{"id":963234,"date":"2021-06-08T02:18:18","date_gmt":"2019-04-10T21:18:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/?p=963234"},"modified":"2025-06-11T09:31:25","modified_gmt":"2025-06-11T14:31:25","slug":"how-to-tell-if-watermelon-is-ripe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/how-to-tell-if-watermelon-is-ripe\/","title":{"rendered":"If You See a Watermelon with a Yellow Spot, This Is What It Means"},"content":{"rendered":"There are few foods that scream \"summer!\" louder than a slice of juicy watermelon. Plus, there are so many fun things to do with a watermelon<\/a>! However, there are some surprising secrets for how to tell if watermelon is ripe. Next time you head to the market on the hunt for the very best melon, don't grab the first one you find. To take home the sweetest one in the whole heap, use our easy tricks.\r\n\r\nAnd if you don't know how to carve a watermelon, this simple adjustment makes it easy.<\/a>\r\n

How to Find the Perfect Watermelon<\/h2>\r\n

It seems like everyone has a rule of thumb for finding the best watermelon\u2014a butter-colored \"belly,\" a dull skin, plenty of brown scars and so on. But regardless of your method, we'd like to recommend doing this experiment, too.<\/p>\r\nFirst, pick up a watermelon. It should be surprisingly heavy for its size, whether it's large or small!\r\n\r\nThe idea is that watermelons are 92% water, so a heavier watermelon should be juicy, sweet and ready to eat. But don't stop at the first melon. You'll want to pick up one or two more melons, and see whether those\u00a0<\/em>are heavy, too. Be sure to take home the heaviest of the bunch.\r\n\r\nAnother handy tip is to check the underside of the watermelon for a golden yellow spot, called the field spot. This is the part where the watermelon touched the ground while growing, and if it's light or white, it definitely hasn't reached peak ripeness yet.\r\n

How to Tell If Watermelon Is Ripe<\/h2>\r\nYou can do the weight test along with other melon methods. Next time you're at the market or grocery store, remember these tell-tale signs of a ripe watermelon:\r\n
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  1. A dark green rind<\/li>\r\n \t
  2. A golden yellow spot on the melon's underside<\/li>\r\n \t
  3. A deep, hollow sound when thumped<\/li>\r\n \t
  4. Brown spots, webbing or scarring<\/li>\r\n \t
  5. Heavy for its size<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nThen, bring home a beauty!\r\n\r\n\t\t\t
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    Find a Fresh Way to Eat Watermelon<\/div>\t\t\t\t
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    <\/i>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t1 \/ 22<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t
    <\/i>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t