is a staple of many people's fridge offerings, and, as with many foods, it pays to ensure it stays fresh and tasty for longer. Experts have issued advice that will help ensure you pick a melon to take from the that will stay sweet. The Mediterranean Dish says that it should look symmetrical and be heavy for its size - meaning it has a high water content. Moreover, the fruit should give a deep sound "resonating like a tenor" when you knock on it. The melon should also have a large, yellow field spot - the area where it rested on the ground while growing.

A deep yellow or nearly orange field spot usually suggests that the fruit is ripe and flavourful. Whereas, a white or light yellow spot indicates that it may not be fully ripe. Foodwise emphasises that, when choosing a melon, you should use most of your senses: sight, smell, sound, touch, and taste.

The site adds that they do not become sweeter after being harvested, but their texture and aroma can continue to improve.

Shoppers are advised to look at the stem scar, a smooth, hollowed one indicating that the melon was harvested ripe.

Foodwise adds: "If a piece of the stem remains, it may have been harvested too early.

"For thinner-skinned melons, exert very gentle pressure on the base of the melon opposite the stem end.

"If the skin is easy to depress, the melon is ideal for eating."

It is generally accepted that a sweet, musky aroma is also a good sign.

This is produced by enzymes that generate more than 200 different esters - organic compounds known for their distinctive odors and used a lot in food flavorings and fragrances.

The Mediterranean Dish also emphasises that larger webbing - meaning the dark zigzagged stripes on the rind - is a sign of good pollination and sweetness.

As regards how to eat melons, experts suggest that they are, of course, delicious on their own, and can add sweetness to salads, cold soups, drinks, and sorbets.

But purchasers are warned that keeping them in the fridge diminishes their flavour. Therefore, serving at room temperature is "ideal", Foodwise says.

Alternatively, you could try grilling them, as cooking concentrates their sugars.