Tip 1: The first giveaway is how the watermelon feels when you pick it up. This grocer says it should feel “heavy for its size,” which basically means that it should be a little heavier than expected (even if it’s a smaller melon) when you pick it up.

Tip 2: The next thing to do is to knock on the watermelon…as weird as that might look in the store! There are two types of sounds you could hear: a heavy sort of thud and an hollow, echo-y sound. If the watermelon is ripe, you’ll hear a hollow knocking rather than a heavy thud.

Tip 3: Check out the “belly” of the watermelon, a.k.a. the bottom where it sits on the ground before harvest. There should be a yellow spot – but how big that spot is will determine the ripeness of the fruit. The smaller the yellow spot the better, in this case!

You can also make a good choice based on appearance:

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