Should You Buy A Shiny Watermelon? - Tasting Table

Watermelon ripeness can be judged using visual, tactile, and auditory cues. Shiny, glossy, waxy watermelon rinds indicate underripe fruit, and harvested watermelons stop ripening permanently, so an underripe pick cannot be made ripe later. Ripe watermelons tend to have dull, green matte coloring. A large green stem is another sign to leave the watermelon unpicked. Raised brownish webbing or streaks on the rind can indicate sugar scarring and a sweet interior. A large yellow field spot can signal sweetness, with deeper yellow indicating higher sugar content. Firmness checks include scratching the rind with a fingernail and pressing the rind to ensure it does not indent.

"Underripe watermelons have a glossy, waxy coating that appears shiny. So, if you chose a watermelon based on shininess alone, you'll be stuck with one that is not ready to eat. Unlike bananas and peaches that continue to ripen after they're picked, harvesting a watermelon effectively stops the ripening process for good. Once you've picked an underripe watermelon, you're stuck with it; there's no way to ripen an underripe watermelon."

"Look for watermelons that have a dull, green matte coloring. Another visual sign of fruit that's not quite ready to eat is the size of the stem. A large, green stem, like a shiny sheen, is a cue to leave the watermelon in the bin. Visual green flags on a watermelon are what you might consider eyesores to avoid if you're not in the know."

"For example, webbing seen as raised brownish streaks or patches along the rind are due to sugar scarring, indicating a sugary sweet interior. Likewise, the large yellow spot that many watermelons have is where the watermelon has sat out in the field before being harvested. A deep yellow spot indicates high sugar content."

"Testing a watermelon's firmness is a key trick to ensuring it's ripe and ready to eat. You can start by running your fingernail across the rind to ensure that scratching the rind doesn't pierce it. You can also press your finger into the rind to check firmness, ensuring that your finger makes no indentati"

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