It's never too late to learn...

13 years ago

I was in an Asian grocery store looking for produce. While I was standing at the register, I saw a display of small watermelons that I hadn't noticed before. Rather than leaving the line, a young worker said he would pick one for me. He knocked on them, and after passing up almost ten of them, he brought one to me. I asked him why he was knocking on them and he said he was listening for a hollow sound. The watermelon was fabulous.

Today I was looking at cantaloupes. I knocked on them and chose two that sounded hollow. They looked a bit green, but I bought them anyway. Perfect! Every test that I knew about - smelling, slight yielding at the stem end, etc., told me not to purchase these, but I would have missed some great fruit.

Has anyone heard of this before?

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Comments (18)

lindac
13 years ago
Yeah....that's the way I always pick out a melon....rap, sniff and check the stem end for a bit of give.
Linda C
hawk307
13 years ago
Way back when, I would ask the owner if they were good and sweet.

On his word I would plug one . If it was sweet I would buy it. If not , not !

We knocked on Watermelons and Cantaloupes back then too.

Tip:
Put some Watermelon cubed 1", in a bowl. Pour in some Annisette and let it Marinate.
Stirring once in a while.
Give it a taste test. Whooeee !!!
Lou
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Teresa_MN
13 years ago
That's an interesting combination Lou! It would not have occurred to me!
cookebook
13 years ago
I always knock but they always sound the same to me!
caliloo
13 years ago
Yep - hollow melons are always tasty....

And Ew - I tried anisette with melon - it is just as yucky as you would imagine, but tell that to a dear guidette from NJ who is a very close and wonderful friend but clearly misguided when it comes to combining flavors. Try the watermelon with vodka, cantaloupe with spiced rum, pineapple with coconut rum, etc. Leave the anisette for a once in a while cordial after a great meal.... but DON'T mix it with fruit.

Alexa
BeverlyAL
13 years ago
Years ago we always knocked on watermelons to see if they were ripe. I've never heard of using that method with a cantaloupe.
pkramer60
13 years ago
anisette with melon, something new to try.

Alexa, could it possibly have been the quality of your anisette? Or just your taste buds as oppossed to the "misguided" guidette?
arabellamiller
13 years ago
Alexa - I immediately pictured you and Snookie hanging out at your kitchen table eating melon with anisette and doing shots of jager!

I have some Pernod, but never use it. I also have some spectacular yellow watermelon. Maybe I'll try it tonight, just a bit though, that yellow mellon is too perfect as-is.

AM
caliloo
13 years ago
AM - I am LOLing here! She is a little less Snooki and a little more Real Housewives of NJ. and she would be the first to tell you that the cooking genes completely skipped her. Her mom and sister are wonderful cooks, but she will happily admit that the only thing she makes well are reservations. Her husband says her food should come with a warning label and a waiver. LOLOLOL! We do still love her though since she has many other fine qualities

Alexa
fearlessem
13 years ago
Lou -- I think the Anisette and melon sounds interesting -- will have to buy a little taster bottle and try while melons are in season.

And Caliloo -- I think there are far better ways of saying you don't like something than "Ew, yucky" and insulting the taste of the person who does.
dedtired
13 years ago
Fearlessem, I believe the "ew, yucky" is directed at the food item not at another person's taste. I have said "ew, yucky" more than once in my life and people have said it about things I like. After we say it, we laugh because wouldn't life be boring if we all liked the same things?

Personally, I can't stand the taste of anise. Blech.

I chose a cantaloupe by thumping it yesterday and it was perfect! Now I am about to go to the farm market and hopefully get some delicious peaches. Any tips for choosing peaches?
centralcacyclist
13 years ago
I confess to never having experienced a spiked melon.

I choose cantaloupes based on whether or not they have a faint scent of cantaloupe. No scent = probably no flavor. This was advice from a produce manager long ago. Watermelons are still mystery fruit though I have been told (by a farm stand owner) to choose the one that is the darkest green and to look for "sugar spots." Thumping for a hollow-sounding melon has often resulted in an overripe melon for me.
lindac
13 years ago
I like an over ripe melon...just so as it's not nearing rotten.
Peaches? Smell them, if they have no peach smell, they won't have much peach taste either.
I love LOVE anise....anisette, ouzo, Sambuco, black jelly beans and anise seeds in cookies....but I sure don't want any poured over my watermelon,
Now Midori might be different, or perhaps some green apple pucker.
lascatx
13 years ago
I had an older gentleman tell me how to look for the right sound when picking a watermelon. He slapped his forehead and said that is the sound of an under ripe melon -- still hard like your head. He slapped his belly and said that was too soft (don't flex those abs) and would be overripe. He slapped his chest right under the collarbone and across the sternum -- said that's the sound of a ripe melon you want. I taught my boys what the hollow but not mushy sound they were looking for was that way.
annie1992
13 years ago
Hmmm, I'm abysmal at finding a ripe watermelon. I know Tricia says look for a creamy colored underside, but my round melons are green all the way around and no matter how I thump, it all sounds the same to me!

Like Eileen, I've never had a spiked watermelon and I think I'll pass, no matter what it's spiked with. I haven't found any alcohol I care much about. I love licorice and anise, but don't like anisette. Don't mess up my orange juice or tomato juice with vodka and I'll take the watermelon straight, thanks. If I just could figure out how to tell when it's ripe!

Annie
dcarch7 d c f l a s h 7 @ y a h o o . c o m
13 years ago
Strange. I only buy watermelon by the unit. This week they are $5.99 each. Because they are sold by unit, I will try to pick the biggest ones. All these years, I don't remember ever having bought an un-ripen watermelon.

But if you grow your own, that's a different story.

dcarch
annie1992
13 years ago
Yes, I grow my own. I have half a dozen getting big, they are Sugar Baby type, and I don't want them to get over ripe, but I don't want to pick 'em green either. So, I suppose I just guess, like always, LOL.

I've also gotten some "less than fully ripe" melons at the grocery. I'm better at chosing cantalope than I am watermelon.

Annie
lorijean44
13 years ago
I haven't had a good watermelon at my house since my son moved out!! :D He's the only one in the family who could pick out a great watermelon. I just don't have the knack. I've heard that watermelons with seeds are more flavorful than the seedless varieties. Anyone have an opinion on that?

Anisette doesn't sound good over melon, but rum or vodka sound like winners to me! ;)

Lori

It's never too late to learn...

Comments (18)

lindac

hawk307

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