The watermelon rind often provides clues to its ripeness, Egel said. "A watermelon that is ripe will be faded on the top. If the watermelon has stripes, look at the area between the stripes. This area ...

“The other subtle ripeness indicators are changes in the wax sheen on the fruit (should be dull not bright) and the appearance of slightly raised ridges that follow the stripes on a watermelon rind.