To find a ripe melon, pick it up and shake it; if you hear sloshing, it’s too ripe. No noise indicates firmness, while rattling means drying out.
Colors on the rind indicate ripeness; honeydews should be yellow, cantaloupes should display tan webbing, and watermelons must show a creamy yellow field spot.
Although methods like using a broom straw or rolling the melon may be anecdotal, they reflect a wider cultural interest in learning to identify ripeness.
Inspecting the ends of melons is important; a stem piece shows premature picking, and the two-finger trick helps judge watermelon stripes for readiness.
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