39 // How to Pick the Perfect Watermelon
How to Pick the Perfect Watermelon:
4 fool-proof tips that work every time and 1 trick that doesn’t make a difference
I love nothing more than biting into the perfect watermelon. So as we celebrate all things RED, white, and blue for the 4th of July, what more iconic summertime food for us to talk about than watermelon?
Except, I know a lot of people don't feel confident in picking out the perfect watermelon. Don't waste another minute thumping melons at the store. This episode covers 4 fool-proof tips that work every time and 1 trick that doesn't make a difference.
With food costs on the rise and summer produce at its peak, this is an episode you are DEFINITELY going to want to listen to!
Listen to this episode of The Veggies & Virtue Podcast now!
Full Episode Transcription
Please note this a raw transcription. If something doesn’t read correctly, toggle to that timestamp in the show so that you can listen in on what was actually being said!
[00:00:00] Mom. Are you struggling with how to feed your kids? Right? Do you wish that there was a way to help your child try new foods? Do you look at a pantry cluttered with pirate, booty and a fridge full of the same foods every week and wonder how you're gonna get your family's meals off the hot mess express.
[00:00:16] I know what it feels like to scroll through all the feeding accounts on Instagram and to see a bunch of Boje foods that my family would never eat. And I too have pinned all the healthy recipes with good intentions, but zero execution. I understand as a busy mom of three, that it can feel really unattainable, especially on the days when I'm exhausted.
[00:00:34] I have a short fuse and I really just want an easy win to end the day with, well, that's where these meals made easy episode ideas come from with everyday ingredients that you already have on hand. I give. One meal or snack idea a week that's dietician mom approved and is gonna fit in your family's busy life.
[00:00:52] So get ready to press, add to cart and to make meals and snacks easy. Again, maybe one of my favorite topics for summer. I'm a net about watermelon guys. It's always been one of my favorite foods. When I was a kid, I remember my mom always said I could just sit and eat almost an entire watermelon in one sitting.
[00:01:10] It is something I love. And I think with this being a special 4th of July episode, I thought what more iconic way to celebrate summer than watermelon? I'm sure. Every barbecue family gathering neighborhood festivities today have watermelon. And if you don't yet know how to pick the perfect watermelon, I'm going to coach you through how today, because no one enjoys it.
[00:01:36] When you come home with a not very sweet, not very flavorful, super mealy watermelon, and especially with food prices going up, no one wants to spend upwards of $7 on a huge watermelon. Almost complete waste and there's very usable, very little usable part of it that you actually enjoy eating. And so today's episode, I am gonna walk you through the tips and tricks that I think you must master in order to get the perfect water be.
[00:02:04] There are four main factors that I want you to think through, and I'm gonna talk to you about what I would look for and what I would pass on if you're at the bin of watermelons, but I'm gonna tell you right up front sound is not one of. Any mom who grocery shops with their kids. I don't know unless you have a really keen ear for how to pick a watermelon, but this whole, my dad used this metric and I never mastered it myself.
[00:02:27] And, you know, looking for a watermelon that sounds flat and dull just doesn't make sense to me. And when my kids are talking at me and there's a million different things of sensory input going on at the store, listening to the watermelon is not a strategy that I use or that I encourage others to use because personally I have not been.
[00:02:47] effective in picking great watermelons with that method. And I know people say it should sound like, you know, knocking on a door, knocking on a drum with like a really deep hollow sound. I don't know. It's just, it's not my thing. So if someone has that expert tip, please come over and share it with me on Instagram and tag me at veggies and virtues.
[00:03:05] So I know what your secret is when it comes to picking the perfect watermelon via sound. When it comes to picking the perfect Waterman. By site, I'm gonna give you four tips that the more of these, you know, obviously you can get four outta four here, the better, your chances that this is an amazing watermelon.
[00:03:25] If you can only get one of these four, it may still help you, but I can't guarantee it's gonna be completely perfect. So what I want you to look for when you're trying to figure out how to pick the perfect watermelon is you wanna look one that's round and. So if you, and this is one, depending on the age of your kids can be fun to let them kind of do with you if they can hold watermelon, you know, without dropping it on the ground or on their toe or something, but pick up different watermelons, looking for those that are around and compare the weights of them.
[00:03:55] So if you see one that's small, but really heavy and one that's bigger, but not as heavy, you wanna go with the one that's like denser for its size. And so you want, basically, if you were to put it on a scale, you know, I just normally. Holding it my hands. And I can tell pretty easily just by holding it, which one feels heavier for its given size.
[00:04:14] But another thing you could do that would be really fun with kids is to put it on a scale and just, you know, I don't feel like they're quite as common in grocery stores anymore to have the scales, but, you know, put it on a scale and see how many pounds it comes back at. That's a good way to tell how heavy it is with kids that they might find kind of fun as well.
[00:04:30] The ones you wanna pass on here, you know, you might have said to me, when I said pick one, that's around. It's like, well, duh, all watermelons. I get what you're thinking there, but you want to pass on those that are kind of the elongated, almost like I was thinking about it as like this more iconic watermelon shape.
[00:04:47] And I think that's because back when like seated watermelons were more, the norm that tends to be the shape that you see for like a seated watermelon is it tends to be kind of elongated and it tends to be lighter in weight. So we wanna avoid that shape, especially if like you are buying a seedless, watermelon, you want one that's rounder and heavy for it.
[00:05:08] The second thing you want to look for is a yellow spot. I will do an Instagram post on this because I think as soon as you know, to look for this, it's so obvious and it's one of the easiest things to do without even picking up a watermelon, to see how heavy it is. And this is it's known as a field spot.
[00:05:23] And the way you can think about it is that yellow spot is where it sat in the field. It sat on that yellow spot and it had more time to ripen. And so if you compare it to a watermelon that has kind of either no spot. Or has a white spot that one was picked before. It has as much time to ripen. Thus, it's not as sweet.
[00:05:42] And so you want to look for a watermelon that has a yellow spot, preferably like a really deep yellow spot and pass on the watermelons that have a white spot or like a really pale yellow spot, meaning that it didn't have as much time to develop more flavor from sitting in the field for longer. The third thing that you wanna look for when picking the perfect water me.
[00:06:06] Is webbing. And this is, I honestly used to think this was something to avoid, cuz it almost looks like a blemish on the Rhine of the watermelon it's it's kind of like those squiggly little marks that are like imprinted on the green outer Rhine and Orrin. And I thought at first, before I really tried to perfect my skill of picking the perfect water.
[00:06:31] I thought that it was something to stay away from, but actually having more webbing is better because that means that when bees pollinate the fruit in the early stages, The more pollination that they give the fruit, the sweeter, the watermelon then becomes, and the more webbing that we will see. And so I think it's really cool that that's kind of like a manifestation of showing the amount of pollination it's had and thus the level of sweetness that it has.
[00:06:59] So the more webbing that you see on a watermelon, the sweeter, it will be where if you see a watermelon that has really smooth. Outer, you know, Rhine that has none of those kind of blemish marks. None of those, none of that webbing, it will be less sweet. And the fourth and final consideration for picking the perfect watermelon is when it comes to color.
[00:07:18] You wanna look for one that is dark in color and dull versus one that is light in color and shiny. Again, very obvious just by looking at it. You want one, that's like a darker, deeper. And almost has that dusty look to it. It's kind of like a matte finish versus a glossy finish. And so you want the one that's dark and dull and you want a pass on the watermelon that is light and shiny in its color.
[00:07:46] And it's kind of finish on the Rhine. So I want to see your perfect watermelons. I'm gonna share lots of tips about how to cut watermelon, how to enjoy watermelon. If you need more fun in festive ideas for this holiday. Make sure you go over to episode 29, where I shared lots of healthy kid friendly, fun in festive ideas that you could do for snacks or desserts or an upcoming potluck, but share with me your perfect watermelon.
[00:08:13] I love seeing people get to enjoy a delicious watermelon. And I love seeing your food dollars go to good use by picking produce that is delicious and has very little to be waste. So keep me posted on how your watermelon picking goes. And I hope that you get a perfect one soon. So to recap, the four things you wanna look for when picking the perfect watermelon are, you want it round and heavy for size.
[00:08:40] You wanna look for that yellow spot. you want to try and see if it has any webbing. Webbing is good and you want it to be dark and dull in color. If these meals made easy, ideas are helping you in any way, or this show is encouraging you in the messes. In the meal times of motherhood, I would love to hear about it.
[00:08:59] All you need to do is scroll down on our apple podcast and tap, write a review. I check each and every one of these and they truly bless. To read and to know how this show is helping shape your family's relationship with food so that I can continue to create content that serves you best. Thank you in advance for taking the time to leave me a review.
[00:09:18] And I look forward to seeing you back here next time.
