Picking a Melon

Step 1:

Don't look. Don't touch. Just breeze through and breathe in. If you are seized by the sweet perfume of ripe melons, follow your nose to the source. If you find several varieties, sniff out the aromatic one. Not drawn to anything yet? Be patient.

Step 2:

Looks aren't everything. But in the case of common melons, they can tell you quite a lot.

• A beige-skinned honeydew with distinct green veins reveals immaturity; a pale yellow version with bright, lemon-colored areas suggests time on the vine

• Cantaloupes are similar: they're unripe when the skin beneath the textured "web" is green, ripe when orange or gold.

Step 3:

A good melon is firm, but not rock hard. It yields very slightly to pressure but has no soft spots. Sponginess means the fruit is too far gone.

Step 4:

When a honeydew is fully ripe, the fibrous net that attaches the seeds to the flesh breaks down, allowing the seeds to rattle around. Ripe cantaloupes rattle only occasionally, so it's an unreliable indicator.

Step 5:

Some swear by the thump test. Hold your dominant hand as if ready to knock on a door. Deliver two or three good thumps to the round side of a melon. The sound should be deep and thick, indicating a dense, full fruit. A higher hollow sound can mean insufficient moisture, among other things.

Step 6:

Seeds rattle but there's no aroma? Smells divine but looks way too green? A first-rate fruit needn't exhibit all of these signs to be a winner. The object is to be familiar with all indications of ripeness, which will enable you to choose a terrific melon.

from learn2.com