How to... Buy a Ripe Melon

A ripe melon should give slightly at the base (opposite to the stalk). When buying a melon, hold it to your nose and smell it — a ripe melon will have a lovely musky ‘melony’ smell.

It is difficult to tell if a watermelon is ripe but if buying it whole, tap the fruit — it should sound hollow like a drum. The area where the melon rested on the ground should be pale yellow, not white or green.