Melon Recognizing the degree of ripeness - This is how you find the ideal melon

Since melons do not ripen, they should be as ripe as possible when harvested. There are various methods to identify the degree of maturity.

Summer time is melon time. There is hardly anyone who does not even reach for a piece of crunchy melon in summer for refreshment. But not only as a freshness kick, but also on the grill, the melon is enjoying growing popularity - fresh, crunchy and spicy.

» Recommended reading: Grilling a melon - 3 delicious recipe ideas

You can now buy half and even quartered melons in the supermarket. Getting hold of a ripe melon here is not difficult. But what about whole melons - in the supermarket or when you harvest them yourself? Good hearing is required here.

I have put together several ways for you to check the right degree of ripeness even with a whole melon.

Recognize ripe melons by their sound

You are probably wondering how to recognize ripe melons by their sound. Very easily. Just try it next time. Ripeness cannot only be recognized by the sound, but also by the look or the smell of whether the watermelon is ripe.

1. Tapping Technique

Experts knock on the melon and see from the vibration how ripe the watermelon is. If the melon sounds dull and full, then it's ripe. If it sounds rather hollow and quiet, then you can assume that you are holding an unripe melon in your hands.

2. Optical impression

You can also tell from the look whether the melon is already ripe. There is a yellowish pale spot on many melons. The melon was lying on this and it is precisely this spot that is a clear indication that the melon was harvested when ripe. Pale yellow spot means the melon is ripe.

3. Recognize immaturity

Of course it is also possible that the melon was harvested too late and it is no longer so juicy and fresh inside. You can also see that in advance. If the base of the stem is brown to black and slightly damp, this is a clear sign of overripeness.

Questionable possibility

A lot of forums willalso reported that the ripeness of a melon can be recognized by the smell. Personally, this assumption is too daring for me, since I have not tried it myself. When ripe, the melon should smell like melon, fresh and juicy. Anyone can try this method once. If you are unsure, simply use one of the options above to make sure.