How to Pick a Sweet Watermelon Every Single Time - Top 8 Tips

John attends the 2016 National Heirloom Expo and shares with you the heirloom watermelons and shows you his 8 special techniques that he uses in synergy to choose the sweetest and most nutritious watermelon every single time he buys them.

In this episode you will learn about heirloom watermelons, how to select the best watermelon and may different indicators of ripeness in a watermelon to let you know if it is ripe or not.

After watching this episode, you will have the 8 tips you need to choose the perfectly ripe, sweet and delicious watermelon every single time.

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[bethbartlett]

Trust a girl with a childhood in -
NW Tennessee and a Family full of Garden Farmers🍉
Quick Tips:
1. Creamy yellow spot on the bottom - Garden Ripening - Good Spot!
Sweet-Indicator
2. Dull Finish is ripe, shiny is still unripened. Sweeter
3. Darkest color of the melon geno-type in the batch. Best Flavor
4. Heaviest of the batch of it's kind = Juiciest.

FYI - the small round dark green or striped are called "Table Melons" and they are often the best melons in grocery stores, especially early in the summer and also in August. (My favs)

The Thumping/tapping a watermelon is harder to judge by (and it bruses some types of melons) - (there's plenty of farm boys smiling at that one - it takes time to perfect that technique)

Melons can look fabulous and taste just ok -
🍉use the weight tip for juicy - the yellow "Field Spot" for sweet, (It's the time in the garden for natural on the vine ripening time, that makes that tip the most reliable)
Melons flavors are affected by too much or too little rain and gardeners that over use Miracle Grow for the size effect - they come out quite flavor-weak.

The stem spot isn't of much value in Watermelon selection -

- Ask a Farmer!

[quickdeuce]

Thanks so much for these tips John, , I did not read all 396 comments to see if I'm duplicating BUT - watching you do the "tap or slap" test I want to add a note - I live in Washington state so farmers in our state can grow some pretty awesome mellons too, , if we hold the mellon in our hand (or place the other free hand on the opposing side of the mellon) and using one finger (I use my index finger) TAP the mellon, , if you can feel the tap resonate thru the mellon, transmitting the vibration into the palm of your other hand "usually" you can be sure the mellon is of a high liquid content and is "ripe". BUT, , as you've said, these tests only help us eliminate the mellon we DO NOT WANT but don't always guarantee a sweet fruit. Thanks again, , your videos are AWESOME!! Thank YOU and Thank YouTube for sharing them!!

[hlinda]

My grandmother told me back in the 60's that the way to pick a good watermelon is to turn it over, and look at the under side. The more yellow on the bottom, the sweeter the melon. Since then, I have never picked a bad watermelon.

[SkylordOzer]

I started this video thinking i would not watch the whole thing, but you are such s joy to watch and so informative! It was a pleasure watching you. Thank you for all these watermelon tips!

[teresajames]

One extra thing I look for in a melon is the amount of Bee stings it has on it. In my own findings I have found that the more stings the sweeter the melon. That would be the little brown spots that look like a lot of little dots when looking closely. Great info John.

[TheCrystalsunshine]

Thanks. Both my husband and I value your information. Blessings

[anastasiae.]

It may be covered in the video, but weight of the watermelon compared to its size helped me get a really good one this year. I picked out one that wasn't gigantic (it was about the size of a basketball), but seemed rather hefty considering its size, and it was mostly deep red, juicy and sweet. I don't particularly like watermelon, but I've seen so many videos about the health benefits of its juice that I decided to go ahead and get one and try it. I can't help but think of an overenthusiastic little boy every time I watch one of John's videos. What a happy guy.

[icicicles]

Soils vary and do affect the sweetness.
The one you thumped was a bit on the green side it had a higher thud meaning not enough water.
A deeper thud means much more water then look for the extra weight.
Yellow is very important. The darker the yellow the riper it was when picked while light yellow to white between the green you should pass up.
My favorites are watermelons out of Hermingston eastern Oregon and Washington.
The soil there was blasted up out of the Columbia gorge when the ice dam broke during the melt back of the ice-age, depositing rich minerals and nitrogen which really adds to the sweetness.

[colleenlassie]

You the best John.. I love watching you .. I always learn so much.. much love

[marvino]

I always look like an idiot at the store trying to pick the right watermelon

[josephyacapin]

Thanks for the excellent tips. You were entertaining while being informative!

[Landrew]

"Always choose the seeded watermelons because the seeds contain nutrition."
If you eat the watermelon seeds, you won't get any nutrition unless you chew them thoroughly.

[mickamoo]

Thanks John. Hoping to buy a good one today with your tips. I've had a lot of mealy non sweet ones.

[memz]

Perfect timing! I just picked out a mediocre watermelon yesterday. Thanks for the tips!

[rawismyreligion]

Just got a huge overripe watermelon yesterday, gonna try your tips next time shopping! Thanks for sharing!

[TheWorldTeacher]

You're the BEST, John!

Here in the Philippines we FLICK melons to test them, rather than tap with an open palm.

[keithcline]

Very informative. I'll be trying out some of your tips (as well as some others I've got from other experts) next Tuesday when I go shopping. I once had a watermelon that was yellow and it was very good. Some people get turned off cause of the color. One of my brothers wouldn't even try it.Every year I look for seeded watermelons cause I think they ruined them by going seedless. Its not that hard to remove the seeds or just swallow them. Thanks Keith

[candidamerritt]

Thanks for your advice. And thank you for sharing!

[Vranabestia]

Love how informative and passionate you are!!!

[NolaGB]

Your watermelon tips are those that my dad followed many, many years ago when I was a child and he could sure pick out good ones!!! Thank you!!