Pick the Right Watermelon by Looking at Its Bottom

When faced with a bunch of watermelons, all promising delicious juiciness inside, how do you know which one to pick? What About Watermelon, a site dedicated to just this summer fruit, suggests you skip the tapping and instead check the bottom of the watermelon.

Tapping a watermelon like a bongo might work for some people, but, the site says, it's too subjective and there's no agreement on whether a watermelon is suposed to sound "solid" or "tight" or even make a b-flat sound.

Instead, look for watermelons that are symmetrical and aren't dented, are heavy for their size, and have a creamy yellow spot on the bottom:

Turn your watermelon over and check out its bottom, which should have a creamy yellow spot (also called "the ground spot"). This is where the watermelon sat on the ground while it soaked up the sun at the farm. If this spot is white or greenish, your watermelon may have been picked too soon and might not be as ripe as it should be.

Of course, ripeness may not matter if you just want to use your melon as a keg.

Do you thump watermelons or use some other magical fruit-picking method?

How to Choose the "Right" Watermelon (And Why Tapping Doesn't Work) | What About Watermelon via Reddit

Photo by Clyde Robinson