How do I know when the watermelon is ready?

[Carol Dee]

Here are some photos of the TINY sugar baby we grew.

Golf Ball size!

Ripe and ready to eat, a bite for Andrew and one for Papa

Tasty

All gone.

 

[thistlebloom]

Carol Dee, I think that variety is Sugar Preemie.

Your grandson is sure a cutie!

 

[catjac1975]

Sadly our will not be huge. It is only about 12-15inches long right now , but huge compared to the golf ball sized sugar baby we grew one year.

I would love to get 12-15 inch long watermelon!

 

[journey11]

Here's a trick for ya...

I swear it works! You can use a wheat straw about 6-8" long, or a broom straw or just a plain drinking straw (not the bendy type though). Set it on top so that it is balanced, yet free to move. It should pretty promptly spin and work it's way to line up with the stripes of the melon, end to end. If it doesn't move at all, the melon is not ripe. My FIL taught me this and he learned it from some random older fella in Sam's Club. LOL Something to do with magnetism, no joke.

If I don't have a straw on me, then I just give it a quick thump and look for the yellow patch. You've got to have an ear for the right thump sound though.

 

[Carol Dee]

Here's a trick for ya...

I swear it works! You can use a wheat straw about 6-8" long, or a broom straw or just a plain drinking straw (not the bendy type though). Set it on top so that it is balanced, yet free to move. It should pretty promptly spin and work it's way to line up with the stripes of the melon, end to end. If it doesn't move at all, the melon is not ripe. My FIL taught me this and he learned it from some random older fella in Sam's Club. LOL Something to do with magnetism, no joke.

If I don't have a straw on me, then I just give it a quick thump and look for the yellow patch. You've got to have an ear for the right thump sound though.

Just for fun, I am going to have to try that!

 

[Smart Red]

A-hem, if I tried that believing it would really work, my spouse would thump me.

 

[journey11]

A-hem, if I tried that believing it would really work, my spouse would thump me.

It's not voodoo, actually. There is a scientific explanation that has to do with the cellular electromagnetism that is present in all living things to varying degrees (ceasing upon death; ripeness is approaching a state of "death" for the watermelon fruit). The straw is prone to picking up a static charge and they align in their polarity. Watermelons contain mostly water, but are also high in potassium and sodium, which is probably why it works so well on them.

 

[Carol Dee]

Carol Dee, I think that variety is Sugar Preemie.

Your grandson is sure a cutie!

So do we, Can you believe he is 6 and starting Kindergarten tomorrow!?!? (photo is 2 or 3 years old.)

 

[ninnymary]

Carol, even though that watermelon was so tiny, it was still good?

Mary

 

[Carol Dee]

Carol, even though that watermelon was so tiny, it was still good?

Mary

They said it was. Grandson's face said it was, too! LOL