One common method of determining if a melon is ripe is to thump it and listen to the sound. But what does ripe sound like? It seems to me that it must take quite a few un-ripe melon openings to learn this sound through trial and error. When you multiply this by the different types of melons, this adds up to a lot of wasted fruit.

Enter the Melon Thumping Educational CDs. Each CD has a different mellon education program. Thousands of ripe, un-ripe, and over-ripe mellon thumping sound samples are included, along with a guidebook of colors and textures to look for and a description of the smell of a ripe melon.
-- Worldgineer, Sep 12 2005

Melon Scratch and Sniff Guidelines For [DC] [Worldgineer, Sep 12 2005]

Yucky or Yummy? http://www.sciencen...d=218391141&cat=3_3
The real thump [ConsulFlaminicus, Sep 14 2005]

Will you next be trying to sell something that tells what a ripe fruit smells like? Sheesh!
-- DrCurry, Sep 12 2005


<brings CD and oscilloscope to store, finds perfect melon>
-- Shz, Sep 12 2005


[DC] If I coud, certainly.

[edit] Yes.
-- Worldgineer, Sep 12 2005


Unfortunately the sound of a ripe melon as heard on my CD Walkman is different to the sound of a ripe melon as heard on my hi-fi which is different to the sound of a ripe melon as heard on my car stereo. I'm concerned this would cause more melon misidentification than currently plagues us.
-- wagster, Sep 12 2005


yes that's it exactly.
-- dentworth, Sep 12 2005


(picturing [wag] with 21" car speakers turned way up, melon thumping as he cruises down the street)
-- Worldgineer, Sep 12 2005


I think that it's more than just the sound but the way the melon feels as it's being thumped that tells you whether or not it's a ripe melon.

So, as a premium version, you offer a special CD that ships with a haptic melon simulator.
-- bristolz, Sep 12 2005


I think that would sell well, yet have quite a few disappointed customers.
-- Worldgineer, Sep 12 2005


This is really needed. Look and listen to all those banana slappers and avocados whackers.

Next in the series, the "accordian" sound of fresh wrapped bread. Also, rustling of unbroken crips as opposed to foil bags of shake.
-- reensure, Sep 12 2005


sympathy Unabubba, I spent a good 30 seconds intent upon finding a good melon pun to add to this erudite discussion. came up empty as a gourd. but I didn't want to squash the mood. eh?....
-- dentworth, Sep 13 2005


//(picturing [wag] with 21" car speakers turned way up, melon thumping as he cruises down the street)//

"You're twistin' my melon man, you know you talk so hip man, You're twistin' my melon man..." - Shaun Ryder
-- wagster, Sep 13 2005


(+) Actually, there are those of us who are naturally tone deaf. In order to assure optimum choosing of a melon, how about a PDA attachment that listens to the thump and graphs a ripeness level on screen. You could store the thousands of sound samples within the PDA application for comparison. You could even program it for other types fruit and vegetables. My mother always said to sniff the belly button on cantaloupe, and choose most cantaloupey smelling one. But as the years go by my sniffer is beginning to fail. Maybe this PDA appliance could include an olfactory sensing device as well.
-- dougp01, Sep 13 2005


Whoomp, there it is.
-- Susan, Sep 13 2005


//said to sniff the belly button on cantaloupe, and choose most cantaloupey smelling one//
..also works for antelopes.
-- gnomethang, Sep 13 2005


This only works for water melons though. The galia melon for example you should not hit, you just push on the bottom and when it reaches that certain pushability, it is ripe. Also some species of apple are best when they give that "teng" sound when you slap them.
-- zeno, Sep 13 2005


The challenge lies in getting your nose to the antelope's navel while it is running.
-- normzone, Sep 13 2005



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