Can you always tell when a melon is ripe ... have you any tips?

Question

Can you always tell when a melon is ripe ... have you any tips?

Answer 1

Look for a melon that is nice looking, meaning free of dents, bruises, cuts, etc. Check under the melon - if it has a yellow or light bottom, it should be ripe. If it's stripes are found all around the melon, pass on it. It's just not ready yet.

You may see people at the market tapping on watermelon. What exactly are they listening for? The are checking for signs of hollowness. It is sounds hollow, its ripe. Not hollow, unripe.

Look for a heavy melon. Watermelons are made up of mostly water, so an ideal melon should be heavy for its size.

Answer 2

push your thumb into one end of it - it should give slightly if it is ripe.  Also it should smell slightly sweet and melony!

Answer 3

Smell it,if it smells like melon its ripe

Answer 4

By the way it looks and smells.

Answer 5

If they give slightly when pressed gently with a finger, near the root, then they are ripe.  Also they should smell melony!

Answer 6

press in the "north" and "south" ends if there is some give thats a good sign some people tap to get hollow sound ithers can even smell (I think for honeydew)

Answer 7

Well, I usually press the end if it's not hard and the melon smells ripe, it's ready to eat

Answer 8

If you r talkin bout a watermelon it should be quite pink inside but if u r talkin bout a normal melon den it should be quite yellow orange

Answer 9

I guess it depends what melon your talking about but when honeydew melons and cantaloupes are ripe, when you squeeze them they should be kinda soft.

Answer 10

There's a certain "feel" to the sound they give supposedly when you knock upon them, square in the center.  Though to be honest, I don't know specifically what it is I'm to listen for...

AND:  On one of the ends, there's a quality they're sposta physically give-off, though again, I've completely forgotten.

*blushes, hopes uncle who showed me long ago isn't reading...

Answer 11

First look at the skins on the softer melons like cantaloupes or honeydews. They should have a orange or yellow color, not green. Smell the stem end of the melon, if it has a rich melon smell it is ripe.

With watermelons look at the flat spot that the watermelon rested on the ground, the more creamy yellow it is the riper it is. If the flat spot is white, the watermelon will never get sweet.

Answer 12

way hey! Give your melons a good squeeze, there should be a slight bit of give