Watermelon appears this week at 39 cents a pound at Times Super Market and 69 cents a pound at Safeway. These melon sightings are a hint of next weekend's Memorial Day eruption of the fruit (actually a vegetable in the cucumber/gourd family) as a kickoff of the outdoor eating season.

Hawaii grows mostly Crimson Sweet, a round to oval variety with deep red flesh. These melons average 16 to 35 pounds in size.

When choosing a watermelon, some folks thump or smell or shake or feel the rind. A reliable method, according to the National Watermelon Promotion Board, is to look for a yellow underside and a rind with an overall healthy sheen. Select a watermelon that's heavy for its size, and free from dents, bruises and cuts.

Watermelon is a storehouse of vitamin C and potassium. It has only 45 calories per serving and no fat or cholesterol.

Other produce best buys of the week include kiwi at five for a dollar at Daiei and three for a dollar at Foodland. Also, grapefruit is three for 99 cents at Star Markets, 48 cents each at Daiei, and two for $1 at Foodland.

Look for cantaloupe at 49 cents a pound and cauliflower at 99 cents at Star; bananas at 68 cents a pound at Daiei; and at Sack N Save, mushrooms for 97 cents per eight-ounce tray and lettuce for 57 cents a pound.