The best time to eat a melon? Once it begins to soften and before it breaks down.

Judging the worth of many melons is literally right in your hands and under your thumb. Use your sense of touch to detect nuances of softening. Go straight to the melon’s blossom end: the base of the fruit, opposite the stem. A melon is ready to pick or eat when the skin is fairy easy to depress.

Heirloom melons taste good, and are recommended for this heavenly soup:

MELON SOUP
Peel, seed, and chunk 6 pounds of melon of your choice. Combine with 2 cups orange juice and 2 tablespoons lime juice and puree in a blender or food processor. Finely mince additional melon pieces to make melon confetti and sprinkle over the soup.

Serves 5