What to look for when choosing a watermelon. How to choose a ripe, juicy and sweet watermelon
The onset of the watermelon season in the second half of summer is eagerly awaited by both big and small gourmets. It just so happened that in our country, where most of the territory belongs to the zone of risky agriculture, it is this southern culture that enjoys mass popularity and love. Juicy, sweet watermelon pulp not only perfectly quenches thirst on hot days, it gives pleasure in taste, pleasant emotions and is a source of many useful substances.
Ripe watermelon contains ascorbic and folic acid, magnesium, iron and potassium, dietary fiber and pectins.
That's just how to determine what is hidden under the green dense peel? How to determine the ripeness of a watermelon so that, once on the table, the cut berry does not disappoint, revealing to the audience a tasteless pale pink flesh?
If watermelons are grown on own site, you don’t have to worry about their quality, but sometimes purchased fruits, in addition to a pale appearance, present much more unpleasant surprises. Failure to comply with agricultural technology, the rules for the use of fertilizers and the storage of watermelons entails the danger of poisoning. Therefore, it is important not only to be able to distinguish ripe berry from green, but know how to choose the right watermelon, safe for health.
Beginning of the watermelon season
You can buy watermelon in the supermarket today at any time of the year. Treated with preservatives or grown in greenhouses, sweet fruits from remote corners of the world easily reach Russian shelves. Is it possible to compare them with watermelons grown on open field, on country garden, under the hot summer sun? Based on the timing of the ripening of giant berries, we can conclude.
The first ripe watermelons on melons can appear only in July, and the mass collection of these gifts of summer begins in mid-August and lasts until October.
Moreover, the earlier the watermelon hits the counter, the greater the risk of containing nitrates and other compounds that are dangerous for the body, causing increased growth in fruits. So do not rush, because it is much easier to choose good watermelon when their mass ripening will start. The ripening season of watermelons coincides with the time of the mass collection of sweetness by berries.
How to determine the ripeness of a watermelon by the appearance of the bark?
Today, at the disposal of farmers and summer residents there are many varieties and hybrids of watermelons with the most different pattern and coloration of the bark. Breeders suggest growing fruits not only with bright red or pink flesh, but also with yellow and even white. At the same time, not a single scientist was able to create a plant, by the type of berries of which one could immediately determine the ripeness of a watermelon in the garden.
And yet there are a number of signs on how to choose a ripe watermelon. When choosing a fruit, pay attention to the condition of the peel, the brightness of the pattern and the presence of all kinds of damage. With all the richness of the existing colors of watermelons, the pattern on the bark should be clear, and the color of plain berries should be uniform. Watermelons with an uncharacteristic or blurry pattern are best set aside. After all, this can be a sign not only of the immaturity of the berry, but also a symptom of a disease, for example, a viral mosaic.
- Watermelons, which is not yet the time to leave the melon, have a matte bark.
- In a ripe fruit, the peel becomes glossy and hardens to such an extent that it is difficult to pierce it with a fingernail, but you can only scratch the top colored layer.
- In addition, in an unripe watermelon, the damaged bark secretes juice and emits a characteristic herbal smell.
According to folk observations, from striped watermelons, you need to choose the one in which the distance between the dark stripes is wider.
And some, even dry-looking defects and traces of scab on the surface of the bark can signal scab or anthracnose damage, which leads to underdevelopment of the pulp and a deterioration in the quality of the watermelon. 
How to choose the right watermelon for the size and color of the earth stain?
Fruits grown on melons necessarily have a characteristic spot on the peel - the place where the watermelon comes into contact with the ground. In this area, the peel did not receive sunlight, chlorophyll was produced less here.
To determine the ripeness of a watermelon in a garden or on a counter, pay attention to the size, condition and color of such a spot:
- The bark here should not be damaged or be softer than in other areas.
- There are no stripes on the ground patch. This suggests that the watermelon was not disturbed during growth.
A spot, on average not exceeding 7–12 cm, should ideally be yellow, if the shade is closer to white, it is better for the watermelon to lie in the garden for another couple of weeks.
Is it possible to choose a sweet watermelon by a dry stem?
Are there any other tips on how to choose the right watermelon? You can often hear the recommendation that you can choose a delicious watermelon by taking a berry with a dry tail. But what if the watermelon on the counter has no stalk at all, or by all indications, a ripe berry in the garden does not want to separate from its native lash?
Indeed, in a fetus that has reached full maturity, the tail begins to dry:
- Knowing this, unscrupulous traders pick green watermelons, and the stalks dry during transportation and storage.
- In addition, the tail could dry out due to twisting or breaking of the whip long before the watermelons ripen.
- Also, trusting a dry stalk, you can bring an overripe watermelon to the table.
Therefore, you should not completely trust this sign.
It is much more reliable to pay attention not to one of the signs of watermelon ripeness, but immediately to their totality.
So, for example, at sweet berry, ready to be harvested, the stalk becomes smooth, the characteristic hairs that are present while the watermelon is immature fall off it. If watermelons grow in the country, you can determine the ripeness of a watermelon in the garden by other features. For example, melon growers are well aware that the tendrils at the place where the stalk of the watermelon is attached to the lash are sure to dry out when it is time to pick a ripe berry. In addition, at the place where the flower once was, by the time of ripening there is no trace of the bract.
How to choose a good watermelon by weight?
And in China and other Asian countries, when collecting watermelons, they use another interesting feature these berries. Ripe watermelons due to specificity internal structure are lighter than water and always float on the surface. Based on this, one more sign can be deduced on how to choose a ripe watermelon. Of two fruits of equal size, the one that is lighter will be sweeter.
However, there is an exception here too. If at the beginning of summer there was cold, rainy weather, it is possible that this influenced the formation of watermelons, and voids did not form inside them. Such fruits, even when ripe, seem less juicy, and closer to the core, the tissues noticeably coarsen.
As for the actual weight of the watermelon, at the beginning of the season, when buying a sweet treat, it is more reasonable to give preference to medium fruits. And already in the midst of the watermelon season, you can feast on real giants weighing from 7 to 15 kg.
How to choose a good watermelon by sound?
You can often see how, when determining the ripeness of a watermelon, buyers or sellers tap on the peel or squeeze the fruit with their palms:
- In response to knock mature sweet watermelon makes a booming sound, but if the fetus is not yet ready to hit the table, the echo will be deaf and unclear.
- When squeezed, a good watermelon may crackle slightly, a green fruit does not produce such an effect.
If the listed methods for determining the quality of the fetus did not fully answer the question of how to choose a ripe watermelon, the video will help you understand everything clearly.
The main thing, when choosing a high-quality, tasty watermelon, is not to forget that success is possible when all the features considered are taken into account.
Summer residents who grow watermelons in their own beds do not worry about the quality of the fruit. They know for sure that, following the rules of agricultural technology, only useful sweet berries will be harvested from melons without excess amounts of nitrates, pesticides and dyes.
How to choose a watermelon of proper quality?
But how to choose a good watermelon on the counter of a store or in vegetable tent? Can all sellers be trusted, and how to protect yourself from poor-quality fruits?
Approaching the counter, you need to pay attention to the conditions of injury and laying out watermelons. In conditions street trading for the sale of melons, special pavilions are necessarily organized, equipped with pallets and canopies to protect watermelons from contact with the soil and sunbeams. In the store, watermelons are also laid out on pallets or in baskets and do not come into contact with the floor.
Since the pulp of a watermelon instantly absorbs the slightest pollution, settling dust, and the pathogenic flora reproduces perfectly on sweet pulp, it is by no means possible to buy watermelons at roadside points, or choose fruits with cracks and cuts.
It is better to refuse to buy watermelon if the seller cannot present documents certifying the quality and safety of melons. Such certificates and certificates indicate the place of cultivation of the batch, the date of harvest and the expiration date. A certificate from a specialized laboratory assures that there are no substances harmful to health in watermelons.
Ten rules for choosing a ripe healthy watermelon - video
Watermelon belongs to the melon family, is a summer berry, the pulp of which perfectly quenches thirst on a sunny, hot day. Ripe fruit is rich useful vitamins and trace elements, including vitamin C and folic acid, magnesium, iron, potassium, dietary fiber and peptides.
Knowing the rules of how to choose a watermelon, you can not harm your own health, since only a fruit grown according to all technological standards can be useful.
What are the rules to follow when choosing watermelons?
There are rules and recommendations that will help you choose a quality fruit. For example, consider the ripening season. In the store you can find watermelon berries in early July, when its natural ripening is impossible. Such fruits probably contain toxic substances that were used as a treatment for the fruits to ripen them quickly. Buying out of season is not healthy and very dangerous. The earlier watermelons go on sale, the higher the likelihood of food poisoning. Do not rush and buy such fruits, it is better to do this with their mass ripening at the end of summer.
Tip: It should be remembered that the natural ripening of watermelons falls at the end of August and the beginning of September.
Prefer to shop in designated areas. It is recommended to choose watermelon in areas suitable for trade (kiosks, market). Such outlets must be equipped with a canopy, and the fruits must be placed in special pallets on legs that do not touch the ground. Sellers must have a sales permit in their hands, confirmed by the seal of the relevant authority. This is necessary to prevent bacteria from getting into the cracks of the berry, where the pulp becomes a very favorable environment for the life of microbes.
Attention! It is forbidden to trade, as well as buy watermelons, on the road, even if the product is certified. In the process of maturation, such fruits are saturated with toxins and can cause irreparable harm to health.
Availability of a quality certificate. How to choose a good watermelon in the market or in the market? Any watermelon on the market should have a certificate of quality. The buyer has the right to demand this document, If we are talking about health. The certificate will confirm the timing of the sale of products, its quality. If the seller hands out a photocopy of the document, it is recommended to look at the seal at the bottom of the document - it must be in color, otherwise the paper is considered invalid.
Pay attention to defects. To choose a ripe watermelon, it is important to examine its outer shell, it should not have rotten places. The fruit must be intact, without obvious cracks and dents, as bacteria can penetrate into rotten places or cracks, infecting the entire fruit. By consuming such pulp, you can seriously get poisoned or disrupt the digestive tract system. Sold slices, the sale of which is prohibited by the sanitary and epidemiological station, fall under the ban.
What else to consider when buying a watermelon?
When making a purchase of green berries, pay attention to:
- Size. Often, when buying, the eye is attracted by large fruits, which do not always contain excellent taste. To pick up a juicy watermelon for sure, preference should be given to medium-sized varieties.
- Hard shiny skin. If the fruit is fully ripe, its peel will be hard, with clear stripes. This rule is due to the fact that when ripe, the tail of a watermelon berry dries out, as moisture replenishment stops. Having cut a little peel, you can smell the mowed grass, which indicates the ripeness of the fruit.
- The degree of striping. Also indicating that this is a mature watermelon are its bright and clear stripes. watermelon by appearance, which has clear lines of white with green, is considered suitable for purchase. If there are blurry streaks and weak green color, it is better not to buy such a fruit.
- Yellow barrel. Ripening in the field, the watermelon berry is in one position, as evidenced by its yellow barrel. If the watermelon is ripe, there will be such a stain yellow color if it is slightly white, it is not ripe. After the tail of the berry dries up, the production of chlorophyll stops, under the rays of the sun the fruits will acquire light spots, which also indicates that the fruit is ripe and sweet.
- Dry tail. One of the most obvious signs of a ripe berry is a shrunken tail. However, it is important to consider that a shriveled tail may be the result of long-term plucked, not fully ripened fruits, so this feature should be taken into account along with other indicators.
- Classification of female and male. Watermelons are distinguished as "boy" and "girls". If the berry is a "boy", then opposite side from the tail it will be convex, and for the “girls” it will be even with a wide circle. The difference between "boy" and "girl" is important in order to choose a sweet watermelon. "Female fruit" has a sweet and juicy crumb, it has a minimum of seeds and a maximum of sucrose, it is the most delicious. "Boy" has a side spot, in the form of a small dot. "Boy" has a large number of seeds inside, and the pulp is of medium sweetness.
- Voiced or deaf. How to choose the right watermelon for sound? Surprisingly, it is quite possible to identify a watermelon by sound. When tapping on the peel, not a muffled, but a ringing sound should be heard. Signs that this is a delicious watermelon include dents and a crackling sound when crushed. Before serving, the berry must be processed hot water With laundry soap to wash off shipping wax.
Tip: When the fruit is cut, its further storage should be carried out under the film in the refrigerator.
How to determine the presence of nitrates in watermelon?
During growth, watermelon berries are often "stuffed" with nitrates so that the plants produce larger and heavier fruits. But such fruits are not useful for humans. Therefore, one should be able to distinguish between a berry in which the nitrate content exceeds the norm.
- If the fruits have been processed, they will have when cut smooth surface. In a “clean” watermelon, the cut surface is grainy.
- The nitrate-free fruit contains dark-colored seeds, they are large in size. Fruits with nitrates have small, white seeds.
- If yellow lumps are found during the cut, the fruit is not grown natural way, which means that it contains elements harmful to health.
- A simple way to determine nitrates in a berry is to soak watermelon slices in water. If the watermelon is edible, the water will turn slightly cloudy; if it is filled with chemicals, the water will turn pink.
- Fruits treated with chemicals are not stored for a long time, while a good watermelon has a shelf life of more than 14 days.
- Irrigated watermelons should be avoided. Such fruits are grown on private farms, they can be identified by pale pink pulp with a slightly sweet taste, such fruits have no smell.
When choosing a watermelon for the whole family, you should follow not one, but at least three recommendations. Knowing how to choose a watermelon, the purchase will be not only useful, but also absolutely safe for health.
"Donkey Cucumber" - this is how the word "watermelon" is translated from the Turkic language. His wild ancestor is still found in Africa and, indeed, is not too sweet - just feed the cattle! This giant berry was cultivated back in Ancient Egypt at the exclusive request of the pharaohs - the nobles were gourmets! Then they were brought to Rome and Central Asia, and from there - to the lower reaches of the Volga, where to this day there are the best watermelon plantations in our country.
The seller swears that he brought Astrakhan watermelons? Let's try to believe him, but we will choose the "berry" as meticulously as possible!
1 What should be the size of a watermelon?
Not only is it difficult to carry a large specimen, but there is also a high probability that it contains a lot of nitrates. “Overfed” with fertilizers - so such a giant has grown! At the same time, very small watermelons may not be too sweet. Ideal weight for a sweet watermelon: 5-7 kg.
2 Visual inspection
At ripe watermelons the skin is thick and glossy. Matte-skinned watermelons are usually unripe and unsweetened. A watermelon grown on melon must necessarily have an earthen spot - a place that came into contact with the soil during the growth of the fruit. It should be yellow, orange or light brown in color. White spots signal that the watermelon is not ripe. It is also worth paying attention to the "banding" of the watermelon. How brighter contrast between the stripes, the riper the watermelon.
3 Cracks on a watermelon
Small flaws may occur on the watermelon - it is important that there are few of them. According to Roskachestvo: “Product quality is maintained when total area external damage caused by friction or handling operations does not exceed one-eighth of the surface of the fruit.
4 "Scars" on a watermelon
But do not confuse cracks and damage with the so-called "scars", brownish dry lines and nets on the sides of watermelons. "Scarred" watermelon will always be ripe and juicy.
5 Correct sound
A ripe watermelon, when tapped, makes a clear and booming sound. If the watermelon is not yet ripe, then the sound will be deaf. Try to slightly squeeze the watermelon from above and below, if it crackles a little, great - it's a ripe fruit!
6 What should be the tail?
The tail of a watermelon is like the umbilical cord of a newborn: through it the fetus receives nutrients. In fact, when the watermelon is ripe, it should fall off the fruit itself and dry up. Therefore, a yellowish dry tail indicates that the watermelon is already ripe. If the tail is green, the watermelon was picked while still unripe. However, it should be remembered that a dry tail can also be found in old, long-stale fruits, so consider this feature when choosing only in conjunction with the rest.
7 "Boy" or "girl"?
It turns out that watermelons are distinguished by gender. "Boys" - more, they are slightly elongated. And the "girls" are smaller and flattened. Look at the side opposite from the tail. The female fetus will have a depressed surface, while the male fetus will have a more convex one. There you can also see a speck, a trace from the stalk, if it is small, then this is a “boy”. A large circle can be up to several centimeters in diameter. So it's a "girl". And what is really interesting: “ladies” are tastier and sweeter. They also contain fewer bones. They, however, according to statistics, only 20% of the crop. Will have to search!
8 What should watermelon smell like?
Slightly rub the side of the watermelon with your fingernail; when rubbing the rind, the unripe fruit can emit the smell of freshly cut grass. Perhaps it is better to choose another copy!
9 Safety
A seller in the market may offer to cut a triangular piece out of a watermelon so that you can see with your own eyes that it is ripe. Don't agree! Are you sure the knife is clean and sterile? That's it. And even if it were clean, no one washed the watermelon itself! Its surface is full of pathogens of intestinal infections, which, if the integrity of the fetus is violated, penetrate into the pulp and, together with it, enter the stomach.
While you bring the purchase home, dirt can clog into the incision, and the pathogens that are inside will begin to actively multiply (sweet juice is what microbes need!). The result is an acute food infection, in other words, watermelon poisoning, which is not uncommon in summer.
A cut watermelon, even stored in the refrigerator, already in a day is a considerable danger to the baby, whose intestines are especially susceptible to poisoning.
10 Don't buy watermelon off the road!
As a rule, roadside traders do not have a quality certificate, and no one checks it. Suddenly the pulp is full of nitrates: how do you know? Sometimes these same nitrates, or rather, urine (!), Containing a lot of growth stimulant - nitrogen, is injected with a syringe into unripe fruits to speed up their ripening. It is not difficult to recognize “split” specimens: their flesh is red, and the seeds are white, and the injection mark can be noticeable.
Another argument against shopping on the sidelines: the watermelon peel actively absorbs air pollutants from the air, in particular, salts of lead and other heavy metals contained in exhaust gases that are very harmful to the body.
Ripe watermelons appear on the shelves from August. Soon you will be able to choose!
How to determine if there are nitrates in watermelon?
Black and brown spots over the entire surface of the peel give out the presence of nitrogen salts.
Control check is possible only at home. Cut the watermelon. If the color of the pulp is unevenly red and with purple tint, then there is an excess of nitrates in the watermelon. This will also be indicated by multi-colored bones (black and white in one berry) as well as yellow streaks from the peel to the pulp.
There is another secret: the pulp on the cut of the “correct” watermelon will be with grains, as if sugar, but the watermelon with nitrate content has unnaturally glossy insides.
To fully verify the safety of a sweet purchase, conduct an experiment: dip a piece of watermelon pulp into a glass of water and crush the pulp. muddy water speaks of the naturalness of the berry, did the water turn red? This is an indicator of the presence of nitrates. There is no such fruit!
What is the benefit of watermelon?
Watermelon pulp contains vitamins C, B, B, B 6 , B 9 , PP, carotene (provitamin A), as well as salts of magnesium, potassium, iron, manganese and nickel.
Moreover, in terms of iron content, watermelon is second only to lettuce and spinach. That is why watermelons are useful for patients with iron deficiency anemia. And due to the content of magnesium and calcium, watermelons are good for maintaining the health of the cardiovascular and skeletal systems. 100 g of watermelon contains about 200 mg of magnesium. No other product can be compared with such richness. And in order to fully satisfy the human body's need for magnesium, just 150 g of watermelon per day is enough.
Watermelon is probably the sweetest of all fruits, often referred to as "sugar". But the sugars in watermelon are special. In the edible part of the watermelon, there are fewer carbohydrates than in green peas, apples, oranges and almost as much as in currants, blueberries and raspberries. And the sweet taste of watermelon is mainly due to the presence of fructose.
Nutritionists generally consider watermelon best product For unloading day: patients lose weight on it with pleasure, and even “cleanse” the body along the way, without making any effort. After all, everyone's favorite melon culture has a powerful detox effect!
Watermelon beauty secret
Burnt in the sun? Here's a Korean recipe for you! Wipe the affected areas with a mixture of equally divided watermelon and cucumber juices. The redness will immediately pass, the burning sensation will decrease.
Who can eat watermelon?
Watermelons are not recommended for the formation of kidney stones and gallbladder. Exacerbation of peptic ulcer, inflammatory diseases of the large intestine - colitis, diarrhea, regardless of its cause, as well as heart and kidney diseases with edema - a reason to refrain from the sweet gifts of melons. Well? and those who suffer diabetes, watermelons can be eaten in limited quantities - taking into account the permissible daily allowance sugar consumption.
Watermelon - everyone's favorite treat since childhood. It is not only tasty, but also useful. But some people still do not know how to choose it. Sometimes we come across a tasty and juicy watermelon, and other times it has no taste at all. If you have the same problem, please read this article. She will definitely help you.
We have all seen how watermelons lie on the ground in the markets. But it's better not to buy them here. Buy this item in store. Yes, both to the store and to the market, watermelons are delivered from the same places, but in the second place they are observed sanitary norms. Watermelons must be bought in rooms where shelves and special trays are equipped for storing such products.
If you think that watermelon from the earth is not dangerous to human health, you are deeply mistaken. Yes, dust will not get inside through a thick peel, but it costs nothing for microorganisms to get there through microcracks.
Each fruit ripens at a specific time. And watermelons are no exception. It refers to gourds, it is a heat-loving species. Even in hot countries, they ripen not earlier than the second half of summer, and in our climate at an even later time. Therefore, a good watermelon can be bought no earlier than mid-August..
No need to listen to sellers' stories about what it is early variety. In fact, they are grown in greenhouses on fertilizers. Even if it turns out to be sweet, its nitrate filling will be plentiful.
There are a few more things that you should pay attention to when buying a watermelon, and today we will talk about them:
- Color. If the stripes are bright and contrasting, then the watermelon is ripe and tasty. The crust should be shiny and strong. It cannot be pierced with a fingernail, but it is easy to scratch.
- Integrity. Watermelon should be ripe, whole, not have any cracks or dents. Bacteria that love to feed on watermelon pulp can get into the watermelon through cracks. This watermelon can be poisonous.
- Size. The bigger the watermelon, the riper it is. Although only representatives of certain varieties weigh more than 10 kg. But even with them, only those fruits that are well ripe and filled with liquid reach such sizes. If you want to choose a really tasty watermelon, choose a fruit bigger size. It will be really juicy and tasty.
- Tail. If the watermelon is ripe, then its tail will be completely dry. Any fruit, moderately saturated with moisture and nutrients, stops eating from the bush. The same thing happens with watermelon. The tail may be broken due to the fact that it is dry. Such a watermelon will be ripe and tasty. It happens that sellers deliberately cut it off in order to mislead the buyer and sell the goods. Distinguishing a broken tail from a cut one is quite simple. If the tail is cut off, it will clearly show an even cut.
- cheek color. A cheek is a speck on a watermelon that remains without color, it appears in the place where it lay. If the watermelon is unripe, then it will be white, if, on the contrary, it is a ripe fruit, the cheek will be yellowish or orange.
- Floor. Watermelons are divided into boys and girls. Watermelon girls are considered sweeter. To determine the gender of a watermelon, you need to look at its bottom. In boys, it is convex with small circles, while in girls it is flat and with larger circles.
Almost everyone knows that when you choose a watermelon, you need to knock on it, but not everyone can explain why this is done and what the sound should be. If the fruit is ripe, the sound will be clear and sonorous. If the watermelon is still green, it will be deaf. You can also put a watermelon to your ear and squeeze it slightly, if the fruit is ripe, it will crackle.
Do not forget to ask about the documents for the goods! You have the right to ask any seller for an appropriate document, which should guarantee that the watermelon sold can be consumed by people without fear for their health. This document should contain information: in which country the fruit was grown, harvest time, nitrate content and other characteristics. If the seller will show you a photocopy of the document, pay attention to the seal. It should be in color, not black and white.
When you bought a watermelon and brought it home, you need to check it for nitrates. Cut it open and study. If the flesh is very red with a lilac tint and yellow fibers are observed in it, the watermelon is nitrates. Also pay attention to its cut. It should have a grainy surface, and not have a smooth gloss. Nitrates are concentrated closer to the crust, so it is better for children to leave the middle. Plus, she's the sweetest.
Useful video!
If you do not know how to choose the right watermelon, then buying it will be a lottery for you. If you're lucky, it'll be delicious, if not, you'll end up on hospital bed. There is hardly a person on Earth who does not like watermelon. This truly summer fruit with excellent taste cannot leave anyone indifferent.
This sweet pink fruit is essential attribute summer. But it can be difficult for an ordinary outstanding buyer who is not very versed in agronomy and varieties of watermelons to choose a good watermelon. Therefore, below we provide you with a few rules that will help you in choosing this berry (yes, because watermelon is the most big berry) and will provide you with the purchase of watermelon, which can not only be not tasty, but also bring irreparable harm to your health. 'Cause lately general trend became a glut of watermelons with nitrates, which you can’t notice with the naked eye, which in turn leads to disruption of hemoglobin in the blood, problems with oxygen transport in the human body, and in the most terrible cases even to oncological diseases.
Where to buy watermelon
When choosing a watermelon in a store or on the market, first of all, pay attention to the conditions for their storage, a lot can be determined by the type of watermelon. If watermelons are just lying on the ground, you'd better look elsewhere for this purchase. Watermelon is like a sponge, it absorbs everything. That is, if it has cracks, chips, cuts, bursting places, a huge amount of dirt, microbes, etc. gets inside the berry through them. Any scratch is an opportunity for the substance to penetrate inside the watermelon. According to the rules, the watermelon should be at a distance of 20 centimeters from the ground.And also, you should not ask the seller to cut the watermelon you like, since you cannot be sure of the cleanliness of the knife with which he will do this, thereby introducing not very “useful” substances inside the watermelon.
Remember that watermelon season is mid-August. The earlier you buy a berry, the more likely it is to be saturated with nitrates. How to check? The first is a measurement with a special device. In the event that you do not have this, then you can put a piece of watermelon in a transparent container with water, if the watermelon colors the water, then it contains nitrates.
You have every right to demand from the seller in the store or on the market a certificate that will confirm the origin of this product, as well as the presence of harmful substances such as nitrates, heavy metals, etc. If you are presented with a copy, then it must have a color seal. Be careful!
Remember, if you choose a sweet watermelon, then you should not chase the size, you should not buy very big watermelon. Yes, exactly, and even if you have a large family and you don’t want to “stay at the edge of the trough”, it’s better to buy a few, but medium ones. Be content with the "golden mean" rule. But there are exceptions, if this is the Crimson Glory variety, then its dimensions can reach 17 kg without recharge and nitrates. How to recognize him? It will have large light streaks and be oblong in shape, with a very thick rind.
How to choose a ripe watermelon: peel color, thickness, elasticity and smell
These are the indicators that will help you choose the right watermelon when buying. If, under the pressure of the nail, the rind of the watermelon is easily squeezed through, and when you rub it, you smell greenery, freshly cut grass - it is not ripe. This is very simply explained. When the watermelon fruit has reached the peak of its maturity, its tail dries up, water from the roots stops getting to the fruit, and its peel hardens and makes a crackling sound that is pleasant to the ear when cut.In case you bought an unripe watermelon, but without nitrates, do not worry, you can use it in cooking to pickle, ferment, preserve, etc. Remember, if a watermelon is picked not ripe, it will not ripen under any circumstances, it's not strawberries or tomatoes, it just lies down and it's not about him. Also, if you see a watermelon in a section and its bones have different colour- black and white, this is also a sign of a large amount of nitrates.
If you want to choose a ripe and sweet watermelon - choose a minke whale! Choose a watermelon with maximum color contrast between its stripes on the rind. This is also not unimportant, as it indicates the sweetness and ripeness of this fruit.
Do not be afraid if there is a speck of yellow on one side. This is a “resting barrel”, the watermelon ripens on the ground, and when its tail, which we have already mentioned above, dries up, then all processes of chlorophyll production stop, which, as a result, leads to the formation of these yellow and orange spots - “barrels”. Please note - the speck should be on one, in no case on several sides, as long as this will indicate its long-term storage, and shifting on the way to the counter. Watermelon will simply not be fresh and lethargic. The spot should be no more than 5-10 centimeters in size and not be white.
If you take a watermelon in your hands, press it to your ear and squeeze it slightly, you should hear a slight crackle - it means the watermelon is ripe. It is also possible to choose a watermelon by knocking on it, if you hear a dull sound - this does not always mean the ripeness of the watermelon, most likely you are holding in the hands of an already overripe watermelon.
When not to buy watermelon
If inside the watermelon, directly on the pulp itself, there are cracks along the entire length, this indicates that a huge amount of nitrates was added to the watermelon, under the influence of which it began to grow rapidly and the flesh simply broke. The presence of nitrates will also be indicated by yellow streaks in the pulp of the watermelon.If you want to choose a delicious watermelon, then keep in mind that an overripe watermelon can have a dull sound, it can be dangerous to health and lead to poisoning, because it starts to turn sour inside, unfavorable microflora, bacteria develop and in some cases can be released even toxins. If you cut a watermelon, and it is overripe, it is best to throw it away. How to determine? Smell if you hear a sour smell - this watermelon is better not to eat.
How to choose a watermelon girl
For a boy, the opposite side of the watermelon will be convex with a small circle. And the “watermelon - girls” has the opposite - with a flat bottom and a large circle. It is believed that "watermelon - girl" is much tastier and sweeter than "watermelon - boy."
And of course, if you bought a watermelon, came home, do not forget to wash it before you eat it, even if you don’t eat it with the peel, all the same, when you cut it, all the dirt gets on the pulp, which may adversely affect your future well-being.
How to store watermelon
Choosing the right ripe watermelon is half the battle, what if the watermelon is not finished? If this has already happened, then remember that the shelf life of an already split fruit is no more than three days. It is best to store in the refrigerator, cut side down on the plate, so it will retain its freshness longer. An uncut berry fruit can be stored for a week or even more.Despite all beneficial features watermelon, it is contraindicated in large quantities, people suffering from diabetes, as well as overweight people, as it contains a lot of sugar.
Video how to choose a ripe watermelon
