How do you pick the perfect watermelon? David Holloway has hints and recipes.

How do you pick the perfect watermelon? David Holloway has hints and recipes.

One of the grand traditions of our great nation is the summertime ritual of trying to figure out how to select the perfect watermelon.

Granted, the ability to gaze upon a bin full of bright green melons and discern which one is the juiciest and sweetest. Unless you’re Superman with X-ray vision, this can be a daunting challenge that is fraught with peril.

There are, however, a few tried-and-true ways that Your Working Boy has figured out over the past half century of melon-picking. None of this is proven, mind you, and some experts scoff at my methods. But I don’t care; it works for me.

Herewith then are a few tips for picking the best watermelon:

First, give it a good thwack.

Brace your middle finger firmly with your thumb and give the melon a good thump. What are you listening for? I like to hear a hollow sound that just feels right.