Watermelon

Let me tell you about watermelon, and why so many people pick the wrong one.

Cut into a ripe one and the knife meets firm, crisp flesh, deep red and glistening, juice running down your wrist right away. Get it wrong and the flesh is pale, grainy, and dry — still watermelon, just not the one you wanted.

So choose with your senses, not with tricks. Heft it — it should feel heavy for its size. Look for the spot where it sat on the ground: it should be creamy yellow, never white. Press the rind, too — you want it firm and taut, not soft or giving.

Now, some people say a web of lines on the skin means it's overripe. No! I've cut open plenty of melons with those lines, and the flesh inside was exactly what you want — firm, crisp, deep red, juice running the moment the knife goes in. Believe that misconception and you'll walk past a perfectly fine melon at the market, choosing a plain, pale one instead just because it looks tidier — and blame the fruit for your own mistake.

Trust your hands and your eyes, not old wives' tales, and you'll bring home a good one every time.