The Easiest Way To Pick the Sweetest Watermelon Is a Tip I Never Would Have Guessed

We’re in the sultriest stretch of summer, complete with dramatic pop-up storms, late-night thunder rumbles, and sweltering temperatures. And you know what that means? Peak Produce departments and farmers’ markets are flooded with inspectors rolling fruit over in search of a or tapping the rind to gauge its acoustics, all in search of the

You may have seen a slightly unhinged method for picking the sweetest watermelon making the rounds on social media. Read on for the watermelon trick that’s set the internet abuzz and why it works.

How Does It Work? 

Take a look at a watermelon that’s or and you’ll notice a yellow flower on the end opposite the stem. These are the plant’s female flowers, which “birth” the fruit. By the time a watermelon gets to you, of course, those flowers are long gone, but the mark they leave behind can still tell you a lot about their fruit child!

The smaller a watermelon’s mark, the more time it spent on the vine—that means watermelons with smaller marks had more time to ripen and develop their sugars on the vine. Melons with larger marks, however, were probably cut off the vine a little too early, and unlike other fruits, watermelons don’t continue to ripen once they’re picked.

While sweetness is key, make sure your melon also has an uniform shape without any major dents or   before adding it to your cart.

Once you’ve picked out your super-sweet watermelon, take it home and enjoy the fruits of your (uh, or the plant’s) labor. Chop it up for a fruit salad, or