UPFRONT/EAT
How to Pick a Melon
MELONS DON’T get sweeter post-harvest, says Amy Goldman, author of The Melon and an heirloom fruit and vegetable expert. Growers decide when melons are ready for sale, so what they pick is what you get. But you still can choose wisely. Here are Goldman’s tips for buying the tastiest melons.
HONEYDEW
Pick up several and go for the one that’s weightiest for its size, generally rounded and free of defects. The skin tone should be yellowish, not greenish.
CANTALOUPE
Look for abundant, fine netting over yellowish, not greenish, skin. The aroma should be pleasant and sweet. Next, press the blossom end (opposite the stem): If it yields slightly, that’s good. Too soft, and the fruit is likely overripe; too firm, and it may be underripe. Choose a rounded melon that’s weighty for its size with no apparent defects.
WATERMELON
Forget the sniff or thump tests. Look for a weighty-for-its-size fruit with well-rounded ends. The ground spot (where the melon rested as it grew) should be yellow, not white. Avoid a fruit with sunscald or one with surface pitting. —Leslie Quander Wooldridge
MY FAVORITE TOOL
SCRAPING SPOON
When I’m cooking with tahini or nut butters, trying to get the last bit out of a jar can be frustrating. This solves that problem. The Supoon (the type I use) is shaped to get into every nook, and its unique handle means you won’t dirty your countertop. —Amy Zitelman, cofounder of Soom Foods and author of The Tahini Table