How to pick a good watermelon

I like watermelons and have always endeavored to pick the best. There's also a Korean saying that if you can pick a good watermelon you can pick a good husband and lord knows I can pick a good husband. Problem is my watermelon picking has produced mixed results. In any case, it was about time I did some research to hone my watermelon picking skills. Here's what I found.

Sound:

This really works. Thump the watermelon and listen for a deep resonance. High water content equates to higher sugar content and ripeness. Researchers at the University of Delaware have found that responding frequencies from 100 to 200 Hertz correlate to the desired sugar content of 8 to 12 percent. Some describe the sound as hollow, but it's more of a rich resonance. A dull or unclean sound means that there is less water or perhaps air pockets in the watermelon.

Color:

There are differing opinions on color, but there is a general consensus that the dark green melons have absorbed more sun and are riper. Some say that the more uniform the color and less contrast between stripes the riper the watermelon is. However, one great tip is to check the bottom of the watermelon. As the watermelon ripens, the underside of the watermelon ages from a white or light green color to a cream or yellow. The larger and more aged this ground spot is, the longer it's sat on the ground and ripened.

Shape:

I'm not sure about this one, but a lot of sources say that the more symmetrical watermelons are the best. I can't find any justification for this, so I'm not completely buying it.

Size:

The sweetest watermelons aren't necessarily the biggest, but they are the heaviest. If it is heavy for its size, the melon is denser and has more water content.

Additional Tips:

Just eat it. Watermelons don't continue to ripen after they've been picked. They'll last for about week on your counter or up to three weeks in your fridge, but you can just eat it whenever you want to.

Sometimes you just get a bad batch. It's reasonable that if one watermelon is a batch is not quite ripe, the whole batch isn't ripe. If you pick poorly, don't give up and keep at it. Even if your watermelon isn't perfect, you want to be able to pick the best of the worst.

There are a bunch of other checks out there. Some sources say that if you scratch the rind off the watermelon, the layer underneath should be a greenish white color. Another tip is that the shell should be firm and without blemishes.

As for me, these are the three I'm going to try:
1. Thump it and listen for a deep resonating sound.
2. Turn it over and check to see if the ground spot is large and yellow.
3. Pick it up and go for the melon that seems heavy for its size.

Next time: How to choose a husband

Sources:
http://hubpages.com/hub/How_to_Pick_a_Good_Watermelon
http://www.ext.nodak.edu/extnews/newsrelease/1999/090299/09howdoy.htm
http://www.almanac.com/food/watermelonripe.php
http://www.hungrymonster.com/FoodFacts/Food_Facts.cfm?Phrase_vch=Watermelons&fid=6059
http://www.watermelonthump.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=23&Itemid=1