Melons

Cantaloupe, Honeydew, Watermelon...

Cold, juicy, crisp, sweet...nothing beats the refreshing taste of a melon on a hot summer day.

Have you ever watched someone pick out their melon? It makes me laugh. I've seen people shake, smell, examine, turn, thump, push on the end and tap the melon in question. They pick one up, turn it over, and set it down. Then proceed to dig to the bottom of the pile in search of the perfect one.
People watching is funny stuff.

The best melon we've had this year was picked by the following method...
Braden 'Mom, can I pick put the watermelon this time?'
Me 'Sure, if it's a bad one you owe me $4.'
Braden 'It's a deal!'
He looks at the stack, grabs one and says 'This is it. The best one in the bunch.' And it was :)

You can't take my son with you shopping, and his method has no guarantee, except money back, so I'll share a few tips I've learned about picking a good one...

• First look for a melon with good skin. Meaning no tears, scares, bruises or blemishes.
• Examine the skin color. Cantaloupe should have a golden or orange color underneath the webbing. If it is green, it isn't ripe. A watermelon should not be dark green and have stripes all around.
• Look for the 'field spot' on the bottom of the melon where it was laying on the ground. It should be a yellowish/white color.
• Feel it/Thump it. A cantaloupe shouldn't be soft, if it is, it is over ripe. A watermelon should sound hollow when thumped.
  
• Smell it. Cantaloupe and honeydew will smell sweet.
• Pick it up. The melon should feel heavy for it's size.
• Shake it. A honeydew should rattle with loose seeds when it is ripe.

What is your method of picking a good melon?