How to Choose a Ripe Cantaloupe, Watermelon, or Honeydew

Melon season is here! The warmer weather brings with it delicious honeydew, cantaloupe, and watermelon. While these highly anticipated fruits are tastiest (and usually more affordable) during late spring and summer, you’ll still need to check for ripeness to ensure you’re choosing the sweetest, juiciest fruit of the bunch.

Unlike berries, it can be difficult to identify a ripe melon from appearance alone. But with some helpful cues, like sound and feel, you’ll be able to more accurately select melons that are ready to enjoy the second you get home. 

Cantaloupe

Ripe cantaloupe should be a nice yellow-orange color, not green.

Check the Stem

When you're shopping for cantaloupe, look at the stem end first. You shouldn't see the stem itself, and if it is there, that means the melon was picked before maturing. That end of the cantaloupe may have a slight indent, which is actually an indicator that the fruit came away from the vine easily when it was ready to be picked.

Smell

When ripe, a cantaloupe will have a strong, sweet, and slightly musky aroma when it's ready to be eaten. Cantaloupes without a scent or a faint scent are not ripe yet, so pass on them. If it smells bad or rotten, the cantaloupe is past its prime and should not be eaten.

Weight

A ripe cantaloupe will feel heavy for its size. "Press the bottom of the melon (the opposite of the stem side)," says Anna Ziata, chef-instructor at the Institute for Culinary Education. "It should give slightly, then return back up." An underripe cantaloupe won’t give at all, while an overripe one will leave an indentation. 

Sound

Another way to test for ripeness is to pick your melon up and shake it. "If you hear a rattling sound when shaking the fruit, this indicates a detached seed cavity, which means the fruit is over-mature," says Nick Moless, principal global produce buyer for Whole Foods Market.

Watermelon

Watermelon is in season from May to September and is ubiquitous at supermarkets and farmers' markets. A ripe watermelon will be slightly dull in appearance rather than vibrant and shiny. 

Check the Ground Spot

To pick the best watermelon, first check for a ground spot, which is where the fruit was in contact with the ground as it grew. "This spot was deprived of sun and should be cream or yellow, not white, in color when ripe," says Moless. The ground spot being too white indicates that the watermelon is underripe and lacks flavor, while a dark yellow hue means it could be overripe with a mushy or grainy texture.

Weight 

While size isn’t a good indicator of ripeness, weight is. "A ripe watermelon will have a higher water concentration and will feel heavy for its size," says Ziata. When shopping, pick up two similar-sized watermelons and choose the one that weighs more. 

Sound

Another indicator that watermelon is ripe is how it sounds. "A ripe watermelon will have a hollow, deep sound when you thump on it," Moless says. Note that knocking on a melon isn't the best indicator of ripeness, so you shouldn't choose a watermelon based on sound alone. 

Honeydew

A ripe honeydew will have a creamy or light yellow rind, not too white, not too green. You may find some brown spots on extra-sweet honeydew, but the fruit is still totally safe to eat.

Texture

Generally, a ripe honeydew will feel a bit tacky to the touch, as if it were rolled in wax. Sometimes, though, you may find that ripe honeydew has a texture on its surface that resembles a net. "Often referred to as sugar netting, this typically indicates a sweet melon with great flavor," says Moless.

Weight

As with watermelon and cantaloupe, ripe honeydew should feel heavy for its size. Most weigh between 4 and 8 pounds, says Ziata.

Sound

Though it can be difficult to identify a ripe honeydew, one way to tell is by how it sounds. "The honeydew should sound hollow when knocked," says Ziata. Like cantaloupe, you can also shake honeydew to test for ripeness. If you hear seeds rattling around, there's a good chance the fruit is overripe.