How to Thump the Perfect Melon
“Does this watermelon sound good to you?”
This is a question that gets posed to me by customers and fellow vendors alike as they approach carrying their latest catch of the season. Dutifully I tap my fingers on the outer rind listening for the hollow resonance which is not always a true test for ripeness. Over-ripe melons will thump well, too.
Picking a good melon is more than finding one that sounds good. Regardless of the melon type, carefully check the fruit for blemishes, cracks and, soft spots that signal it’s past its prime.
No matter how long you let them sit on your counter, underripe watermelons with a dull, flat thud will not ripen once they are picked. With time they will become softer, but not sweeter. That can only happen on the vine. That’s why Grandma Miller always told us to look for the “winder”, the pig tail stem on the melon. She always said the curlier, the sweeter.
But there are other signs signaling peak sweetness.
The underside where the melon rested on the ground should be a creamy, deep yellow color. A darker green or pale white color means that the melon was picked too early. If there are small, dry, brown lines in little patches on the rind, that’s another sign of ripeness, showing where sugar has slowly seeped out of the fruit.
Cantaloupe, unlike watermelon, will continue to ripen after being picked. You can thump ‘lopes, too, but the sniff and press test is much more accurate. Gently press your fingers into the stem and blossom scars on each end of the fruit. There should be some give. Too much means the melon is overripe and too hard is the opposite. Next, hold the fruit near your nose and inhale. You should be able to smell the fruity scent. Any muskiness or funk is a hard pass.
There is an assortment of melons showing up at market as the summer season heats up. Melons love hot weather growing best in warm soil with lots of sunshine for ripening to perfection. Many of the varieties grown by market vendors tend to be smaller in size and thus easier to carry. Smaller, urban households have very little need for a 25-pound whopper.
Melons are members of the Cucurbitaceae family, with cucumbers and squashes being cousins. Most sweet melons fall into two type: Citrillus lanatus (watermelons) and Cucumus melo (muskmelons). Cantaloupes are in the muskmelon category, but there are dozens of others including honeydew, casaba, and canary melons.
My favorite way to enjoy melons are simply cut up, but when the perfect watermelon comes along I go for a watermelon and feta salad with fresh basil and a dash of good balsamic vinegar—all ingredients found at the market. In this heat think cold melon soups, sorbets, smoothies, and cocktails.
As with all fresh fruits and vegetables that are eaten raw, melons should be washed with running water prior to cutting.