How to choose a good one:

Give it the once over: Symmetrical? Check. No bruises? Check. No Soggy areas? Check.

Find the chouche (cooch): That’s the flat spot where the melon rested on the ground. If it doesn’t have one that means it was harvested too early.

Locate the “Full Slip”: Or belly button, where the melon attached to the vine. It should be smooth and clean, a sign it was ripe enough to detach on its own.

Lift it: Does it somehow seem heavier than it looks? Good; that means it’s juicy.

3 ways to cut:

Always wash the outside of a melon before cutting it.

1. Cut down through the middle, then put the halves flat side down, on a work surface and slice. Halve the slices to make wedges, or cut into cubes.
2. Trim ends, then stand melon up. Cut off rind, following the curve of the fruit. Cut into slices and/or cubes.
3. Place melon on its side, then use a mallet to tap the blade of a big knife into the middle of the fruit until it starts to crack. Cut the melon into whatever shapes you like. This method is especially useful for large melons.

FACT: Watermelon does not ripen after picking!

Seedless: YES or NO?

NO. We think Mother Nature had it right; seed-studded melons are juicer and more flavorful.

Other Melons in the Watermelon Family:

1. Crimson Sweet: Crisp, sweet, and mild, with medium red flesh
2. Mickey Lee: Red flesh with a clean taste and slightly grainy texture
3. Moon and Stars: Bright to pinkish red flesh and a sweet-tart flavor
4. New Orchid: Pale orange flesh and a rich, honey -like flavor
5. Yellow Doll: Yellow flesh; slightly tart

QUICK TIP: 

A great way to cool down a melon after a long car ride is to put it in a clean fast-slowing creek.

Source: Sunset Magazine