Fitness Friday #14- How to Pick the Perfect Watermelon

Now that summer is coming to a close, I wanted to squeeze in one last tip regarding my absolute favorite summer treat.  There are many delicious ways we might choose to comfort ourselves during the peak heat of summer days- snow cones, ice cream, a massive cup of soda from the convenience store (FOR ONLY 79 CENTS!!), but I'm here to pass along a tip for enjoying a nice serving of fresh, chilled fruit on a hot day.  When I was young, gathering around a picnic table with my cousins and a ripe watermelon was one of my favorite things to do.  It always felt like such a treat.

A gorgeous specimen I enjoyed earlier in the season.

Now that I'm an adult, I'm the one responsible for choosing and cutting my own watermelon in the summer and I realize what an ordeal it can be.  It's totally worth the trouble if you slice open the rind to discover that the melon you've chosen is sweet, juicy, and ruby red.   But it can be disappointing to cut into a watermelon that is less-than-perfect.  I've heard varying advice on how to pick the perfect melon, usually resorting to a suspicious thump without being completely sure what I was listening for, but I recently had an effective little jewel of advice passed along to me by a nice young man at a roadside produce stand so I thought I'd share.

To pick the perfect melon, look for a nice round watermelon with a rich, dark green color.  When you see one that looks promising, pick it up and hold it close to your face.  Pat it with a flat palm and listen for an echo.  I was told that the more the watermelon echoes, the more juicy and delicious it is inside.  I've used this method all summer long, and have ended up with some of the sweetest watermelons I've ever tasted.  So if you're a melon lover, keep this tip in mind the next time you're shopping for produce and hopefully you'll end up with fantastic results like I did.

I'm wishing you all a happy, healthy weekend!