Is there any reliable way of selecting a good watermelon from a pile? I usually go with one that's relatively heavy for its size, hoping it'll have more water and be juicier. Still, I have no idea about judging sugar content or ripeness.
Hmm, I dunno... I know if it's cut up, the redder the better, but if you can't see the inside? I'd guess it has something to do with how firm it is.
>>2
You can't cut a whole melon in the store. You're left with a Schrodinger's Cat situation. The melon may or may not be good. Watermelons as a rule have hard rinds. If it's soft you have a rotting melon.
>>3
Some fruit stores sell them in halves or quarters.
The melon must be firm (indicates freshness), and smell fruity yet not too much (indicates sugar level - no smell, no sugar and bad taste, heavy smell = very nice taste but most likely not really refreshing because too much sugar). Remember that some store-owners (and almost every supermarket/big store) do not hesitate to spray fruit essence everywhere to make everything smell good and attract clients, as much as it is allowed.
A good way to know if it's juicy or not is knocking on it, with your ear on the other side. Listen the way the melon propagates the sound (that is, how the knock sounds). Buy it, and see how it is inside. Do that again next time. Compare. Try to find the best match depending on your taste (remember the size influences the sound, too). It's really a matter of experience, so it's not that easy to explain and sounds rather silly. Oh, and of course, it's far from 100% correct, but it sure raises your chances to get a good one. Plus it makes you looking like you know what you're doing (make a concentrated look when you're doing that), and it's cool.
How do you pick a durian? Some are sweet, some are bitter. Some are hard, some are tender. I always get duped into buying some that are no very good at all yet set at a high price.