How to pick the best melon or watermelon?

  How to pick the best melon or watermelon?

This is one of the questions that consumers ask themselves most often when buying one of these two summer fruits in supermarkets. For this reason, the Spanish Organization of Consumers and Users has drawn up a list of 10 recommendations to take into account when trying to pick the best fruits at the store.

1. May to October is the season for these fruits, so that is also the best time to consume them. This is also more sustainable than consuming products that have to be imported from other countries.
2. The fruits at the top on the store shelves suffer fewer blows and are usually in better condition.
3. Lack of firmness indicates that they are past their prime or have suffered damage.
4. Discard only fruits that have real defects. A lighter spot does not mean that it is in bad condition, but rather that that area rested on the ground during cultivation.
5. A watermelon tapped lightly will be at its peak if it sounds hollow. Melons may be squeezed by their ends, and if at their peak, the base will yield slightly.
6. The peduncle area should smell fresh.
7. Deep green melons are not yet at their peak. With watermelon there are more nuances.
8. If we buy them in pieces we will have the advantage of knowing at a glance if they are ripe. The disadvantage is that freshness is lost compared to a freshly picked melon or watermelon.
9. As for cutting and storage, with melons it is necessary to remove both ends (not necessary with watermelons), as well as the seeds. What is left over is stored in the least cold area of the refrigerator, well covered to prevent it from catching odors.
10. If you buy under-ripe fruit, you can let it ripen at home by storing it in a paper bag (not plastic) together with an apple or a banana in a cool, dry room.