The student has become the master. Watermelon

[vash]

I showed my wife how I pick a watermelon.

Heavy for its size and I also look for a predominant yellow patch where the thing has sat on the ground growing.

This summer? I suck! Tasteless, mealy, pale.. I found them all.

My wife will now walk up to a pile and pick one she thinks will fit in our fridge. Her choices are money. Sweet wet great texture.

I give up. I’m 0 for three. She is the opposite.

[Steve Carlton]

[Dixie]

Originally Posted by vash

This summer? I suck! Tasteless, mealy, pale.. I found them all.

And here's how you fix it. By fix, I mean no one will care.

[GH85Carrera]

One of our customers owns some farm land. Different farmers lease the land and grow something different all the time. One family leased the land, and planted watermelons. They worked their kids to the point of rebellion picking melons. They sold them at a local farmer's market, and to small grocery stores. They finally said enough, we are done and paid the final lease payment.

Our customer went to check out the land, and it still had lots of melons. He filled up his van to the point he did not know if he could make it home OK.

He had thought ahead and brought a sledge hammer, and broke open all his arms could stand, then opened the gate to his cattle to let them feast. He said the cow's faces were red from all the melons they were feasting on. They learned to break open the ones he missed with the sledge.

He gave me 4 of them. I ate a lot of watermelon that week.

[stevej37]

Originally Posted by Dixie

And here's how you fix it. By fix, I mean no one will care.

I've tried that before...couldn't get the melon to take on the liquor. It just sat there for a day without the bottle going down.
What did I do wrong?

.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by stevej37

I've tried that before...couldn't get the melon to take on the liquor. It just sat there for a day without the bottle going down.
What did I do wrong?

.

the cells in a watermelon are closed and already full of liquid, so there's no reason to thing that the stuff would "soak" into the melon. I suppose you could do it if you got in there with a skewer, knife, or something and cut up the inside of the melon.

[stevej37]

^^^
I remember trying to scoop out some of the melon after cutting the hole. Still only about an inch of the rum went in.

It was a waste of a melon. (if there is such a thing)

[Dixie]

Originally Posted by stevej37

I've tried that before...couldn't get the melon to take on the liquor. It just sat there for a day without the bottle going down.
What did I do wrong?
.

Don't copy the cool looking pick. Cut the watermelon open, then into chunks. Put the chunks in a big bowl, add some vodka, soak overnight, mixing when convenient.

On the other hand, the bottle in the melon does make a great center piece. I'd just use an old vodka bottle full of water for effect.

[stevej37]

^^^ I'll try that next time...sounds like a better option.
Was told by a friend that spiced rum was the best. The 4th might be a good time to try it.

[vash]

I tried it in high school. total failure. dying vodka blue and sneaking it into a Scope bottle is much better use of time.

[stevej37]

Check the belly button.

[juanbenae]

Ya, the whole slapping or knocking on them is a fool's errand.

[craigster59]

Round is better, wide stripes, yellow patch with 'scratches" (multiple bees pollenating) and heavy.

And coming from USA helps, preferably Yuma Az. The Mexico watermelons (early season) tend to be watery and bland.

[masraum]

THe stem color thing is interesting, and not anything that I'd ever heard (except for avocados).

[gregpark]

Originally Posted by craigster59

Round is better, wide stripes, yellow patch with 'scratches" (multiple bees pollenating) and heavy.
.

This. Wide stripes and heavy, the only real way to choose. The you tube guy totally missed the boat

[stevej37]

Yesterday at my local Meijer, I was in the produce section and a guy was wheeling pallets of watermelons into place. One of the boxes/pallets had small 'bowling ball' size melons. I asked the guy and he said "Try one...they're good" The label said 'Personal Sized Watermelons' and were about $3 each.

So I took one home and put it in the fridge and tried it today.
One of the best damn melons I've ever had. The seeds are sesame seed size and can easily be swallowed. The melons are about perfectly round. That's the type I will buy again.

[Bill Douglas]

An old Chinese guy at the supermarket told me how to choose a watermellon. You tap the end where it had ben snipped off. It should have a crisp hollow sound - maybe you needed to be there at the time.

Some guys in the Greek Islands put on a watermellon party. They got a huge watermellon and half emptied it. Ate it I guess. Then cut holes near the open top and put long straws in. Then filled it with vodka. Yep, a good beach party.

[stevej37]

^^^ See post #5.....it doesn't work so well here.