Summer time meals are never complete without the juicy sweetness of fresh watermelon.
The average shopper may feel as if selecting a watermelon is a lot like buying a lottery ticket.
Sometimes the fruit is perfect while others that come from the same shop at the same time are less appealing.
Luckily, there are ways to choose a watermelon that will guarantee every slice is as delectable as desired.
Look for watermelons that are not the largest or smallest in the bin.
Handle the fruit to find the ones that feel heavy for their size.
The heavier ones are the juiciest melons.
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Round watermelons will have a sweeter taste than those that are oblong, or the traditionally expected watermelon shape.
One that is oval or football-shaped can still hold a lot of juice but will have a watery flavor.
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Look at the skin for a yellow spot.
The spot is where the watermelon was on the ground while it was on the vine.
If the spot looks yellow, it means the fruit is ripe.
A watermelon that has a white spot instead did not have time to ripen.
The same is true of the stem or remainder of the vine.
Stems that looks green indicate the watermelon left the field too soon.
Watermelon stems on ripe fruit are brown and dry.
Brown spots that seem to have a slight webbing are not bruises.
The spots appear where bees pollinate the flower and this makes the fruit sweeter.
Some of the spots may even have small dark brown or black specks.
Each dot is a pollination point from a bee.
Finally, thump on the fruit with a knuckle and listen closely.
Return any watermelon back to the shelf if it makes a dull sound.
Ripe fruit of this type will produce a deep hollow sound.