The watermelon bins are plentiful at HEB and Walmart, but at $6.50 + per for medium-sized melons, I have resisted buying so far, since it is so early in the season. The stickers indicated they are all from Mexico.

Anyone bought one yet? Was it good?

Got one 2 days ago that was excellent

Bought one yesterday at Kroger for $5 but haven't cut it yet. And yes, it's from Mexico.

Got one from HEB and it wasn't quite ready.

I haven't yet. I need a lesson from B-1 83 on how to choose them. With cantaloupe Ive found that if I let it ripen in the sun for a few days after purchase it's super delish. I can't stand the idea of buying a $6 watermelon for it to suck.

Bought 2 whole watermelons from HEB, neither were very sweet. Also tried 2 pre-cut packaged chunks from HEB, some pieces were sweet, most were blah.

Have seen them for 7+ up here in Virginia. They're not much bigger than a basketball. Hoping the crop later this summer is better.

It wasn't that long ago that you could get massive ones that were super tasty for 3-4 dollars

Beckdiesel03 said:

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I haven't yet. I need a lesson from B-1 83 on how to choose them. With cantaloupe Ive found that if I let it ripen in the sun for a few days after purchase it's super delish. I can't stand the idea of buying a $6 watermelon for it to suck.

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Well, let's hear it. How do you choose them?

Look at yellow ground spot on the watermelon. The more dark yellow the ground field spot is, the longer it was on the vine sweetening up. If the field spot is a white spot (or not even there), this indicates an underripe melon.

Bought one today at HEB using Burnet's tips. It's not bad. Not peak of the season amazing but it's a solid melon and I am glad I got it.

Thanks for the help.

Only one way to pick watermelons. We used to grow them when I was a kid on a few acres. You hit them with your knuckles. Too hollow sounding, not ready, sounds too deep with zero echo, too sweet, probably only good for a day at most before going bad. You want it to have a very slight echo but not sound hollow for a perfect watermelon. Basically never get a watermelon that sounds echo if you want one that's ready.

ontherocks said:

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Only one way to pick watermelons. We used to grow them when I was a kid on a few acres. You hit them with your knuckles. Too hollow sounding, not ready, sounds too deep with zero echo, too sweet, probably only good for a day at most before going bad. You want it to have a very slight echo but not sound hollow for a perfect watermelon. Basically never get a watermelon that sounds echo if you want one that's ready.

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Grower in the Valley taught me to semi-slap them and listen. The deeper the sound, the more ripe. That yellow spot also says a lot. Yellow = ripe, generally.

Coming on sale. Picked up a medium sized on. Fairly sweet, but I've had bigger and sweeter before. Still though, nice.

Love all the opinions on how to pick watermelons. Lol!
Every variety is different. Grew melons on a farm/commercial scale for years and there is no way to know if a watermelon is sweet until you cut into it. Ripeness indicators are variant on the types and varieties. Many are indicated on the plants themselves and the shape and color of the particular melon in relation to other "green" melons next to it. Until you have done it for quite sometime, it really is difficult. It definitely takes a lot of experience.

Bought one at HEB the past weekend when they were $5. I tend to avoid the Border Melons brand and look for Wiggins or Luke Brown. Same as others have said too as to selection process.

Bought one at HEB last week. Mexican watermelon and it tasted awful.

My last 2 picks, using a combo of thumping (which I just do without any real idea what it means) and spot examination (thanks to this thread), have been great. We love a good watermelon. I can plop a huge bowl of cut melon in the middle of the table with any meal and it will get cleaned.

I buy watermelons in Grapeland every year at the Pennington watermelon shed. They told me it would be around mid june before their first melons are ready. If you buy over 20, they charge by the pound. I think it was 17-18 cents a pound last year. They have many varieties to choose from, and many sizes. We usually get 60-80. Works out great this way. They even load your truck for you. Our friends all put their order in for us to pick up.

whisperingbill said:

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I buy watermelons in Grapeland every year at the Pennington watermelon shed. They told me it would be around mid june before their first melons are ready. If you buy over 20, they charge by the pound. I think it was 17-18 cents a pound last year. They have many varieties to choose from, and many sizes. We usually get 60-80. Works out great this way. They even load your truck for you. Our friends all put their order in for us to pick up.

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Mid-June will be right about the time we go to visit folks in Arkansas and will drive through Hope. We'll be loaded to the hilt, so I won't be able to take any orders.

I had a roommate from Texarkana that introduced me to Hope watermelons. Been comparing all melons to them since then and none have really come close.

Just cuz it is about Watermelons thought I would share this. My Grandfather, whom I loved DEARLY, was a watermelon fanatic. Some people have beer fridges, we had watermelon fridges. We ALWAYS had 4 to 6 cold melons. I grew up in Dallas. Dunno if any of you olds remember that in the day, the 50's, you could go out near the old Sear's and they had horse feeders full of ice and watermelons, Wow those were some good. Also, back in the day, the seller would 'plug' a melon for you, that is cut a wedge in the melon to let you taste it before you purchased it.

My Grandfather taught me to pick a great melon and to LOVE THEM, still to this day cannot get enough, must have eaten several tons of melon in my 70+ years (also Cantaloupe)!!

Finally got me a good one from HEB.