524921 Mon Jun 02 11:11:00 -0700 2008 43 2 Los Angeles Area 0 3741848 Is it possible to buy good watermelon in SoCal??? I've been living here for almost 20 years. In all that time I don't think I've ever had really good watermelon. All the watermelon I've had has had very little flavor, tasting watered down (no pun intended). It must be possible to find some fruit with a strong, intense flavor. Where should I look? Thanks! David Mon Jun 02 11:11:02 -0700 2008 56584 unfrostedpoptart 1 3741974 Costco. Mon Jun 02 11:40:22 -0700 2008 3741848 12873 OCAnn 2 3743763 I have gotten lots of good watermelon in the last three weeks at Jon's priced at 3 pounds for a dollar. I can't believe how good it has been. I do not buy the biggest ones but rather the medium sized and had luck every time. Mon Jun 02 21:28:55 -0700 2008 3741974 10854 SIMIHOUND 3 3746775 What is Jon's? Tue Jun 03 16:47:15 -0700 2008 3743763 56584 unfrostedpoptart 4 3747124 It's a local grocery chain, predominantly in west & north LA. Tue Jun 03 18:33:47 -0700 2008 3746775 12873 OCAnn 5 3747424 there's one in westminster as well Tue Jun 03 20:24:45 -0700 2008 3747124 77080 justagthing 2 4691880 I agree. I've had really good luck with the (two-to-a-pack) small watermelons at Costco. They've been terrific. Just got back from the Hollywood Farmers Market...didn't see any there. Sun May 17 14:00:29 -0700 2009 3741974 11375 perk 1 3743757 Folks from Texas that I know make the same complaint. I know that the huge disc-rupturing watermelons that are knee-deep in black seeds are as scarce as $3.50 a gallon gas. I just tried one that was from a local Latino supermarket (thinking that I might luck out since fruit is revered in this community) - the seedless variety that even elderly ladies can carry with little effort - and it was just as you described. I'm not constantly on the hunt for great watermelons but I would think your best bet would be a farmers market in the depth of summer... Mon Jun 02 21:26:28 -0700 2008 3741848 64003 bulavinaka 2 3746792 Is part of the problem the move to "seedless" watermelons? Do these inherently have less flavor? Or is it the tendency to pick fruit to early, before all the sugar develops? Tue Jun 03 16:54:04 -0700 2008 3743757 56584 unfrostedpoptart 3 3747297 I'm no expert on watermelons - I'm relatively casual about them, but I know folks from Texas and parts of the South who declare that watermelons in SoCal truly suck. I don't know if something is lost in the move to seedless - many fruit die-hards will tell you that seedless versions of fruit (like thompson seedless grapes vs. "real" grapes) lack dimension in their flavor. Maybe something is lost in the mutative process of breeding out the seeds. Also, different varieties of other fruits have different characteristics - early-season stone fruits versus mid- to late-season varieties are a classic example of how qualitatively different they can be. Strawberries vary considerably by variety - Gaviotas are sweeter, Seascapes have more fragrance and flavor. I am sure watermelons are the same. Another issue is culture. If you're growing watermelons in bright sun and 100 degree weather - a typical Texas summer - that's going to make watermelons sing. The seeds do add some flavor and of course mouthfeel to the eating experience, so maybe that has something to do with it. And I don't think it's because they are picked too early because you can get truly sweet melons now that seem to have been bred to be nothing but sweet. I suspect that it's a any combination of these factors. I am sure that today's consumer culture has changed the demand for watermelon. Toting home a 45-pounder, slicing it up and having a family of eight polishing off the whole watermelon is a thing of the past. Also, seeds are always disdained by the average consumer. Couple that with the notion that sweet is more important than taste, and you'll end up with melons that are smaller for easier transport, storage and sized for smaller families and couples; lacking seeds so every bite off the melon is nothing but juice and pulp, and sugary sweet to placate the masses. Tue Jun 03 19:35:41 -0700 2008 3746792 64003 bulavinaka 4 3747413 I stopped at the new Whole Foods in Tustin on the way home. Amazing market (and very high prices)! They had organic seedless for $.99/lb, organic regular for $.69/lb and generic for $.49/lb. I went for the $.69/lb. Well, the inside is very nice and bright red, but it's not very sweet and doesn't have much flavor :( Maybe I'll just fill it with vodka :^) There's a Costco in the same center. I'll try and stop there in the next couple of days and see what they've got. I love living in SoCal - been here for 19 years - but the produce was so much better in New York and New England. Tue Jun 03 20:20:52 -0700 2008 3747297 56584 unfrostedpoptart 4 3962943 Seedless fruits are not bred. Its impossible to naturally produce fruit without seeds. Instead, before the plant flowers, they spray it with a hormone that induces fruit growth without seeds. Sat Aug 16 17:39:21 -0700 2008 3747297 154523 AndyGanil 5 4691518 My naval orange tree in the backyard produces seedless fruit. I don't spray anything on it. But at the same time, I can see your line of reason. Sun May 17 10:34:02 -0700 2009 3962943 64003 bulavinaka 6 4692944 ah, reproduction- always fascinating and bewildering. in the case of the navel orange, it's not hormonal derange, the navel orange is seedless due to an historic 19th c. mutation ...the navel oranges we eat today are genetically identical to that original mutant orange - essentially you're eating clones. And yes, without seeds our little navel buddy has no way to reproduce naturally, so cuttings (with buds) are grafted onto another tree's trunk and roots as its "host". Sun May 17 21:36:28 -0700 2009 4691518 15170 Local 1 3743902 for much of last summer, the small (bowling ball sized) melons with the brand name of DULCINEA were very good. haven't had any good melons so far this year. Mon Jun 02 22:40:16 -0700 2008 3741848 11935 westsidegal 2 3747479 I've relied on this brand for consistency as well. Firm sweet f;lesh every time, but again it could be what bulavinaka mentioned upthread, in that they are grown for sweetness. No worries for me, at least one melon is polished off in one sitting. I do miss the melons of the south though. Tue Jun 03 20:42:53 -0700 2008 3743902 197011 Dutchvanobvious 2 3778153 I picked up a couple of these at Costco last week. Pale flesh, almost zero flavor or sweetness:( I think I'll wait until July and then try a local produce farm (www.tanakafarms.com). Fri Jun 13 11:45:02 -0700 2008 3743902 56584 unfrostedpoptart 3 3778186 We've had very similar luck lately with our past two watermelons. We were gifted once of those dolce-type watermelons from a friend who realized she had one too many and was heading out of town. Short on taste, not bad on sweetness, but not what I would consider even close to sit-on-the-porch-and-slurp quality. When we get melons like this, I think of them more like tofu, where they are better as bases for additions of flavor, so we diced it up, added some of this and that, and enjoyed it that way... Fri Jun 13 11:53:26 -0700 2008 3778153 64003 bulavinaka 2 4691805 Definitely a modern product, but some of the best watermelon I've ever had - it was a couple seasons ago. Sun May 17 13:21:04 -0700 2009 3743902 40486 Cinnamon 1 3743964 99 Ranch Market. Good yellow watermelon too! Mon Jun 02 23:41:11 -0700 2008 3741848 11933 J.L. 1 3743990 believe it or not...Whole Foods has delicious organic watermelon on sale now. I forgot the price...but its really good!!!! Tue Jun 03 00:31:16 -0700 2008 3741848 185665 DeePocketChopra 1 3747487 kinda on a side note, I was "taught" to pick watermelon by thier size/wieght ratio. If you have two melons of the same size, pick the "heavier" one. has more juice and sugar in it. Tue Jun 03 20:43:56 -0700 2008 3741848 174008 AteTooMuch 2 3747514 Another sign of a sweet watermelon is when you see the whitish thread-like veins running through the flesh. If you're lucky enough to shop at a store where the produce dept still sells halves and quarters of melons, you can examine those. Some folks will mistake this for a watermelon being very fibrous. I learned this from, of course, a Texan... Tue Jun 03 20:59:18 -0700 2008 3747487 64003 bulavinaka 1 3747553 I got a good one from Fresh & Easy right before Memorial Day. They were the large ones that were pretty much seedless, I think from Mexico. I agree that those little Dulcinea watermelons are usually quite good, and yes it is a bit early in the season. Tue Jun 03 21:16:10 -0700 2008 3741848 71215 mlgb 1 3747637 we've had good luck at Trader Joe's as well as Costco! Tue Jun 03 22:12:35 -0700 2008 3741848 15572 Emme 1 3778757 I am also waiting for the yellow watermelons to come in. I find them flavorful, different than red, but very tasty. Fri Jun 13 14:45:10 -0700 2008 3741848 77080 justagthing 2 3781531 Find JL's posting above - I saw the yellows at 99 Ranch as well. They aren't cheap - I think .89/lb... Sat Jun 14 23:21:18 -0700 2008 3778757 64003 bulavinaka 1 3779704 For the past several years, I've had really great watermelons with deep winy flavor from Chino Farms, down in Rancho Santa Fe. It's a bit far, but well worth the drive when melons are peaking in August. And I concur that the Dulcinea brand of supermarket watermelons is fairly sweet and can't be beat for price when they're on sale. Fri Jun 13 23:31:56 -0700 2008 3741848 28733 zinFAN 2 3963216 I'm glad to see Chino Farm mentioned. They have numerous watermelon styles -- some sweet, some dense, some with orange flesh, etc. -- but all interesting and most of them delicious. Many of their other melons are also fantastic, especially the French melon that looks like a cantaloupe with green stripes. Despite what they tell me, I always let it sit out for a couple of days. On average, the other produce is merely the best I've ever had, far better than even the finest produce in grocery stores. Sat Aug 16 21:01:26 -0700 2008 3779704 77350 sbritchky 1 3779870 The watermelons I've had have been great this year. I look for the part of the skin that was resting on the ground (that white area). I make sure this area is at least a creamy light yellow color and it hasn't failed me yet. I've had really good watermelons from the Korean market and they're either giving them away free with $20 purchase or they're on sale for some ridiculous price, like 20 lbs for a dollar. Sat Jun 14 05:27:01 -0700 2008 3741848 10246 choctastic 1 3779984 my grandfather was an agriculturalist from Arizona and ran a teaching farm in El Cajon 70 years ago...when seedless first came on the market, we all complained, and would head to the Ortega Hwy. stands to buy the seeded variety. anyway, Agronomy 101, in his simplest explanation...the primary purpose of fruit is reproduction of the species...and one purpose of the flesh of the fruit is to support the growth of the seed, this requires sugar production...also that the seeds themselves produce sugar...whatever the enzyme/chemical connection is, the two parts ultimately contribute to a sweeter melon...altho seedless melons actually have seeds, they are immature seeds. in a seeded watermelon, the seeds are hard, black and mature,- have developed a lot of sugar and also the fruit flesh has been allowed to contribute its part to making a specimen worthy of maximizing it's reproductive potential, not to mention just tasting good! Sat Jun 14 07:00:37 -0700 2008 3741848 15170 Local 2 3780168 Fantastic explanation and great memories... Thanks! Sat Jun 14 09:01:27 -0700 2008 3779984 64003 bulavinaka 3 3780598 Grandfather had an emerald thumb; mine is a bit chlorotic but learned a lot about hort. and especially fruit production. Samse and i both were taught the same method for choosing a melon. During the late 70's, another good place to get fresh melon, generally at a five-finger discount, was at an unfenced lot located along the road between Lake Perris and 60 fwy, ...after a day of rock climbing- the best. Used to get good melon @ Cal Poly Pomona when in season tho hard to find variety with seeds...also depends on what they're growing. http://www.csupomona.edu/~farmstore/ Sat Jun 14 12:36:57 -0700 2008 3780168 15170 Local 2 3780553 You bring back a flood of fond memories. I grew up on my family’s truck farm in the 50’s in Riverside. I remember picking tree ripened fruit and vine ripened tomatoes and melons. After leaving home I had to learn to how pick the best melons in the stores. My dad finally took pity on me and taught me how to pick the best watermelons in stores by thumping them with the fingers of an open hand and listening to the sound – when it sounds like it’s going to split with a mere tap, then it’s ready. Of course, if all the melons in the bin are mediocre, you’re only going to get the best of the mediocre. I agree that the new seedless hybrids lack the flavor of the old green seeded variety. I remember tasting one of the first striped melons I ever saw (Klondike?) and saying “yuck”. Old Texans would tell me that they used to cut out and eat only the heart of the melon (which had no seeds) and feed the rest to the hogs. Sat Jun 14 12:17:28 -0700 2008 3779984 170331 samse 1 3780844 I've had gripes with watermelons in Cal for the longest time. I've had watermelons as a kid and just can't find the same thing here in los angeles. Maybe I'll avoid seedless from now on. I'm going to try my luck at Hollywood/Santa Monica farmers' market and see if I can get anything approximating a tasty watermelon. Sat Jun 14 14:59:33 -0700 2008 3741848 140071 Jolly 1 3958764 Go to the Sunland-Tujunga watermelon festival for seeded watermelon that's free and good. It usually is around the second weekend in August. Go to http://www.lionswatermelonfestival.com/ You can get 30 pounders for $5 to take home, also. If it's late on Sunday and they have a lot left over, you may be able to get them at two for $5. jnsx Thu Aug 14 21:21:15 -0700 2008 3741848 218621 jnsx 2 3958793 You're posting this *after* the event because.... Thu Aug 14 21:37:53 -0700 2008 3958764 12873 OCAnn 3 3962152 Sorry, I found chow.com after this year's watermelon festival. That is why I gave information on where and when to check. Sat Aug 16 09:21:57 -0700 2008 3958793 218621 jnsx 2 4691321 Go to the Sunland-Tujunga watermelon festival for seeded watermelon that's free and good (admission to the festival is $1). This year (2009), it is August 14, 15 and 16. Go to http://www.lionswatermelonfestival.com . Last year you could get 30 pounders for $5 to take home. Sun May 17 09:11:12 -0700 2009 3958764 218621 jnsx 1 3962383 Choosing watermelons by sound: here's what my wife taught me. Thump it. If the sound is "toonk" the melon isn't ripe. If the sound is "tick" it's past its prime. The right sound is "tink". Seems to work well. Sat Aug 16 11:42:41 -0700 2008 3741848 89849 Akitist 2 3963319 Sunday Hollywood Farmers Market has some great vendors. You can taste a sample before you buy. Sat Aug 16 22:43:07 -0700 2008 3962383 122406 miwine 1 4695275 While it is to early this year for truly great melons, Weiser Farms at the Farmers Markets produces wonderful heirloom varieties. But they are coming soon! http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/photo.php?pid=1758662&id=584428907&ref=mf Mon May 18 15:36:20 -0700 2009 3741848 125536 luhkee 2 4695353 Agree with the Costco recomendation. I've never gone wrong there and makes me feel like an expert in tapping before picking. Mon May 18 16:06:17 -0700 2009 4695275 200344 selfportrait93 3 4695839 Arcadia Supermarket has had some great sweet watermelons for 0.20 a pound. Even flesh near the rind is sweet. 645 W. Duarte Road Arcadia Mon May 18 19:16:28 -0700 2009 4695353 24294 misseatalot 1 4696018 #1-Seeded watermelons are generally more flavorfull #2-Organic produce over conventional #3-knock on em,listen to its pitch,look for black suger "bleed" spots. #4-too soft is over ripe, hence sweet but mushy and grainy #5 too hard =not ripe *picking out a great watermelon is not rocket science, it's just alot of luck and a little skill! Mon May 18 20:29:04 -0700 2009 3741848 145565 Sarsa