With the weather finally turning in our favor, it looks like summer is on the horizon! Not only does this mean the return of shorts and bathing suits, it also means that some of our favorites foods are back in season.

For us, that means it’s time one again to enjoy all things melon.

If you can’t get enough of honeydew or watermelon, odds are you also love another summertime fruit: cantaloupe. This sweet, fresh-tasting melon is nearly back in season (its official season is June-August) and we couldn’t be more excited about it.

Cantaloupes are delicious wrapped in a deli meat like prosciutto or tossed into a fresh fruit salad. And, needless to say, we love slicing up this fruit and enjoying it alone, too!

But, like many fruits, picking out cantaloupes at the grocery store can be a gamble.

The outside of most cantaloupes look the same, maybe with the exception of a few bumps or bruises on some. While those obvious exterior blemishes might be easy to spot, they don’t necessarily mean that cantaloupe isn’t ripe – conversely, seeing no blemishes doesn’t necessarily mean the cantaloupe is perfect.

Some people say that larger cantaloupes indication the fruit is at its peak freshness, while others insist that tapping on the rind will help you get a sense of how ripe the melon is. Truthfully, neither of these things necessarily indicate the “perfect cantaloupe.”

So how can you tell which cantaloupe to buy? There’s actually a pretty easy trick to choosing the perfect melon every time, and Kitchen Confidante is going to share it with us.

Luckily, it all comes down to one, simple observation!

“To pick the perfect melon, there’s no need to worry about its weight or size or by tapping on the rind. My mother taught me that the way to make sure a cantaloupe is sweet and ripe is by examining the indentation left by the stem. The stem scar should look like an innie belly button – the deeper the indentation, the better!”

There you have it! The next time you’re in the store, torn over which cantaloupe to choose, opt for the one with the deeper steam scar. Generally, this easy trick will help you determine which fruits are the sweetest and the ripest.

Do you use this trick when choosing your cantaloupe? Have you tried this trick at all? Did it work for you, or did it fail? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.