How to Pick a Perfectly Ripe Melon

« Men and melons are hard to know, » wrote Benjamin Franklin. Preach, Ben! However, there are some telltale signs that can help us select good melons. (Not sure I can say the same about mankind…)

So, what are we looking for in the perfect melon? 

“It’s not just about flavor, aroma, and sweetness,” says Thanh Truong, a.k.a. Fruit Nerd, a third-generation fruiterer who has worked at major supermarkets and in wholesale markets. “It’s also about mouthfeel. Foods taste good when there’s multiple things going on in your mouth.”

When you pick a fruit that is vine ripened and harvested at maximum maturity (or at least 95% there), Truong says it’ll also have developed more complex flavors. “I call it sweet umami,” he says. “It’s a little acidic, a bit sour, and has some tang, because if you eat a melon that is only sweet, it’s like eating straight sugar.”

Choosing a melon that is ripe when you buy it is key, says Amy Goldman, an heirloom seed preservationist and author of The Melon. Melons picked before their time can become softer, juicier, and more fragrant, but they never catch up on flavor. “What you pick is what you get,” she says. “But there are certain tips that discerning consumers can use to try to pick the best.”

Don’t just eye the fruit. “Get in there, hold it with your hands, use your nose,” says Truong. And even then, despite the consumer’s best efforts, there’s no guarantee. “Sometimes it’s not a fine flavored variety or it was a poor growing season,” says Goldman. “You take your chances.”

Below, we dive into how to use each of your five senses to up your chances of picking the best melon out there. 

Look

All melons should be well rounded (filled out) and free of mold, bruises, soft spots, holes, and other signs of damage. Various types have other visual clues as well that indicate they’re ripe and ready.

Netting: Muskmelons, like American cantaloupe, have a raised netting on the skin. Goldman says the melon will have better flavor when the pattern is more raised, dense, and evenly distributed. 

Webbing: Different from netting, webbing looks like veins that develop on the surface of the rind on some melons, such as the Santa Claus melon, as they age on the vine. “Looking for webbing has never ever failed me,” says Truong. “They make the melons look kind of ugly, and since we unfortunately live in a world where everything has to look visually appealing, growers don’t pick these webbed melons on the first round of harvesting. That extra time on the ground means they develop more mature flavors.”

Color: As melons mature, the primary color of the fruit skin warms, usually changing from greenish to yellowish. “Regardless of whether it’s a muskmelon, honeydew, or other type of melon, it’s not necessarily the color of the skin you’re looking for,” says Truong. “It’s the undertone of the skin.” Under the surface of the skin, you’ll be able to see whether it’s green, white, or yellow. When it’s green or white, he says it’s not going to be as sweet as something that’s a warm cream, beige, or yellow. 

Feel

“Judging the worth of many sweet dessert melons is literally right in your hands and under your thumb,” says Goldman.

Pick up the melons: “If one feels relatively heavy for its size, that melon is generally more juicy,” says Truong. “Pick up two of the same size with each hand so you can tell if one is slightly heavier than the other.”

Press gently: Look for melons that are not too hard, not too soft. Use your thumb to press at the blossom end—the base of the fruit, opposite the stem. “The bottom often gives first,” says Truong. “If you press here and it has a slight give, that means the flesh inside is soft and ready to eat. However, if the sides are giving, it’s too far gone.” He explains that when a melon gets too ripe, the water splits from the flesh and it becomes almost alcoholic in terms of its aroma and flavor.

If your thumb leaves an indentation, that also means its overripe, Goldman says. “If the thumb breaks through, forget about it!”

Smell

Muskmelons, such as American cantaloupe, are very helpful in that they announce their ripeness by emitting a perfume. They’re slightly elongated, Truong says, so the thinnest parts of the skin are at the top and the bottom. Take a whiff at these ends, and if they’re especially fragrant with a pleasant aroma, they’re ready. A musty or acidic smell might mean the melon’s overripe, while a cucumber aroma means it’s underripe. 

While this tip can be helpful when shopping, it’s important to note that the sniff test doesn’t work on thick rind melons like honeydew and Santa Claus melons. 

Listen

Give the melon a little shimmy shake. You should not hear any juice sloshing around, which would mean the melon’s overripe, says Goldman. Rattling is okay—it’s just loose seeds.

Truong says there’s an optimal moment to eat a melon. “Once you pass that moment, it becomes water-logged; it won’t be as crunchy and crisp anymore,” he says. “It’ll be kind of flat and soft, even if sweet.”

Taste

Most often, you’re tasting the melon after you’ve picked it, but take a retailer or farmer up on the offer if they’re handing out samples. You may not taste the exact melon you’d be taking home, but it’ll give you a sense of the quality of the batch.

Putting the Tips to the Test

Following all these tips myself led me to some pretty darn-good melons, even though peak melon season was another month or so away when I was doing my research. I was surprised at the quality I was able to find at supermarkets, but the farmers market melons were far superior, giving me that sweet umami flavor Truong noted. There’s also the benefit of having the grower right there in case you have any questions. 

I found the tips were easy to follow in the real world. The trickiest tip for me was listening for sloshing. I picked one Santa Claus melon that was webbed to perfection, but discovered upon slicing it that it was probably overripe—juices spilled out and you can see in the photo above that it was pooling in the flesh. Still, I ate every last bit of it because it was succulent and sweet. Christmas in July, baby!

I also bought some melons that did not fit the ideals and they were indeed underwhelming. The cantaloupes were too firm, not giving that toothsome tenderness they’re known for. The honeydew didn’t have much flavor at all—like the difference between drinking real fruit juice and a sparkling water with a mere hint of fruit essence. So, do yourself a favor the next time you’re melon shopping, and tap into all of your senses.