It’s not a myth: You really do need to slap them and listen carefully.
Don’t worry, it’s not just you. It’s hard to pick a good watermelon. So much of what determines its sweetness is beyond your control. And what is in your control may go against your instincts. It’s a challenge to your sense of free will, an exercise in letting go, a gamble at the market.
Also, it’s just a watermelon. Everything will be OK. And if you do manage to pick the perfect melon, everything will be great in that sticky-fruit-juices-down-your-arm-on-a-summer-afternoon way.
To understand why it’s so hard to choose a watermelon is to understand its nature. Its sweetness is determined largely by the weather, the drier during harvest the better. Donald Sherman, 63, a third-generation farmer who grows about six varieties on his family farm in Fresno, Calif., explains that watermelons don’t gain sweetness once cut off the vine. “If they don’t have that sugar out with Mother Nature, they’re not getting more.”
What to Make With All Those Melons
Spicy Watermelon Salad With Pineapple and Lime | Country Panzanella With Watermelon Dressing | Watermelon-Rose Trifle | Watermelon and Grapefruit Salad With Tahini | No-Bake Melon Cheesecake Bars | Melon and Avocado Salad With Fennel and Chile | Watermelon and Feta Salad | Watermelon-Lime Cooler | Watermelon Chaat | Naan-o Paneer-o Sabzi (Bread, Feta and Herb Platter) |
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