How to Pick Out the Juiciest Watermelon & Sweetest Pineapple

I was in the grocery store last week and was picking out a pineapple. I’ve always picked them out by smell. Take a whiff of the bottom of the fruit, if it smells strongly of pineapple, you’ve got a good one. This works most of the time.

A man stocking produce at the store gave me another thing to check for (he said he gets his tips from the farmers he gets the produce from!). He said to make sure to pull on a pineapple leaf to see if it pulls out easily. I picked out my pineapple, brought it home, cut it open, and sure enough- it was delicious!!

This post may contain Amazon or other affiliate links, meaning that if you choose to click through and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission for sharing at no cost to you. Learn more about my disclosure.

I overheard this same produce man giving some amazing instructions to the other shoppers around me about watermelons. I’ve always been taught to look for the scratches on the watermelon (caused by wasps & bees), as well as a nice yellow spot. My new friend gave me even more to look for.

Here are all the tips!!

  • Make sure it is a nice round shape (not lopsided)

  • Look for the scratches from insects wanting the sweet juice

  • There should be a nice yellow sun spot

  • Lines on the watermelon should be very well defined and about 2 inches apart

  • Look for a stem that is the size of a quarter, not the size of a nickel

  • Give it a thump and listen for a nice hollow sound

You are all set! You should be able to pick out a lovely fruit every time!!

Go grab our Watermelon Mint Salad recipe. It’s such a refreshing, light, healthy meal on hot summer days.

Check out some of our other home & family hacks below!

Hillary HessComment