How Do You Pick A Good Watermelon Honeydew Or Cantaloupe?

Give the melon a little thump. A ripe melon will sound hollow and rumbly, whereas an unripe melon will sound solid and thick.

How do you pick a ripe watermelon honeydew or cantaloupe?

Holding the melon in your hands, give the surface a light knock. It should have a deep hollow sound, which means the melon is ripe and juicy. Give it a Sniff. Though watermelon does not give off a scent when uncut, ripe honeydew melon or cantaloupe gives off a faintly sweet aroma.

How do you pick a perfect honeydew?

Honeydew

1. Don’t pick a green honeydew; pick a white or yellow one.
2. Feel the outside of the smooth rind.
3. The blossom end (opposite of the stem) should give a bit when light pressure is applied.
4. The whole melon should have a strong, sweet smell.

How do you pick a good quality watermelon?

A ripe watermelon should have a deep sound when you thump it with your hand or fist, somewhat resembling a tenor. If it has a hollow or flat sound, it’s likely overripe (6). Try tapping a watermelon with your hand or fist. A ripe one delivers a deep sound, whereas an overripe one sounds hollow or flat.

How can you tell when a cantaloupe is ready to eat?

As with cantaloupe, color is your first sign of ripeness. The melon’s green rind will take on a creamy yellowish color. If the color is right, gently push on the end of the melon opposite from the stem. If there is a slight give, the melon is probably ripe.

How do you know if a cantaloupe is ripe?

Cantaloupe is a seasonal fruit and warm spring weather brings the right time to start purchasing cantaloupe. To select a ripe cantaloupe, look for tan cantaloupe with light green lines across it, and avoid choosing melons with brown or soft spots. The melon should be firm but not too soft or too hard.

How do you tell if a honeydew is ripe?

Find the blossom end, which is opposite the end where it was attached to the vine. Give it a press with your thumb and it should feel slightly springy with a slight give. If it’s rock hard, it’s underripe, and if it’s total mush, it’s definitely past its prime.

How can you tell if a watermelon is sweet?

You want to find the melon that is heavy for its size. This usually means it will be sweeter and will have more water content. Look for an orange creamy field spot. The darker yellow field spot usually means it was on the vine longer and is full of flavor.

How do you tell if a watermelon is ready?

Do a thump test. A ripe watermelon should have a deep hollow sound when you thump the rind with your hand, similar to a knock on the door. An unripe melon will have a more high-pitched resonance, whereas an overripe melon will sound more like a thud.

How do you pick a sweet cantaloupe?

The best way to pick a cantaloupe is by smell. The fruit should have a sweet, slightly musky scent. A good cantaloupe feels heavy for its size, has a rind that resembles raised netting, and has a stem end that yields slightly when pressed with your thumb.

What color watermelon is the sweetest?

And you can tell a lot about the way a watermelon tastes based on how it looks. According to the experts at the Watermelon Board, yellow and orange watermelons are generally sweeter than those with pink or red flesh. Seedless watermelons tend to have a crisper texture than those with seeds, they add.

What is the sweetest watermelon?

Sultan. Sultan is one of the sweetest varieties you’ll find, this one measures 12.3 on the Brix scale. The fruits average 15 pounds and ripen within 95 days.

What does a good watermelon sound like?

A ripe watermelon will have a hollow sound when knocked. An unripe watermelon will have more of a higher-pitched sound, while an overripe one will make a “thud” or a lower-pitched sound. Pick up the watermelon and give it a good sniff.

Will a cantaloupe ripen in the refrigerator?

Will a cantaloupe ripen if it is in the refrigerator overnight? No, it will not ripen once it is in the refrigerator.

Does honeydew ripen on the counter?

The difference is that a mature honeydew will begin to ripen if left to do its thing on your kitchen counter, whereas an immature one will never turn into the soft, luscious, juicy, tender fruit we all know and love.

Will a cantaloupe ripen on the counter?

Unlike other fruits, cantaloupes will not ripen once picked from the vine. At the grocery store, then, what you see is what you get: The fruit will not ripen very much once left on the counter at home, so it’s important to pick a good cantaloupe.

What color is a ripe honeydew melon?

creamy yellow
Ripe honeydew melons are characterized by a creamy yellow rind, light green, juicy flesh, and a slightly soft blossom end. Honeydews are picked while they are still firm which is characterized by a whiter rind color with slight green tinge and a hard blossom end.

How do you ripen a honeydew melon quickly?

Jane Brody in The Good Food Book tells us that after picking melons don’t get sweeter, only softer and juicier. She recommends that you ripen them faster in a perforated paper bag. When ripe, refrigerate. Cut melons should be wrapped in plastic to contain the odor.

Are honeydew and cantaloupe the same?

Although they are closely related, they’re two different fruits. They are both sweet, but their appearance is different. Honeydew has a smooth, light-colored rind and green flesh, while cantaloupe has a darker, netted rind and orange flesh.

Are darker or lighter watermelons better?

The bigger and darker the patch is, the better. Watermelons should be a darker green. Very light watermelons may not have ripened long enough on the vine. The watermen should have contrasting dark with lighter stripes.

How long after you buy a watermelon should you cut it?

If you chill your melon before cutting it, you should be able to consume a delicious watermelon after 2 to 3 weeks. If you buy half or a quarter of the watermelon from the supermarket’s refrigerator section, put it right back in the fridge when you get home.