How to Pick the Perfect Watermelons

Summertime is right around the corner, and you know what that means… it’s WATERMELON SEASON! Watermelons are one of my favorite fruits, and I get so excited every time that watermelon season rolls around. These delicious fruits are not only super sweet and perfectly refreshing during the warm summer months, but are loaded with nutrients as well. They’re the perfect healthy treat!

In this post, I’ll be sharing my top tips for picking the perfect watermelons every time. These tips are foolproof, and I promise, if you follow them exactly, you’ll end up with the perfect, sweet, juiciest watermelons every time!

The Six “S” Method

The key to picking the perfect watermelons is to follow the six “s” method, which stands for “spot,” “stem,” “shape,” “size,” “sound,” and “skin.” When picking a watermelon, these are the elements to look for to ensure that you’ll have the juiciest watermelons!

Sometimes, depending on the stock at your local grocery store, you may find it hard to find a watermelon that has all of these elements. And if that’s the case, that is okay! Try to find one that has at least 3/6 of the “S'” to ensure that you’ll have a delicious watermelon to satisfy your cravings!

1. The “Spot” – Did you know that big, yellow spots on watermelons are actually a good thing? It’s true! While often thought of as an unsightly blemish, this is actually the spot where the sugars are coming to the surface, making the watermelon extra sweet. The bigger the spot, the sweeter it is!
2. The “Stem” – When looking at the stem of the watermelon, you want to look for a nice, brown stem. This ensures that the watermelon was picked when it was ripe, so it’ll be perfect to eat! A green stem means that the watermelon was picked before it was ripe, so it won’t be as sweet to eat.
3. The “Shape” – Make sure your watermelon is a big, round shape. More oblong-shaped watermelons aren’t as sweet and may be more fleshy than fruity.
4. The “Size” – You’ll want to make sure that your watermelon is nice and heavy. A light watermelon just won’t be as juicy!
5. The “Sound” – If you knock on the watermelon, it should sound hollow!
6. The “Skin” – Look for webbing across the skin of the watermelon. This is another indication that it is ripe and perfectly sweet!

How to Use Your Perfectly Ripe Watermelon

Now that you have a perfectly ripe watermelon, how the heck do you use it?! While you can absolutely slice it and eat it raw, there are so many delicious ways to enjoy a summertime watermelon!

• Add them to a salad: I love adding fresh watermelon chunks to my salads! I recommend swapping them out for the strawberries in my Strawberry Arugula Salad with Lemon Poppyseed Dressing, or try adding them to my Greek Salad Flatbreads for a fun, summertime twist!
• Make them into a cocktail: With the weather getting hot, why not turn your watermelon into a watermelon frosé (aka frozen rose)? Or, freeze it in an ice cube tray and make an Ice Cube Tray Wine Spritzer. The opportunities are truly endless here!

I hope these tips help you to pick the juiciest watermelons, every time! If you decide to try out these tips, please be sure to leave a review and rating below! And, since I practically live on Instagram, be sure to tag me in your creations so that I can repost them! Enjoy! xX