how to cut a watermelon
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How To Pick And Cut A Watermelon – No-Fail tips

How to pick and cut a watermelon…

There’s nothing quite like a sweet juicy watermelon but sometimes selecting one can be tricky business.

With that said…I wasn’t very good at picking a sweet, juicy watermelon.

My mom is a pro at this. She thumps on a few of those big round, sometimes oval-shaped fruits and comes up with a delicious watermelon every time.  Not me…I could thump on watermelons until my fingers hurt and still not be sure if I was hearing a dense or hollow sound.

After a little research on the subject, I am having much better luck and thought I might share a few things I’ve learned.

how to cut a watermelon

 

Selecting the melon: 

1. Look for a darker-colored melon with a symmetrical shape and no funky bulges for example. And look for a dull-colored melon, not shiny. Shiny means it’s underripe.

2. Pick it up…is it heavy? It should be heavy. I always compare a few so I get an idea of what heavy should feel like.

3. It has to have a creamy, yellowish spot. This is called a field spot. A field spot simply is where it was resting on the ground while ripening up.  The darker the field spot…the longer it was on the vine ripening.

4.  This is an optional tip I will add for the sake of my mother…the expert thumper. Using your knuckles give a firm rap on the melon. The sound should not be deep; it should be higher and less dense. Try this out on a few…you will start to notice they do sound different. Just remember which sound is the “ripe” sound! I think that’s where I have trouble with this method.

Slicing the melon:
To cut the melon you can always start slicing off either end, but be careful this is tricky. The melon is round and mark my words it will roll.  Yes…mom does this method. I’ve witnessed the melon rolling like a bowling ball right off the countertop.

I suggest cutting the melon in half first, setting the flat cut side down, and then cutting your slices.  This leaves you with half-round slices and a colorful rind to hold while eating. Or cut those half-round slices in half again for smaller triangular pieces. Perfect for folks to grab and eat at a barbecue, picnic, or party.

Cutting The Melon Into Cubes:
If you want to cut the melon in cubes this is the easiest and most efficient way I’ve tried.
First, cut one side of the melon so there is a safe, flat surface to set it down while cutting.
Then simply cut off the outer rind.

how to cut a watermelon

Next cut off the top creating a second flat edge. Now you can slice the watermelon in large, thick slices as shown.

Then cut those slab-like slices into chunks and place them in a serving bowl. This is my favorite way to serve melon. It’s also an easy way to pack the watermelon for a picnic.

how to cut a watermelon

 

Enjoy the fruits of the summer!

how to pick a watermelon

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3 Comments

  1. I loved this post Mary! I’m always trying to figure out how to choose a watermelon. You make cutting it look so simple too. Thank you so much for sharing this with us at Whimsical Wednesdays Link Party this week. I’ve made it a feature. 😀 Have a great week!

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