Watermelon is the unofficial fruit of summer. They’re juicy, sweet, and refreshing. Their high water content makes them the perfect snack on a hot, sunny day. Watermelons are in season for most of the U.S.—May to September. And Fetch reports that most of its consumers are buying watermelon during spring and summertime.
But how do you pick watermelon at the grocery store to ensure you are getting the most delicious one of the bunch? Popular foodie TikTok creator Asia (@asiamakes) shared her five tips to “finding the best watermelon every time.” Her video has over 276,000 views.
Look for a yellow spot
First, the Ontario, Canada-based TikToker recommends finding the yellow spot, aka “the belly spot,” on the watermelon. “This is the spot the melon rested on when growing on the ground. The deeper the yellow, the riper the watermelon!” the creator, who has 172,000 followers on the platform, says.
Multiple publications confirm that the yellow spot on a watermelon is a good sign it’s ripe. However, if the spot is on the whiter side, that might mean it is not ripe enough, according to AllRecipes.
Webbing/brown scar marks
The second tip is to keep your eyes peeled for deep brown scarring on the watermelon, Asia says. “These marks mean the flower received more pollination from bees before the fruit grew,” she says. “The more webbing, the sweeter the fruit!”
This is true. Webbing is a sign the melon was well-pollinated and of sweetness—so much so that the “webbing” is also referred to as “sugar spots.” So when you’re at the grocery store, be on the lookout for large webbing. The larger the webbing, the better.
Stems
Asia then urges grocery store shoppers to check the stems on their watermelons. “Make sure the stem is brown! Do not pass go if the stem is still green! It was picked too early,” Asia says.
However, this is where things get tricky. One indicator that a watermelon is rotten is also a brown stem. But Real Simple notes a ripe watermelon’s stem will appear yellow-brown and be dry (rotten watermelons may have soft stems/patches). And if you pick a watermelon with a green stem, it may lack flavor.
The weight
Asia’s next tip has to do with the size of the watermelon. “Pick it up!” Asia recommends in her TikTok slideshow. “Is it heavy for its size? That’s the sign of a juicy watermelon.”
When a watermelon is heavy for its size, this indicates it is full of water, which means it will be extra juicy. This doesn’t apply to only watermelons, but also to other fruits. “Water and fiber content seem to determine a healthy weight in fruits, including watermelon,” per Healthline.
The shade
Finally, Asia advises, “Choose a melon that is dull or no shine.”
If a watermelon is shiny, this probably means it hasn’t fully ripened. Ripe watermelons are usually dull in color.
Asia told the Daily Dot that she, herself, accidentally bought an unripe watermelon, which is what inspired her to learn more about ripe watermelons and educate others. “I chose the ‘prettiest’ watermelon I could find. It was shiny, didn’t have a yellow field spot or any webbing. It was underwhelming,” Asia shared.
The she implemented these tips and has had much luck since.
“There are many other strategies people use when picking a tasty watermelon and I’m definitely no expert! I’ve enjoyed seeing people leave their own suggestions in the comments of the video and plan to try their tips in the future,” she shared.
Some of those viewer tips include knocking on the watermelon to see how hollow it sounds. The more hollow a watermelon sounds, the better.
“Round = sweeter and oval shaped ones = juicier but not as sweet,” a second viewer shared.
“If you can, buy locally grown watermelons they’ll always be good! The farmers stand behind them,” a third recommended.
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