The Produce Poser

Yes, that 's me...that's what my mom called me when I told her the tale of my watermelon.

I was at the grocery store the other day picking up a few items for dinner when I was drawn by the wonderfully bright colors of the produce department. Now that I'm in a contest to lose weight (more on the in an upcoming post), I have been craving fruit like you wouldn't believe. I love summertime and the delicious melons that are on display...they just call to me. My daughter is the same and can demolish cantalope, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and yes, watermelon as quickly as I can give it to her.

During this particular trip I decided to splurge on a small-sized seedless, watermelon. As I approached the cardboard bin where they were kept another lady was also suveying the selection. I thought to myself, "how does one go about picking the perfect, sweet, ripe watermelon?" I wasn't sure - I usually just go for one that has a nice shape and looks pretty. Suddenly the lady standing there with me began picking them up and knocking on each of them until she found one she liked. So, I too began knocking on each one I picked up to view. What was the point? What was I supposed to hear? I felt silly knocking on the melons and wondered if others were looking at me wondering what the heck I was doing or maybe they were thinking (just as I had) that I must really know something. I finally settled on one - not completely sure if it was going to be ripe and I went on my merry way.

To my luck, it turned out to be a perfect pick...but rest asurred that since that trip I have researched the right way to pick a watermelon so as not to be a "Produce Poser" again!

Picking a Perfect Watermelon:

Things You’ll Need:
- Knuckles

Step 1: "Knock" on the watermelon.
Step 2: Listen for a hollow, empty sound. It should not sound solid or dense.
Step 3: Knock on as many watermelons as you wish. Select the one that has the most hollow sound.