Intro:
Before you begin
Step 1:
Walk through the market stand
Step 2:
Learn to see
Step 3:
Have a feel, but don't crush it
Step 4:
Shake them up a bit
Step 5:
Sound them out
Step 6:
Follow your intuition

Chat with the farmers at your local farmer's market for more information about upcoming harvests or favorable climatic conditions. They're generally very friendly folks.

2torial #0575: Learn2 Pick a Melon (Continued) Learn to see   Looks aren't everything. But in the case of common melons, they can tell you quite a lot. A beige-skinned honeydew with distinct green veins reveals immaturity; a pale yellow version with bright, lemon-colored areas suggests time on the vine.   Cantaloupes are similar: they're unripe when the skin beneath the textured "web" is green, ripe when orange or gold.   Another mark of desirability is a patch that's slightly flat and bleached in color. Melons that develop on the vine flatten under their own weight, and lose color where they sit on hot soil. In general, stem ends should be moist, not moldy. Step 3