The Super Smart Watermelon-Picking Trick We Wish We’d Known About Sooner

I don't mean to brag, but I'm a pro at eating watermelon . Fun fact: at one of my old jobs, my team hosted a watermelon-eating contest and had it not been for my referee role, I would have won the whole thing. But what I am not so pro at is picking a perfectly ripe watermelon. You know the one—the vibrant ruby-red color saturates the melon from core to edge, and small droplets of juice glisten on the surface of the fruit the moment you cut in.

As far as unattainable aspirations go, perfectly ripe watermelon was near the top of my list, but I was pleasantly surprised when I ran across a video that seemed like it could make my watermelon dreams come true. It's a hack so simple that you can skip any other watermelon-picking tips on the internet (there, I said it). Allow me to introduce you to Mr. Rice's watermelon-picking trick.

Related : The One Thing You Shouldn't Do When You Freeze Watermelon

What is the Mr. Rice Watermelon Picking Hack?

I've heard so much about mrrice , a Korean-American creator who shares "grandma wisdoms" on TikTok. His claim to virality is this watermelon-picking hack. The trick is to scan the bottoms of watermelons and pick up the one with the smallest black dot. (The dot is the spot opposite the stem end.) The smaller the dot is, the sweeter the watermelon will be.

People I know have sworn by it but I only became a convert after I tried it recently and saw (and tasted) the results myself. The watermelon was bright red, candy-sweet and bursting with juice with every bite. I couldn't stop eating it.

Related: The No-Slip Guide for How to Cut a Watermelon Into Perfect Cubes, Slices and Balls

Relying on the dot rule for picking watermelon saves you time, but more than that, it eliminates the guesswork (and low-key humiliation) at the grocery store. There's no need to weight-lift a bunch of melons to assess if they're heavy for their size, nor do you need to knock and listen to them to see if they sound juicy.

While you're checking the watermelon's spot, you can also look for what’s called the “ground spot,” which is where the fruit rested on the ground when it was ripening. The brighter the ground spot, the better the fruit.

Related: 20 Delicious Watermelon Recipes

How to Use Super Ripe Watermelon

Super-ripe watermelon is one of Mother Nature's greatest summer treats! Other than eating the fruit in slices or cubes or straight from the melon with a spoon, ripe watermelon is a refreshing addition to so many recipes.

On a super hot day, blend up a few pieces and make watermelon juice . Or cut the fruit into cubes and toss them in a salad with fresh herbs and salty halloumi cheese. Want a lower-in-sugar treat? Freeze ripe watermelon and make a granita . Run the frozen watermelon through a food processor or blender until fluffy and dig in. And we recently learned about watermelon sandwiches and have been making them on repeat all summer long.

Related: This Viral Recipe is the Most Fun You Can Have With a Watermelon

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