How to judge a ripe watermelon

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Permalink Reply by Penelope on January 30, 2009 at 9:50am

My father used to rap our heads, then rap the watermelon. He claimed that if they sounded alike, it was a good melon.

The last small seedless one I bought was nearly rotten inside. What does that say about my head?

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Permalink Reply by jacci on January 30, 2009 at 11:08am

Penelope,
I wonder what this says about my kids heads!!!!! The thing definatly sounded hollow! I will certainly leave the next melon longer, but was so longing to have watermelon for lunch.

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Permalink Reply by chris w on January 30, 2009 at 7:19pm

We look for melons that sound like a good tight drum

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Permalink Reply by Richard Mitchell on January 30, 2009 at 8:30pm

I was told to check if the curl or spoon was brown.

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Permalink Reply by jacci on January 31, 2009 at 1:08am

What is the curl or spoon?

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Permalink Reply by Richard Mitchell on February 2, 2009 at 7:42pm

Googling for a better answer than I could provide, I found this:

"The curl is at the stem where the watermelon is connected to the vine. When the curl dies or turns brown it means the melon is close to being ripe."

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080813031329AAvBX3x

and this:

"Gardeners can tell when a watermelon is ready by checking the tendril, or curl, that connects the melon to the vine. "If it's still green, the watermelon is very likely not ripe. If it is brown and dead, the fruit may be ripe," Egel said.

Source: Daniel Egel, (812) 886-0198; egel@purdue.edu"

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Permalink Reply by Kathryn on February 3, 2009 at 3:41am

İ have grown melons before and waited until the stalks are brown usually like you do with a pumpkin. When the turks look to buy a melon they tap them, smell them and check the bottom of them if they are slightly yellow if they are they dont buy them.

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Permalink Reply by Richard Mitchell on February 3, 2009 at 6:25am

Are you sure you've got that right? The bottoms of both cantaloupes and watermelons will turn slightly yellow (from white) just before they ripen. The yellowing is a sign it is almost or is ready to pick, depending on the other signs. Cantaloupes will also get purple spots on their bottoms just before they ripen.

Corn grows on stalks. Melons grow on vines.

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Permalink Reply by jacci on February 3, 2009 at 6:31am

Thanks you everyone for your help, I have another melon that is BIG at the moment and will try the above, hope it tastes good - if you were all closer could share it! Anyway you will just have to imagine the sweet juicy taste! The taste of my childhood summers when my folks would stop at the vendor and buy one on the way home from the beach on a saturday.

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Permalink Reply by Kathryn on February 5, 2009 at 4:43am

Yes they are very fussy about watermelons, my husband will not eat on that is yellow on the bottom he checks the stalks to see if they have browned off and then the bottom and smells and taps. He is not alone they all seem to do this.

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Permalink Reply by Penelope on February 5, 2009 at 8:50am

What does yellow indicate? Overripe?

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Permalink Reply by Kathryn on February 11, 2009 at 12:47pm

Yes İ think that is what they believe. And also they say it is made with hormones not natural the yellow goes to brown that is how they can tell supposedly. Same with tomatoes if you cut it and there are white dots or stripes on the outside it is from the hormones too.

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