How to choose a Sweet Melon – 5 Tips to do it right

In Mexico, melons are available from February to September, but not all the melons of the season are ready.

To enjoy it to the fullest, you need to choose it when it is ripe. Here we show you how to choose a sweet melon with 5 tips to do it correctly.

1- Color

There are different types of melon. In Mexico, the most common variety is the cantaloupe, although colloquially it is known as Chinese melon. It is also very similar to the Japanese melon, although the difference lies mainly in its rind.

Even so, these varieties agree on some details that reveal whether they are already ripe and sweet. These melons look as if they have a background on which the streaks form. The background should appear yellowish and orange, not green.

2- Consistency

The proper consistency of a ripe, sweet melon is firm, not mushy or stiff. The best point to confirm that it is ready is at the “ navel ”, the small mark that the fruit retains from having been attached to the plant.

At this point the consistency should be soft, so that if you press with your finger you feel it is a little spongy, if it sinks too much it is a bad sign, the same as if it does not move at all, which means that it is overripe., or that it is still green.

3- Weight

A ripe and sweet melon feels “ stuffed ”, this is because a ripe melon has water inside it and this makes it heavier. If the melon is not heavy for its size, it is most likely dry, and therefore perhaps not very sweet either.

4- Smell

When the properties of the melon have reached their maximum point of expression, the aroma of the fruit is also released, so a sweet and ripe melon will give off a bit of its scent. You just have to bring your face a little closer to the fruit to perceive this characteristic.