The long, cool spring might not have been everybody’s favorite
weather. But Georgia
watermelons loved it.

“Georgia grows some of the best watermelons in the world,” said
Wayne McLaurin, a
horticulturist with the University of Georgia Extension
Service. “They’re especially
good after cool weather. So they should be really sweet this
year.”

The watermelon trucks are loaded and rolling out of the state’s
major commercial
production areas such as Cordele in Crisp County. Watermelons
fill 38,000 acres in
Georgia. The crop was valued at $54 million in 1995.

“Some people like to grow watermelons at home,” McLaurin
said. “But it’s such a
problem because the vines are so big. They just take over the
garden. So buy them
from the roadside stands or your grocery store. It’s easier, and
the quality can’t be
beat.”

Georgia melons are picked ripe, not early.

“They don’t undergo eight days of shipping, when they can lose
flavor in transit,”
McLaurin said. “So make sure you’re getting Georgia melons.”

Florida is the top watermelon producer, followed by Texas.
Alabama, Georgia,
California, Indiana and South Carolina also produce good
quantities, according to The
Packer, a produce availability guide.

“We’re seeing a little smaller melon on the market now,”
McLaurin said. “A 25-pound
melon is good for a party. But most people don’t have a
refrigerator that big.

“The red watermelon is still the most popular. But I like the
yellow-meat melons,” he
said. “If you’re blindfolded, you can’t tell the difference.”

Most people know to thump a watermelon for ripeness. But what
are they listening for?
McLaurin said you should listen for a dead sound, as compared to
a “green” sound.

“Actually, I look at the stem,” he said. “It shouldn’t be dead.
The ground side should
have a yellow area, rather than white or very pale green. But
I’ve never eaten a bad
watermelon.”

Watermelons can be green, gray or striped. They can have yellow
or red meat, with or
without seeds. McLaurin doesn’t see any great difference among
them, although the
seedless melons cost more.

“They’re a lot easier to eat,” he said. “But it does take the
fun out of eating them.”

Watermelons are a good source of potassium and vitamins A and C.
The average melon
is about 92 percent water and 8 percent natural sugar. It’s also
low in sodium. And an
average slice contains about 120 calories.

“Watermelon isn’t exactly a health food,” McLaurin said. “But
it’s good food. Besides
eating it straight off the truck, you can make ice cream out of
it, pickle it, make
watermelon preserves and other treats.”

Enjoy one of Georgia’s best early-summer favorites, he said.