George Leppla > wrote:

>Anyone else having a good watermelon season this year? The ones we have
>been getting have been exceptionally good compared to last year's crop
>(last year we had a drought).

Actually, I was just thinking the other day that this year's crop was
worse than the last few. Last year I never got a bad one. This year
I've been fooled 3 times. [out of about 10] 2 under-ripe-- and one
over-ripe.

I only buy them when a nice one catches my eye-- then I sort through
for the best by color, heft, and hollowness.

The last one we had was very good-- but not very red. When I cut it
open I was pretty sure it would be tasteless, but it was nice and
sweet.

The best one we've had was actually hollow in the center-- the outside
was perfect, but the flesh was splitting inside. Never saw one do
that. I've been figuring it was the drought, but I see others are
having better luck.

>
>Most of ours are grown in South Texas in the Rio Grande Valley. Prices
>are a bit higher (about $1 to $2 each) than last year, though.

We're still paying $4-6 for the basketball sized 'seedless' in upstate
NY. about the same as last year.

Jim