Don't Leave The Grocery Store Before Weighing Your Watermelon. Here's Why

One of the biggest mistakes you can make when buying a watermelon is not choosing one that's ripe and juicy. Unlike green bananas or rock-hard avocados, watermelons don't ripen after they're picked, and, since the average watermelon weighs 20 pounds, it's a pretty big fail if you bring home a dud. There are numerous tricks when it comes to selecting a just-right melon: The rind should be dull instead of glossy, the stem should be shriveled, and there should be a yellow spot where the melon rested on the ground. One other factor to take into consideration is how much it weighs.

A juicy melon is a heavy melon, since water adds weight. If you find two or more melons of about the same size that all look good, weigh them and pick the one that's heaviest. Chances are, that one's the pick of the litter. This doesn't mean that bigger melons are juicier than small ones, though, since the melon's weight only counts in relation to its overall dimension.

There's another reason for weighing your watermelon, and it's a pretty obvious one — when you put it on the scale, you'll know just how much melon you have. A single serving of watermelon is generally considered to be two slices, each weighing about 6 ounces. If you do pick up a melon that weighs exactly 20 pounds, as per the average, expect to get 33 servings out of it. Not planning to feed quite so many mouths at one time? While a refrigerated watermelon can last for three weeks before being cut, once you do slice into it, you'll need to finish it within three to five days.

If this isn't possible, watermelon slices can always be frozen for later, although you might first want to remove the rind and use it for pickling. Frozen watermelon can be eaten as-is (put a popsicle stick in a slice to turn it into a fun, portable treat) or thrown in the blender to make smoothies or slushies. You can also use frozen watermelon to flavor granita or sorbet, or even make a savory, summery watermelon gazpacho.