No fruit gets more slaps and sniffs than melons.
And that's OK. This common produce prodding ritual really can help in choosing that perfect watermelon, cantaloupe or crenshaw if you know what you're looking for, said a Utah State University horticulturist.Judging maturity on melons is more difficult than on most other crops, said Larry Sagers, USU Cooperative Extension agent.
"There is no difference in appearance of green and ripe fruits so experience is necessary to pick the best melons," he said.
Here are a few tips to help determine when melons are ripe.
- Just opposite the stem end of the fruit is a small tendril or pigtail. On some melons, this pigtail withers and turns brown prior to ripening. On many varieties, however, it dies prematurely so it is not a reliable indicator of ripeness in all cases, he said.
- The ground spot, or area where the melon touched the ground, changes from pale white or pale green to a creamy yellow color when melons are ripe. The rind on the ground spot also becomes tough so it resists denting with a fingernail, he said.
- One of the best ways to gauge ripeness is by thumping the melon. It should not be resting on the ground or on other melons. Pick the melon up in one hand and slap it with the palm of your other hand. It should produce a dull sound rather than a hard or metallic sound, he said.
"An old gardener's gauge of melon ripeness is as follows," Sagers said. "If a melon sounds like thumping your head, it's not ripe enough. If it sounds like thumping your stomach, it's too ripe. If it sounds like thumping your chest, it is just right."
Melons that are over-mature have a very dull sound with little vibration transmitted when slapping the fruit, he said.
He said melons should be cut, not pulled, from the vine to prevent rot from developing on the stem end. Melons do not continue to ripen so they should not be picked until they are ready.
Cantaloupes will pick themselves. That is, the fruit will slip off the stem when it is fully ripe.
Other musk melons such as honeydew, crenshaw, casaba and Persian varieties do not separate from the stem.