Kitchen HACK: How To Pick The Perfect Watermelon

Gourmandize

There's nothing more satisfying on a hot summer day than biting into a juicy slice of watermelon. But when it comes to picking one out, how do you know that you're getting a good one? 

If you're buying your melon from a farmer's market, you can trust that the fruit your buying is going to good, since the farmer will likely have picked the fruit fresh that day and it will be at optimum ripeness. But what about at the supermarket, where watermelons are harvested early for transportation and stacked one of top of another in choose-your-own displays? 

You can still get a succulent fruit. Here's what to look out for... 

• The Field Spot: This is the where the watermelon rested on the ground. This spot ranges in color from white to creamy yellow, but the latter means it's truly ripe.
• The Stem: Watermelons will often drop off the stem when they're ripe, so if you see a melon that's still got its stem, it's likely that it was harvested a little early.
• The Weight and Sound: Ripe watermelons should be heavy, and make a deep, hollow "thump" sound when you slap them on their underbelly. 

And now you have the perfect watermelon! But you don't just have to eat it plain... Here are five more ways to get your watermelon fix!

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