"Mastering Watermelon: From Perfectly Ripe to Flawless Skin"

To pick a perfectly ripe, sweet and crisp watermelon, avoid the myths of the knock test, straw test, and relying on the rind. Instead, look for a watermelon that is free of dents, bumps, punctures, and gashes, and is heavy for its size. Turn the watermelon over to find the buttery yellow "ground spot" where it lay when ripening in the sun. A pasty or sunflower yellow ground spot indicates an imperfect watermelon. However, the only foolproof method is to slice it open.