hi Bill, yeah, I’ve done that with cantaloupe before. I bought one and it was almost inedible, I took it back and they refunded me. I think it’s good to remember as an option.
Also you’re TOTALLY right about it getting better in the fridge. It’s amazing!
I’m with you Allison! My daughter ask me what I was listening for and I said I didn’t know!! ha/ha I’m so excited about these tips! Off to the market! Thanks so much!!
Ive actually heard that knocking in it really didn’t matter but it’s the belly button on it that needs to be inspecteded. If its dark almost oozing with a crusty, sugary substance then it’s perfect , of not then its a no go. Have you heard abt this approach?
Hm, very interesting. I haven’t heard of that but I will start taking a look every time I pick up a watermelon. Thanks for sharing!
This was great! I’ve heard of the knocking, but the field mark is totally new to me. So helpful, thank you 🙂
Hi Erin, Yeah I think the field spot is one of the best indicators!
Thank you! Thank you! Have always wondered about this. Tried your suggestions today and got the best watermelon i have had in ages!
Whitney, fantastic!!! So glad the watermelon tips helped you!
I have actually asked the produce man to cut a melon in half in their back room…they will do that, and if it’s not red/ripe enough, they will even try another one for you.
Then, they wrap the 2 halves in plastic wrap and sell it to you for the same price as it was sold as a whole melon.
No one wants to get home with a melon for company dinner, and find it to be too pink!
Great tips and enjoyed the video as well. Thanks!
Hi Elaine, Thanks for sharing your tips with all of us! I think it’s always a great reminder to ask for things like that. Have a great holiday weekend =)
The itsy bitsy brown holes in the watermelon are bee stings. Look for a watermellon that has a lot and the sweeter the melon will be.
Thanks for sharing this. I can’t wait to go look for a good watermelon now!
Good luck Kat!
Actually the best way to determine if fruit is going to be good is smell. All of these tricks do no good if a watermelon or whatever has no real smell. A strong scent indicates ripeness and flavor.
Some good tips there….I hate to sound arrogant, but I sold fruit for a number of years and have started a book on how to pick good fruit. From the things I’ve heard here, I think the book is needed.
If you don’t mind me saying, an under ripe watermelon does not thud. It has a high-pitched ping. An over ripe one has a thud/splat sound like patting your belly. A ripe melon is like the person who mentioned the door sound. I like to refer to it as hitting the side of a canoe…but not everybody canoes! It reverberates like a drum. A seedless melon seems to require a higher pitched ring to it, otherwise it may be overripe.
Yes on the yellow underbelly and sugar marks. Not sure I agree with the shiny skin being underripe….I’ll check that out. Even with my skills, I often wind up with a loser with watermelons. With cantaloupes, I rarely get a bad one.
CANTALOUPES: The one very best way to tell if it’s a sweet one….you want very thick and bumpy ‘netting’ all over the skin of the melon. That’s a slam dunk. Of course you want it to be yellow and not greenish. Caution: A cantaloupe with a thin netting may have a heavenly scent, but it will be somewhat bland tasting. There! I just gave away my best secret. If everyone knew that, the grocers would have to throw away all the rest of the cantaloupes that people wouldn’t take home!
my work now is with fruits and nuts of the human variety…www.thehealthycouple.com
Hi Bill, Please, no worries about that at all, I am happy you’ve joined the discussion and shared such a detailed comment, thanks for that. I am very taken by your cantaloupe comment regarding smell…I give the most weight to smell when I’m picking out fruit, but you’re right, I’ve gotten some cantaloupes that smelled good but were disappointing. Hopefully from now on I won’t get a bad one!!!
I used to do the thump, and stopped for some reason. Since then my melons have been hit or miss, these are great tips! I also cut all of my melons this way, it is so fast and makes things look so nice!!! You have to be careful with button pressing on cantaloupes, the more people who come by and press on the harder ones start to soften the buttons up and they will give before they are ripe, I go by smell more than anything with them! Off to go melon shopping!!!!!
I learned to cut all melons like this from,believe it or not, the butlers at the Playboy Mansion. We must be doing it right…..
HAH! I love this comment. LOL.
I grew some watermelons last year (1st time ever) & passed them on to neighbors who’ve supplied me with delicious berries,tomatoes, peaches– then I ate one — I was shocked….it was bitter & awful, so THANKS now I know what to look for when it’s ripe ….and I realize also what kind neighbors I have & we all had a good laugh later on!
Another indicator is bee-stings. You can see on the picture above, that there are little stings on the mellon (I counted 4). Bee’s will go back to the mellon if it is sweet; if not, they leave it alone. If the bee’s love it so will you!
Hi Alyssa, that is SO cool!!!! Where are you seeing the 4 bee stings? In the field spot picture???
I cut the watermelon the same way. I keep the ends though like massive watermelon bowls and just sit on the couch and eat them with a spoon. Hey, at least its not ice cream.
Ooo I like your idea of using the ends like that! HAHAHA watermelon is much better than ice cream 😉
Always wanted to know this!!!! You’re great. Found you from pinterest.com… so glad too cause you’ve got some GREAT tid-bits! 🙂 thank you again!