this post was submitted on 02 May 2024
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I've tried the cut and taste method. It works but it gets you thrown out of a lot of supermarkets.
They're usually OK with the first one, it's when you sample 6 or 7 to find the best one that they start getting all uptight.
You're absolutely right. Cut thousands of watermelon for a grocery store and tested all the theories about how to pick a perfect one, none of them hold true. Also loved watching people tap on them like they're watermelon whisperers lol
The watermelon smacking doesn’t get you any information on taste, true. But it does give you an idea of how crisp it is, which affects texture. The crisp watermelons are bouncy when you smack them, and the spongy ones absorb the smack.
The best way I've found, which works like 90% of the time, is to knock on it while holding it. It should sound somewhat hollow, but not empty. Too hollow means it's not juicy and not hollow enough means it's under ripe. Tells you nothing about flavor, but it at least allows you to pick one that is decently juicy and ripe. It's all relative but if you knock on a few you'll quickly find one that sounds in the middle. Pick that one and you'll have at least a decent watermelon.