How can you tell if melons, at the grocery store, are ripe?

They would probably need to be fondled - in a sensitive, respectful manner, of course.

Smell.

Lift the top end right up to your nose. If it has a strong, delicious fragrance, it's ready.

@Clueless, I worried about asking this question. Haha! The problem is that I love cantaloupe and watermelon. Had to ask.

@Hartfire, thanks!

I never know, so I wait until I see another customer select melons and I ask for tips. It's probably no coincidence that the other customer is always an attractive woman. If there's not one around at the time, I either wait a few minutes, I circle the produce section and return when one is in sight, or (worst case scenario) I don't buy melons that day.

~

Tap it with a knuckle. If you get a kinda 'ringing' sound it is ripe. If you just get a 'pok' it is not ripe.

PS: It take a bit of practice to learn the difference. but once you have it it is easy.

With honeydews take a whiff of the blossom end of the melon. It will have a sweet, fragrant aroma if the melon is good. That might work for 'loupes too (not a fan of cantaloupes).

For watermelons a "plug cut" tasting is the only way, and your local grocer won't be down with that. Otherwise go for the heaviest melon for it's size. All those old "wives tales" of "thumping" the melon or seeing if a broom straw will turn or not when laid on top of the melon are just that, old wives tales . . .

A water melon should be yellow on the bottom and where the stem was should be brown.

A cantaloupe should be kept on your counter at home until you can smell the melon coming thru. 

LOLOL

Bring your cat.  Currently unexplained by science, cats have an intrinsic 6th sense about which melons are good and which aren't. 

It's a secret. 

Press the end in....if it's soft it ripe....

lol! HOW did you find that clip, or is it your own cat? :) love it! :-)

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=how+to+tell+if+a+melon+is+ripe

That's the way to do it! :)