The alluring word bazaar, with many-sided associations and a special microclimate, and the strict word supermarket, implying procedural order and thoughtful display of goods. Wherever we go shopping, we need to master the ability to choose among the many offers, and today we will tell you how to choose a watermelon. To provide a comprehensive answer to the question, we will describe all the nuances in the article, which will allow you to find a good product, distinguishing it from the crowd based on its indicative characteristics.
It's no wonder how much watermelon is loved around the world. Americans did not regret choosing the warmest month of the year for watermelon festivals. Among the Slavs ripe watermelon decorates August and September.
Sweet and juicy watermelon fits perfectly into non-traditional food systems. Vegetarians and raw foodists have long chosen it as a tasty component for light salads and desserts. Previously, we were already lucky enough to plunge into creative cooking and select for you all the best
Moreover! Among many peoples of the world, among the advice of healers, we find therapeutic procedures with watermelon. The most famous of them:
And every time, at least our mood and well-being during the meal, or even health after eating, or a watermelon cleansing diet, depend on the quality of the watermelon - on its sweetness, juiciness and safety of the composition.
How to choose a good watermelon appearance? – the burning question of the season. In answering this question, systematizing knowledge and refuting myths will provide us with some valuable universal advice.
We proceed to the description, armed with two desirable characteristics - sweet ripe watermelon + without excess nitrates.
How to choose a ripe watermelon: instructions
There are many signs that most often circulate in popular rumor as signs of a ripe sweet watermelon: a yellow spot on the side, a dull sound when tapped, a dry tail, not too large in size.
Let's look at the listed and less popular signs in order.
Yellow spot on the side
This is clear evidence that the watermelon is ripe. Its size should be between 5-10 cm in diameter. The spot may even have an orange tint!
But the white spot, on the contrary, reflects the immaturity of the watermelon. A spot that is too large indicates long aging in insufficiently warm conditions. This makes the watermelon less sweet and underripe. Therefore, a spot larger than the palm of your hand should definitely alert you.
Conveniently, this symptom is the same for all varieties, as it occurs due to the contact of the watermelon with the soil in the garden bed.
Contrast of stripes on the peel
For striped varieties, regardless of color intensity, it is the bright contrast of the stripes that indicates that we have a good ripe watermelon.
Hardness of ripe watermelon rind
When the berry is fully ripe, it is almost impossible to pierce it with a fingernail.
IMPORTANT!
If you have already come across an UNRIPPE WATERMELON, do not try to put it aside for ripening. This is impossible under any circumstances. It is better to use unripe watermelon in cooking - in recipes for salted and pickled preparations. Unless, of course, this not-so-successful purchase shows signs of excess nitrates.
Smooth and shiny skin
This is usually a sign of ripe watermelon. However, do not forget about the tricks of traders who constantly grate watermelons. Therefore, choose a fruit from the depths of the display.
Dull sound when tapping
Alas, this sign is not a universal indication of how to choose a ripe watermelon.
Because such a sound is also formed when overripe watermelons are tapped. And eating an overripe watermelon can cause serious damage to health due to the souring of the red pulp.
IMPORTANT!
Even unnoticeable souring of the pulp is an excess of pathogenic bacteria and toxic substances. Therefore, IMMEDIATELY SMELL the cut! When cut, a fresh, ripe watermelon should smell like freshly cut grass.
The second sign of an overripe watermelon is a matte, oily rind. Even on the counter, this noticeably distinguishes it from good ripe watermelons, whose skin is smooth and shiny.
Dry ponytail
It’s a shame, but this popular sign among the people only indicates that the watermelon was picked more than 3 days ago.
Not too big size
Again, not a perfect guide on how to choose a ripe watermelon.
Although the people’s idea seems logical: large size can serve as a sign of nitrate feeding. However, there are varieties of watermelons that ripen to a large size on their own and normally weigh up to 17 kg!
Crimson Gloria
For example, a watermelon of the Crimson Gloria variety, the average weight of which should range from 10 to 17 kg. This variety was created in Crimea specifically in order to transport it over long distances.
Now it is often planted on the mainland South of Russia (for example, in the Volgograd region). It is distinguished by well-defined light stripes, a slightly oblong shape, a noticeably thick peel and a not bright red color of the pulp.
Kherson watermelon
But the Kherson watermelon cannot weigh more than 10 kg! When choosing the most beloved variety of watermelon in Ukraine, you can safely arm yourself with a folk sign. A weight of more than 10 kg for a Kherson watermelon is a sure sign of excess nitrates.
You can distinguish Khersonsky from Crimson Gloria by the peel. The Kherson watermelon has a rind that is darker in color and relatively thin.
Varieties Skorik and Photon
Since we are talking about varieties, we will focus on the two most popular early ripening varieties - Skorik and Photon. The first has a dark green uniform color, and the second has a noticeably light striped skin. Their maximum weight is 7 kg.
If you want to enjoy watermelon in mid-July, you can also rely on folk sign about low weight. Otherwise, you will end up in your hands with a specimen overfed with nitrates. At the same time, remember that watermelon of any early-ripening variety will not be as sweet and juicy as its long-ripening relative at the end of summer.
Hybrid Chill
Finally, let us draw your attention to the interesting variety Kholodok, which was created with an eye to long-term storage. Hybrid Kholodok is a long-ripening variety that ripens only by the end of August.
The main task of its selection was solved with a bang! Its maximum shelf life, even in an apartment, is until the New Year! To do this, you just need to hang it in a net in a dry, dark place (a ventilated closet on the balcony, a well-appointed cellar, basement or shed).
Find out the date of collection of the batch from the documents
This date must be clearly and legibly indicated in the seller's documents. The shelf life of most varieties does not exceed 3 weeks. After 2-3 weeks, the watermelon turns sour (unnoticeably to the taste buds!).
If the watermelon has not turned sour in 2-3 weeks, then it has probably been treated with slaked lime, alabaster or paraffin. Just imagine how many harmful substances penetrate through the peel into the pulp of such storage champions!
IMPORTANT! Whatever watermelon you choose, remember that before eating it you should WASH IT CAREFULLY - WARM WATER + BRUSH!
When choosing where to buy food, you should use a sober mind to weigh the benefits and threats and choose a good ripe watermelon.
Of course, it’s so convenient to buy the gifts of summer nearby - at a spontaneous market next to the intersection. However, if you are a fan of market trading, then it is much wiser to choose watermelons at a reputable market with properly organized sales points.
Invulnerability to dirt from the outside is a deceptive illusion that arises when we look at a thick-skinned watermelon. In fact, WATERMELON IS LIKE A SPONGE!
Everything penetrates into it through the damaged peel! This happens especially quickly when making cuts and punctures with a knife. Dirt, bacteria, heavy metals and environmental toxins. The longer such a watermelon is not sold, the more dangerous it is for an inattentive buyer.
This is why the media highlight cases of unfortunate poisonings and intestinal infections every year. But many less severe cases remain behind the scenes!
In order not to join the number of unlucky ones, let's remember the signs of a bona fide retail outlet where you can choose the right ripe watermelon:
- Specially designated sales area (watermelons and melons);
- Always under a canopy to protect from sun and rain;
- Strictly away from the roadway;
- 20 cm is the minimum height to which the storage tray should be raised above the ground;
- Availability of a surveillance service certificate for each purchased batch.
The supermarket is the most understandable place to purchase food for many “children of asphalt” who grew up in the city during the era of active development of store trade.
There are several stable reasons in favor of choosing watermelon in the store:
- Watermelons are constantly stored under a roof;
- Watermelons are kept away from the roadway;
- Storage trays are at the right height to protect against scratches, damage and the penetration of harmful substances;
- Watermelons are purchased in bulk from large, trusted suppliers.
However, there are also some disadvantages. The general impression of neatness from shopping in a supermarket often pushes us to choose not a whole watermelon, but a slice or half, which are neatly covered with cling film.
Our advice: stop buying cut watermelon once and for all!
- Unknown reason for dividing a whole watermelon;
- Dirt with bacteria, actively penetrating from the watermelon peel;
- Insufficient hygiene of hands and tools during cutting;
- Covering the cut with film, which creates a greenhouse effect for accelerated growth of bacteria.
All this should discourage you from choosing a cut watermelon, even if you like the look of its juicy flesh. It is better to choose a good, smaller watermelon, perhaps of a different variety, but in no case should you choose halves of large fruits.
Otherwise the signs the right choice ripe sweet watermelon in the store are the same as in the market.
Despite the abundance of new varieties and hybrids, most Russians will call the Astrakhan variety of watermelons, bred back in the 70s of the 20th century, the classic and most popular.
It is distinguished by an advantageous property for trade - resistance during storage and transportation. By the end of August, the shelves are filled with the sweetest and largest Astrakhan watermelons. And here the question arises of how to choose an Astrakhan watermelon, and what are the external signs of the popular variety.
Average portrait of a delicious Astrakhan watermelon:
- Shape – round or slightly oblong;
- Surface – smooth;
- Peel color – green;
- Pattern – spiky dark green stripes;
- The color of the pulp is bright red;
- The taste of the pulp is very sweet and juicy;
- The average weight of a watermelon is 8-10 kg.
Below are a few photos of ripe Astrakhan fruits to help you choose sweet watermelon:
How to choose the right watermelon without nitrates
Maximum permissible concentration of nitrates in watermelon: 60 mg per 1 kg of berries.
We pay attention to the following signs of excess nitrates:
- ROUGH YELLOW FIBERS IN THE PULP that go through the pulp to the peel are a reliable sign of excess nitrates.
- UNEVEN COLOR OF THE PULP (sometimes lighter, sometimes darker, especially as the color intensity increases from the peel to the center) is another sign of excess nitrates.
- CRACKS IN THE PULP ON THE HALF CUT: When there are cracks in the red flesh on the middle cut, then most likely there are a lot of nitrates in the berry. They were added to speed up ripening; as a result, the watermelon began to grow sharply and violently, causing the flesh to crack.
- TOO SMOOTH FLESH can be both a sign of nitrates and a clear indication of a lack of sufficient sweetness. Sweet sugar watermelon has red flesh with a noticeable structure - pronounced sugar grains and “sugar islands” on the cut.
- MULTI-COLORED SEEDS, when one watermelon has completely dark and light seeds.
NITRATE TEST WITH WATER
If you bought a watermelon, but doubts overcome you, you can use the test with plain water. Crush a tablespoon of watermelon pulp with a fork in a glass of water (about 150 ml).
- If after some time the water becomes slightly cloudy, you have a watermelon without excess nitrates.
- If the water turns red, don’t risk eating your purchase! There are too many nitrates in the pulp.
It is especially advisable to conduct a test when serving watermelon to children or at a crowded feast, when the risk of poisoning affects many people, including the most vulnerable.
IMPORTANT!
You can be safe from nitrates by selecting special pieces of pulp. Nitrates in watermelon are distributed unevenly - closer to the rind and to the stalk. In a situation you don’t understand, if you still want to feed your children watermelon, give them only the pulp cut out from the middle.
A feature of folk speech is the ability of people to briefly describe a complex concept with an easily recognizable symbol. Thus, the pedestrian crossing became a “zebra”, and connectors for electronic devices acquired the names “male” and “female”.
People's linguistic ingenuity has not spared watermelons either. The same market traders sometimes offer us to buy a “girl”, claiming that girl watermelons are sweeter and have an order of magnitude fewer seeds.
How to choose a ripe “girl” watermelon? A “boy” differs from a “girl” in two ways:
- Relief of the butt.
- The depth of attachment of the tip or the speck that remains from the tip when it is torn off.
“Boys” have a raised butt, the tip is recessed inward, and the spot is pulled together into a small point. The “girl” has a flatter butt and a larger spot.
In the photo below you can easily see the difference.
Boy
Girl
To choose the sweetest watermelon, you should look for a “girl,” although it is believed that there are much fewer of them on the shelves - no more than 20% of the total harvest sold.
At the same time, it should be noted that many breeders and experienced sellers are skeptical about this division of watermelons.
If you want to surprise your guests with a beautiful and practical cut, use the advice of our chef.
When you don’t know how to choose the right watermelon, buying it is like a lottery for you. If you're lucky, enjoy the juicy sweet taste. If you're unlucky, you'll end up in a hospital bed. Remember this by carefully studying the intricacies of choosing watermelons, and protect yourself and your loved ones from dirt, heavy metals and nitrates. And then you will be pleased with not even the sweetest watermelon.
Sweet, ripe and nitrate-free? There are many tricks and tricks to distinguish healthy berries with juicy ripe pulp.
The second half of summer is a real holiday for watermelon lovers. You can enjoy your favorite berry every day: eat the pulp cut into slices, prepare cocktails and a variety of desserts. But the fruit brought home from the market or store is not always tasty and healthy: the pulp may be unripe or unsweetened, and a concentration of nitrates that exceeds the norm can cause disturbances in blood composition and cause severe poisoning.
There are several rules by adhering to which you can choose a watermelon that is not only ripe and sweet, but also without containing nitrogen fertilizers harmful to the body.
With the beginning of the season, watermelons can be found in supermarkets, markets, and in open-air tents. Taste and beneficial features berries largely depend on storage conditions, so before you go shopping for watermelon, it is important to choose the right place to buy.
Sanitary conditions in stores and specially equipped storage facilities are much better than in spontaneous markets and tents. Experts strongly do not recommend purchasing watermelons from sellers who offer to choose fruits from heaps dumped on the roadsides directly on the ground. Despite the thick peel, the berries are able to absorb many harmful substances deposited from exhaust gases, and various pathogens can penetrate inside through small cracks.
If you still decide to choose a watermelon in an outdoor tent, pay attention to the following:
- from above the fruits must be covered with a hanging awning;
- all watermelons must be on a special flooring with a height of at least 20 cm;
- The best option is to have side walls in the tent that protect the berries from dust and dirt.
Before choosing a watermelon on the market, in a store or other point of sale, the buyer has the right to request certificates confirming the quality of the product. The document indicates the timing and place of collection, the presence of nitrates and other data that will allow you to make a choice. If there is no documentation, you should not risk your health, even if the price is lower than that of other sellers.
At a certain temperature and humidity, watermelons can be stored for quite a long time, however, it is impossible to provide such conditions at street sales points. This means that the average shelf life is no more than 2-3 weeks. After this, the berries begin to sour and lose their taste. If it is not possible to determine the harvest date, you can check this by tearing off a small piece of skin with your fingernail: fresh watermelons you can only smell the mown grass, but it will appear on the surface a small amount of moisture.
Some producers and sellers, in order to preserve the harvest longer, treat it with a mixture of chalk or a solution of alabaster and paraffin. The storage duration increases by 1.5-2 times, but the quality of the berries decreases significantly: frequent use Eating the pulp of such watermelons can result in the formation of sand in the kidneys.
The most beneficial are watermelons grown on open ground. Since this melon crop is heat-loving, the first ripe fruits appear no earlier than the second half of summer. At first, berries imported from Central Asian countries go on sale, and a little later - from the southern regions of the country. Optimal time for purchasing your favorite delicacy begins in the second ten days of August and continues until the last days of September. During this period, you have the highest chances of choosing a watermelon that is not only tasty, but also free of nitrates.
By appearance
Experienced lovers of sweet fruits first of all pay attention to the color and other external characteristics of the rind. Knowing some tricks will allow you to determine the ripeness of the pulp even without preliminary testing. What should you pay attention to and how to choose the right watermelon based on appearance?
Many people are interested in the question: is it possible to determine the presence of nitrates in the pulp by appearance? Unfortunately, it is impossible to determine the content of an increased amount of harmful substances without cutting the fruit, unless using a special device.
Knowing the signs of excess nitrate levels will help you avoid poisoning. Before eating a cut watermelon, inspect it carefully:
- a good watermelon has pulp, on the cut of which sugar grains are clearly visible;
- a dangerous concentration of nitrates may be indicated by the presence of voids in the central part of the fruit;
- A ripe watermelon has black seeds; the combination of unripe seeds and ripe red pulp is a bad sign.
By sound
When a watermelon ripens, the pulp changes its density - it becomes more porous. This feature makes it possible to determine ripeness by the sound that the berry makes when tapped. To do this, tap the crust with your knuckle. The louder the sound, the riper the berry. You can test several watermelons in this way and compare the results.
How else can you choose a watermelon by sound? There is another known method for determining ripeness, which is more suitable for men. The fruit is squeezed between two palms facing each other. They should be placed in the middle between the tail and the bottom. When you squeeze the palms of a ripe fruit, the peel will make a characteristic soft crackling sound. This method requires a certain physical strength, but its reliability is quite high.
The main taste characteristic by which the quality of the crop is assessed is the amount of sugar in the pulp. At the same time, the sweetness of a berry is not always directly related to its ripeness: it happens that a red fruit with ripe seeds may not be sweet at all.
What affects the taste of watermelon and what sugar levels are considered optimal? During the mass cultivation of melons, the suitability of the fruit for consumption is determined when the sugar concentration reaches 10% or more. To determine this indicator, a special device is used - a refractometer. In the melon field, several fruits are selected in different places, cut and the level of sugar content of the pulp in the central part of the fruit is measured.
However, not all manufacturers offer a product with the recommended characteristics. What is the reason for the decrease in taste? There are several factors influencing the taste of the pulp.
First of all, the choice of variety is important. Despite the large number of different types of melons, breeding work does not stop, thanks to which new and improved hybrids appear. As a result of crossing, not all characteristics can be improved, and often an increase in disease resistance or an increase in yield affects the taste characteristics. When choosing a variety, you should take into account the growing conditions, as well as the structure and composition of the soil.
Even correctly selected seeds may not produce the desired yield if the cultivation technology is not followed or if there are unfavorable weather factors. For normal sugar levels the following conditions are necessary:
- Sufficient lighting. The more sunny days there are during the period of plant growth and fruit formation, the sweeter the harvest will be.
- Presence of moisture. Sufficient soil moisture ensures good germination of crops and normal growth of melons. But during the ripening of the crop, excess moisture can have a very negative impact on their taste: if there is heavy rain after dry days, the plants can continue to grow and pull some of the substances accumulated in the fruits back into the leaves and stems.
- Nutrition. Watermelon is highly sensitive to the presence of mineral fertilizers in the soil. When planting plants on poor soils, regular feeding of the plants is necessary, which makes it possible to obtain a richer harvest and increase the sugar concentration by as much as 2-3%. Some unscrupulous producers achieve increased yields by adding too much nitrogen to the soil. It is capable of causing intense cell growth, in which their number remains the same, but their size exceeds the norm several times. The increase in volume in this case occurs due to the accumulation of water and deterioration of taste. With an increased amount of nitrogen, the pulp may acquire a specific bitter taste.
Another reason for non-compliance with the expected taste is untimely harvesting. Watermelon, unlike the vast majority of fruits, is not able to ripen after picking. The taste characteristics are also affected by transportation and storage conditions.
So how can you choose a watermelon with sweet flesh? Unfortunately, there are no external signs of determining the taste of the pulp. You can find out how tasty and sweet the fruit is only after taking a sample.
Many people prefer to choose the most large berries, mistakenly believing that they are the most ripe. In fact, too large a size may be a sign of artificially enlarging the fruit by applying large quantity nitrogen fertilizers.
The optimal weight depends on the variety: for most of the most popular variety types in the middle zone, this figure is at the level of 5-6 kg; for large varieties and hybrids (“”, “”, “Palladin”, “”), the fruit weight can reach 10-12 kg. When choosing from one lot, it is better to buy not the largest or the most small watermelon, and give preference to average specimens.
Currently, the opinion that a light shade of the skin is a sign of insufficient ripeness is not true. This is due to the achievements of modern breeding, thanks to which a large number of very diverse species with a peel shade from light green to dark green, approaching black, have recently appeared.
Experts advise paying attention not to how dark or light the watermelon is, but to the contrast between the stripes on the peel. The more pronounced the difference between adjacent stripes, the tastier the pulp.
Before choosing a watermelon, it is recommended to inspect the stem. Should the tail of a watermelon be completely dry or is this not an indicator of ripeness at all? A ripe berry stops consuming moisture and gradually the stalk dries out at the point of attachment to the stem. A dried tail is one of the signs of ripening, but only when it is fragile and breaks easily.
If the stalk is simply sluggish, we can say with great confidence that the harvest was harvested ahead of schedule, and the stalk dried out during transportation. A clear sign of unripe fruits are correctly cut ends of the tails.
Another well-known selection method is to evaluate the surface condition of the peel. It is believed that after ripening, the watermelon rind begins to shine. How true is this and should the surface of a ripe fruit be smooth and shiny?
When ripe, the hardness of the peel increases, and its top layer acquires a pronounced waxy sheen. During the period most suitable for eating watermelon, this shine remains, but when overripe, the skin becomes dull again.
However, this sign is not true for all varieties: many recently bred hybrids have a wax-like coating from the very beginning of fruit formation. It is also worth choosing a berry, taking into account the tricks of sellers who specially rub the surface of the crust until it shines.
At the point of contact with the ground, a so-called “cheek” is formed - a light spot that can have a shade from white to orange. The presence of such a spot is normal if its diameter, depending on total weight does not exceed 5-10 cm. Light areas of much larger size indicate low quality of the harvest.
By the color of the “cheek” you can determine the degree of maturation. In unripe berries, it is white with visible stripes, but a clean, completely yellow or orange spot on a watermelon indicates that it is ready to eat.
Sometimes, when cutting the fruit, it is discovered that the pulp has an uneven structure and is riddled with dense light veins. What do those white threads inside a watermelon mean? The appearance of compactions is a plant response to stress caused by a sudden change in growing conditions. Basically, such threads appear during sudden changes in temperature.
If there are veins in the pulp, before eating it, you should pay attention to the color of the threads: a yellowish tint is one of the signs high content nitrates
Often, buyers try to choose a watermelon based on the shape and size of the lower part, which remains in place of the fallen flower. It is believed that girls have a wider “mole” and are distinguished by their sweetness, but the taste of a boy, who has a small convex bottom, is much worse. How true are these signs of watermelon sweetness?
The dimensions of the lower part depend solely on the size of the flower and have nothing to do with the “sexual” division of the fruit. Good watermelon does not have to have a wide and flat bottom. At the same time, the size of the “mole” can tell about the number of seeds inside: the so-called “boys” have few of them and they are small, but the flesh of the “girls” contains many large seeds.
Is it possible to eat early watermelons?
The first watermelons on the shelves of shops and markets can be found already in July. Among amateurs sweet berries There is an opinion that early watermelons contain an increased amount of ammonia fertilizers. How true is this and is it possible to eat the first harvest?
It is impossible to answer this question unequivocally. Ultra-early varieties developed by breeders are capable of producing crops much earlier than mid-season representatives of the crop. The technology of growing plants indoors has opened up additional opportunities. It is quite possible that the earliest fruits were grown in compliance with feeding requirements and do not pose a health threat. The presence of nitrates can be determined from a quality certificate or using a manual nitrate meter.
Knowing the secrets and tricks listed above will help you choose a watermelon that will delight you with its refreshing, sweet, juicy and healthy pulp.
In the summer the most favorite treat children and adults - watermelon. The juicy aromatic fruit is useful alternative dessert. Do not rush to buy berries; they may turn out to be completely tasteless and watery.
How to choose the right watermelon so that it turns out to be ripe and sweet, what you need to pay attention to, will be advised by the advice of experienced farmers.
The height of the watermelon season does not come until August. At this time, melons and watermelons are ripening in the melon patch. Therefore, without any fears, you can safely buy crops in the last month of summer.
However, some sellers begin trading almost from the beginning of June. Buying fruits at this time is very dangerous; most likely, chemicals were used for early ripening that accelerate growth. These components include nitrates. They are not noticeable by sight or taste, but to the human body cause colossal harm, up to severe food poisoning
Important! For the presence of nitrates watermelon pulp You can check it the traditional way. The pulp is crushed and placed in a glass of water. If the water turns red, it is absolutely forbidden to eat the fruit. The appearance of turbidity in the glass indicates that the pulp is healthy.
What to look for
There are several ways to help you choose a crop with ripe and aromatic pulp. They are not difficult to remember, but in practice they will be very useful.
Peel
It is necessary to carefully examine the fruit from all sides for cracks, mechanical damage, and scratches. The skin must be intact, without flaws. Damaged areas of the skin indicate that microbes could have already penetrated into the watermelon pulp; it is better not to buy such a fruit.
The crop is brightly colored - the more intensely the stripes are colored. green color, the sweeter the pulp will be. Bright green stripes are a sign that the fruit has been in the sun for a long time and has already ripened well.
The yellow spot is the place where the fruit lay while it was ripe. If it has a white tint, it means that the fruit has not been lying on the melon field for too long. The size of the spot on a mature watermelon can reach from 5 to 10 centimeters in diameter.
The peel can be lightly rubbed with your hand - there should not be a strong odor from it. If the aroma of fresh hay is present, it means the watermelon is not yet ripe.
Size
Many people mistakenly assume that the larger the watermelon, the sweeter it is. This rule rarely works. The most optimal size is medium. Small watermelons are most often unripe fruits, and overgrown ones are berries that have been heavily pumped with nitrates by unscrupulous farmers.
Of all the fruits presented, you need to choose a watermelon weighing up to 20 kilograms, no more.
Boy or girl
Lovers of sweet berries know that there is a difference between the shape of the fruit. Some watermelons have an elongated shape, with a convex lower part - these are the so-called male representatives. In female watermelons, the shape of the fruit is more flattened and round, and the bottom is flat.
It is believed that girl watermelons taste the sweetest. Their flesh literally melts in your mouth, and there are few seeds.
Sound
The most common way to determine the ripeness of a fruit is to knock on it. If the knock is dull, unclear and generally hard to hear, most likely the pulp is not yet ripe. When you tap a ripe watermelon, the sound is clear and ringing. You can try to lightly press on the walls of the fruit - if they crack, be sure to buy such a specimen.
Important! If the watermelon is already overripe, then squeezing the peel can lead to further cracking.
Tail
Absolutely every fruit has a tail located in the upper part. If it is yellow in color and dry to the touch, it means that the berry has already been picked ripe. A green tail indicates that the watermelon is not yet fully ripe.
However, with this method of assessment, errors sometimes occur. After all, even in unripe watermelons, over time, the tail dries out and turns yellow. But if there is no tail at all, this should alert you. It was cut off by an unscrupulous seller to hide its ripeness - such fruits should be avoided.
Where is the best place to buy
You can purchase the culture in any large supermarkets and grocery stores. There, storage standards, special conditions and product proximity are observed. You can buy fruits in the markets, but you should inquire about the availability of a quality certificate. Any seller should have it. The certificate indicates where the watermelon was grown, its harvest date, and may even indicate the absence or, conversely, the content of nitrates.
If there is no certificate, or the seller behaves insecurely, you need to leave - this place probably sells low-quality products. The presence of a certificate is always a positive aspect when selling berries and indicates the good reputation of the seller.
Very often at the market, to make sure the berries are ripe, sellers offer to cut off a piece and let the buyer taste the pulp. This cannot be done. There may be an infection on the knife, and the watermelon itself has not yet been washed. Many cases of poisoning occur precisely because of such unsanitary conditions.
When the fruit has already been purchased, before you start eating it, wash it well in the bathroom or sink with soap and baking soda. Then the skin is wiped dry and only then cut into pieces and enjoyed the aroma and sugary taste.
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It is recommended to buy watermelons from reliable sellers, and the berries should be protected from dust and not piled up near the road. Some buyers try it to determine the ripeness of watermelons, but this should not be done, because along with the juicy pulp you can introduce harmful microorganisms into your body that have fallen onto the slice from the environment. For sanitary reasons, it is not recommended to purchase watermelons with a crack, even a small one, or bruises. These places can serve as an excellent breeding ground for pathogenic bacteria.
Some watermelon producers add significant amounts of fertilizers, especially nitrogen, to the soil to obtain increased yields. As a result of such events, the fruits develop intensively and become large, but they, as a rule, are immature and pose a danger to human health. Each seller must have a certificate confirming the absence of harmful substances in watermelons. Sometimes nitrates are injected into the fruit with a syringe to speed up the ripening of the pulp, but in this case you can see the puncture site.
If nitrates are introduced from the soil, then it was previously impossible to determine their presence without cutting the fruit. However, now there are nitrate meters on sale - devices that will show the nitrate content in watermelon. It is useful to have a nitrate meter on the farm to measure the levels of these substances when purchasing all vegetables and fruits.
Usually, when cutting a natural watermelon without the use of chemicals, you can find black seeds, and the presence of harmful substances is revealed by insufficiently sweet and light pulp and unripe seeds. U natural product when broken, the granular middle is exposed, while the fruit, overfed with fertilizers, contains a significant amount of fiber. The presence of white veins usually indicates a lack of heat during ripening, and yellow formations indicate an excess of mineral fertilizers. If the watermelon pulp is too bright, you need to cut off a piece and stir it in water. Typically, a change in the color of the liquid indicates artificial coloring.
How to determine the ripeness of a watermelon by appearance
A fully ripe watermelon should weigh within 6 kilograms, but smaller fruits can also be ripe, but they need to be further tested. It is better not to take berries of significant weight if you do not plan to eat everything on the day of purchase, because cut fruit can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than a day. Melon growers say that irregularly shaped watermelons are often much sweeter than standard ones.
When any variety of watermelon ripens, the color of the stripes on its rind acquires a contrast with the main color. When choosing, pay special attention to the spot where the fruit touches the ground - in ripe and sweet watermelons it is yellow with a diameter of 10 centimeters or more, in unripe ones it is white. The rind of sweet, fully ripe watermelons can be easily scraped off with a fingernail.
The stalk of a ripe fruit is yellowish and dry, while that of an unripe watermelon is green. With an experienced eye, you can determine how the tail of the fruit separated from the main stem - by itself or it was torn off for a long time; a cut with a knife is more difficult to determine. If a watermelon does not have a tail, then it was removed on purpose, so it is not recommended to buy such a fruit.
Other signs of a ripe watermelon include a dull sound when tapped on the fruit, a characteristic cracking sound when pressed, as well as a coating on the surface. The density of the fruit pulp decreases during ripening, so a high-quality berry does not sink in water.
When do watermelons ripen?
The ripening period of watermelon berries depends on the variety and other biological characteristics of this crop. Under standard growing conditions in warm regions, the crops in question begin to ripen in mid-summer, but are harvested selectively. Melon growers pay attention to the fact that berries intended for transportation over long distances are picked a few days from the moment of physiological ripeness.
Midsummer is the approximate period for the first watermelons to ripen. In fact, it all depends on many factors: the growing region, the variety used, soil conditions, as well as technology (plants can develop and produce crops in unprotected soil or greenhouses). Depending on the selected variety, from the moment of germination to the appearance of the first harvest, it can take from 65 (for early ripening watermelons) to 100 days (for late varieties).
The most delicious berries with sweet pulp are obtained in the southern regions of our country, when grown on light sandy soils, and it is absolutely useless to grow such varieties of watermelons in the middle zone or Siberia, where loamy and cold soils are present. Crops that will be planted in the climatic zones considered will not only ripen late, but will also not have time to accumulate a sufficient amount of sugar, and the fruits will be lopsided. It has been noted that the ripening of watermelons may be delayed in the event of a rainy summer and an imbalance in positive temperatures. In such situations, to speed up the ripening process, a frame is placed over the crops and a transparent plastic film is stretched.
Tips for choosing a sweet and ripe watermelon - video
Ah, summer, summer! It’s a wonderful time when all people are relaxing, children are on vacation, adults are going on their well-deserved vacation. And immediately trips to the beaches and trips to the sea begin. But summer is not only sun and tan, but also delicious watermelons! In the summer, this large berry becomes a faithful companion on every trip to the forest, on a picnic, on a hike, to the beach, or on a visit. You can just buy a watermelon for home. He will not let you get bored and stay hungry. However, choosing a ripe, juicy and tasty watermelon is not the easiest task. To buy only delicious products, you need to know when to buy them and what they should be.
How to choose a ripe watermelon
A well-ripened berry is tasty, healthy, and simply a pleasure. Many people do not know how to choose the right watermelon. In order for the purchased berry to please you with its taste, you need to know a few tricks. These are the ones you need to focus on when you go shopping for a watermelon:
- Place of trade.
- Berry color and contrast.
- Sound qualities.
- Peel requirements.
- Weight range.
Requirements for place of purchase
To purchase a truly delicious watermelon, you need to decide where it is best to buy it. You should not buy miracle berries in street stalls. Of course, it is better to give preference to trusted places (shops, shopping centers, civilized markets). The first thing you need to pay attention to when choosing a watermelon is its storage conditions. Berries should be placed in trays that are specifically designed for this purpose. Moreover, their height should be at least a quarter of a meter.
In addition, watermelons should be hidden from direct sunlight, i.e. mandatory be under a canopy. Don't be shy about asking for a certificate. The seller must have a document on hand that will at least indicate that his product has passed the examination and does not contain nitrates exceeding the established level. If your health is valuable, then you should not be afraid to stand up for your rights. One simple question about the certificate can easily prevent the possibility of food poisoning.
If you are satisfied with the quality of the place where watermelons are sold, and the owner has the necessary documents for his product, but his shelter is located next to a highway, then you should not buy a watermelon in this place, even if it seems ideal to you. According to their properties, melons perfectly absorb everything from the environment, because their bark has many microcracks. Stripes, which are sold along highways, absorb large amounts of exhaust gases and harmful substances. Eating them can cause serious damage to your health.
What a ripe watermelon should sound like
A ripe berry, when tapped, should respond with a dull sound, as if there was nothing under its bark. And if it is possible to squeeze the watermelon on both sides, then you should definitely perform this procedure. If the minke whale responds with a sonorous crack, then you can be sure that it was collected from the garden on time, it is very juicy and ripe.
Requirements for the condition of the peel and its color
Watermelons should be of the correct spherical shape. This criterion does not apply to Japanese square berries, which are grown using special technology in glass cubes - this is a completely different matter. The color of the watermelon peel should be dark, and the darker it is, the better and tastier it will be, and the stripes should be as light as possible. The higher the contrast of the berry, the more likely it is that it will be tasty and juicy. As for the peel, it should be hard and shiny, always without plaque. Hardness is determined by fingers: if the berries have a soft skin, then they are most likely unripe. It’s worth trying to rub the shell with your fingernail. If it scratches easily, this is definitely a plus in favor of choosing this watermelon. There should not be any cracks, stains, etc. on the surface of the fruit. It must be solid, because all extraneous points indicate the unnaturalness of the minke whale. In addition, such inclusions can indicate the introduction of injections of various drugs.
Most likely, you may have heard before that if there is a yellow spot on the side of a watermelon, this indicates its ripeness. Yes, this is true, but this mark must be bright yellow, and in no case white. The white spot just shows how the watermelon lay (and possibly was stored for a long time) on the ground. Such a fruit is unlikely to please anyone with its taste.
Often, people do not know how to choose a sweet watermelon and ask the seller for help. Unfortunately, the time has passed when people behind the counter were afraid for their reputation and were happy to help the buyer. Now the majority is aimed at selling their goods at any cost. Find a good seller who will really help you choose good fruit, - very great luck. Therefore, every person should know how to choose a ripe watermelon correctly.
You should not buy berries with a cut out of the middle. This is bad not only from a hygienic point of view (after all, you don’t know what kind of knife was used to open the opening), but also from the point of view of preservation, since once cut or at least incised, the berry will no longer retain its properties for a long time. taste qualities, if it is not placed in the refrigerator. Also, you should not buy damaged watermelons, even if they are offered at a discounted price. It is better to pay more for tasty and ripe fruit than to suffer from stomach problems later.
Another useful and no less important factor when choosing a watermelon is the dry tail of the berry. When ripe, the minke whale itself breaks away from the place of its ripening on the melon patch, like any other of its family. But, unfortunately, a dry tail may also indicate that it was picked a long time ago, so this sign is only an additional one in the question of how to choose a good watermelon.
Weight requirements
When choosing a watermelon, you should give preference to those fruits that are small in size. It is better that the weight does not exceed ten kilograms. Stripes heavier than this mark are large in volume and are usually famous for their unnaturalness. But you shouldn’t chase small watermelons - they are usually unripe and a bit bland. The main thing is that before you eat the purchased minke whale, you should smell it. So to speak, to check whether he grew on his own or whether the miracles of chemistry helped him. If it emits a sour smell, it is better not to take it: you can easily get nitrate poisoning. If there is no pronounced specific aroma, you can be proud of yourself: you bought a good, natural watermelon.
How to choose a watermelon girl
Many people do not like to eat watermelon due to the presence of a large number of seeds. In order not to suffer with them, you can cheat a little and find a special fruit, namely a girl watermelon. Buying it is not very easy, because almost everything on sale is for boys. And according to statistics, for every twenty watermelon boys there is only one girl and, as you understand, meeting her at the market is very rare.
So, how to identify a ripe girl watermelon? Stripes are identified by gender only by their butts. The “soft spot” of a girl’s watermelon is flat, with a large spot, while in a boy’s berry it is raised and has a smaller spot. The difference in this butt mark is the flower that blooms as girls mature.
If you know how to choose a ripe boy watermelon, then buying a girl berry will not be difficult either.
How to choose between two identical watermelons
We are all very indecisive and want to get the best product. People always feel unsure about which berry to give preference to when they are satisfied with both. How to choose a delicious watermelon from two that look identical? When choosing between two identical berries, you should give preference to the one that is lighter. The entire weight of a watermelon depends on how much water it contains. With the same volume, a larger mass will indicate its juiciness, and a smaller striped berry will have sweeter pulp.
The first signs of a tasty watermelon
Let’s briefly summarize all the information on how to choose a ripe watermelon, and what you should pay attention to:
- The average size.
- Smooth, clean, shiny skin.
- High contrast watermelon stripes.
- A small yellow or orange spot on the side, but in no case white.
- The peel should feel firm when pressed with your fingernail.
- Dry tail.
- When choosing between a boy and a girl, take the girl, and distinguish between them by their curvy and flat butt.
- Crunches when pressed, buzzes when slapped.
- No cracks or damage to the skin.
- Large volume and low weight.
- No sour smell when cutting.
