How to identify a watermelon by color where it comes from. We buy in season

Exhausting from the summer heat, you really want to quench your thirst with something fresh and tasty. As well as possible, watermelon is suitable for these purposes. A large berry beckons with crumbly pulp full of vitamins.

Alas, in recent years there has been a tendency to reduce the quality of this product. And an unpleasant surprise may be unripe pulp. How not to bring home a "pig in a poke"? In this article, we will look at all the tricks that answer the most important question for the buyer - how to choose a watermelon. Tips will help you buy the safest, most ripe berry, which will certainly cheer you up, while bringing a lot of benefits.

Benefit and harm

Before you make a purchase, get acquainted with the fetus. The most delicious and ripe pumpkins contain the following substances:

vitamins;
organic acids;
trace elements;
cellulose;
pectin;
lycopene;
easily digestible carbohydrates.

Low calorie content - 27 kcal per 100 grams of product - allows you to use the fruit in therapeutic diets. The tidbits are used in vegetarian cuisine. Useful substances will help to improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, replenish the water-salt balance, strengthen the immune system, remove toxins, toxins, and cholesterol from the body.

Sweet pulp can be consumed even by diabetics.

risk factor

Unfortunately, manufacturers often use hazardous chemicals for cultivation, and traders do not follow the rules for transporting, storing, and selling goods. In pursuit of money, they do not think about the end consumer. In order not to fall into the trap, you should know how to choose the right watermelon.

seasonality

Looking at the vegetable shelves in the supermarket, it is so easy to be tempted to buy summer fruits in the uncharacteristic season for them. The first thing to remember before choosing a watermelon is the seasonality of a heat-loving crop.

Meanwhile, melon ripens in mid-August. By making a purchase before this time, you risk not only acquiring unripe fruits, but also getting serious poisoning. Producers are trying to harvest early, hitting the jackpot on the first wave of sales. For these purposes, the berry is plentifully pumped, processed with chemicals for long-term storage of goods. The sooner you give in to the temptation, the higher the risk of chemical poisoning.

Mass ripening of melons begins in mid-August and continues until the end of September. This time period is the best time to buy sweet watermelon without unnecessary chemicals.

Market vs Supermarket - Trading Rules

Choosing a watermelon is not an easy task. Where is it better to buy sweet melons - in the market or in the supermarket? The answer to this question lies in the seller's compliance with the rules of trade.

You should buy berries in places specially designated for sale - in the market or in a closed pavilion. Most supermarkets carefully monitor compliance with trade rules, requiring relevant documents from suppliers.

You can purchase goods on the market if the following trading rules are met:

the presence of a canopy from the sun and rain;
distance from the roadway;
availability of documents for each consignment of goods;
the presence of a pallet with a height of 15-20 cm.

Trade in melons from the ground is a violation of the law.

Where you can not buy melon

Making a purchase in a spontaneous market or from a car by the road is not a good idea. The fruit easily absorbs harmful substances from the environment. The slightest microcrack in the peel and the pulp will become a nutrient substrate for the reproduction of microbes. A watermelon that has been lying on a counter by the side of the road will easily absorb heavy metals from exhaust gases.

Which fruit is better to refuse completely

Supermarkets are also fraught with danger. Often, cut fruits are sold in a closed trading area; in the market, you are unlikely to succumb to the temptation to try a piece of juicy pulp. And the ostentatious cleanliness of the store can lure the buyer into a trap. The risk of acquiring an unripe watermelon is reduced, but there is an opportunity to catch an intestinal infection.

Never buy a cut fruit.

It is not known why the berry was cut. She may have started to deteriorate. If dirty tools were used during the cutting process or the fetus was not washed, pathogenic bacteria probably got inside. To prevent the pulp from getting dirty, sellers pack it in cling film. Such material will only contribute to the rate of reproduction of microorganisms.

Submit your documents!

Before choosing a watermelon at a retail outlet, ask the seller about the availability of documents. By law, each product is subject to mandatory or voluntary certification. Merchants must have a certificate of conformity for each batch of melons.

This document contains the following information:

importer;
the country in which the culture was grown;
harvest date;
compliance with quality standards (content of harmful substances);
the period of sale of the goods.

The presence of a blue seal is a guarantee of the quality of the goods.

If the seller does not present the relevant document, it is better to refrain from buying.

Folk omens

Folk signs will help you choose a ripe watermelon. People have long learned to determine the degree of maturity of the fetus by characteristic features. An experienced buyer pays attention to the following parameters:

the presence of damage;
peel exterior;
sounds made during tapping and compression;
the size of the earth spot;
the degree of drying of the "tail";
the weight of the goods.

It is better to rely not on specific signs, but on their totality.

Crust Characteristics

Determining the ripeness of a watermelon by external signs includes a thorough examination of the shell. On the peel there should be no dents, cracks, visible signs of damage. Even tiny cracks will become "gates" for the bacterial flora. Microorganisms will cause fermentation, spoilage of the pulp.

If the cut fruit has a sour smell, stop eating it.

The appearance of the crust will help you choose the right ripe watermelon. It hardens after the whip dries up, because the water stops flowing through the "umbilical cord". If the peel is easily injured by nails or smells like cut grass, you have an unripe fruit in front of you.

peel exterior

When choosing a watermelon, pay attention to the color scheme of the peel. The shell of a mature berry is glossy. The exterior of the peel is of considerable importance - the brighter the contrast between the stripes and the background, the higher the chance of acquiring a ripe melon. Small light spots are welcome, evenly scattered on the surface of the crust.

The presence of an earth stain

In the process of maturation, the "minke whale" constantly lies on one side. The place of contact of culture with the soil is called an earthen spot.

It is colored yellow or light orange. Its diameter is 5-10 cm. This section of the bark must correspond to the parameters described above, that is, it must not have dents, cracks, or signs of damage. The absence of stripes indicates that melons did not move during maturation. A white earthen spot indicates the immaturity of the fetus.

How to check the degree of maturity by the state of the stalk?

A ripe watermelon must have a tail. Through it, the culture received nutrition throughout the entire growing season. After maturation, the lashes dry out. If the stalk is green, full formation has not yet occurred.

A dry tail is also present in a long-harvested berry, so you should not rely entirely on this sign.

A yellowish and dry stalk indicates that you have a juicy, sweet watermelon in front of you.

Knock-knock who lives under the crust?

Perhaps the most popular way to choose a treat is to tap the shell. Experienced buyers competently listen to the "musicality" of the fetus. To choose a delicious watermelon by sound, just a couple of nuances will help you:

a ripe berry will respond to tapping with a ringing sound;
when the poles are compressed, a mature pumpkin makes a characteristic crack, bends a little.

Girls and boys

Determining the gender of melons is a favorite factor of choice among buyers. Watermelons are not divided into "boys" and "girls" - this berry is same-sex. But, according to a folk myth, in order to choose the most delicious specimen, you must adhere to the following rules:

"Boys" have a bulging ass with a tiny circle. They are more watery and contain less sugar. The bones of males are black, there are quite a lot of them. The "boy" is slightly elongated relative to the vertical axis.

The female sex is more compact, rounder, sweeter, has fewer bones. In addition to the shape, pay attention to the structure of the ass - in the watermelon "girl" it is flatter with a large circle.

Weight category

Some varieties amaze with a large mass - it sometimes reaches 18-20 kg! It is difficult to deny yourself the pleasure of eating to satiety, so among the "giants" try to choose individuals with less weight.

And it’s better not to get carried away and follow the rule of the “golden mean” - let an instance with a mass of 5-7 kg become your chosen one.

Safety first

Buyers have long heard about. Watermelons are fed with nitrogen to accelerate growth and ripening, so you need to choose the right specimens with a minimum of dangerous chemistry.

Unfortunately, it is possible to determine the presence of chemistry only in a cut berry. Try to refrain from eating the pulp if you find the following factors:

the pulp contains a large percentage of yellow or white elastic fibers;
lilac tones are a dangerous sign;
the cut surface does not crumble with grains, the cut is smooth with a glossy sheen.

Sometimes a purchased watermelon has red flesh, and the berry itself is not sweet. This can be both a natural process and indicate the presence of chemistry. When ripe, sugars accumulate exclusively under the action of sunlight. Cloudy, damp, cold weather could affect the natural process of carbohydrate accumulation. For the same reason, voids are sometimes hidden under the crust.

Knowing how to choose the right watermelon, you can not worry about the quality and safety of the purchased product. Let the advice of experienced buyers help you make the right choice, enjoy the juicy pulp of a tasty and healthy berry.

Perhaps there is no other berry that would be as associated with summer as watermelon. With the advent of August, city streets fill with spontaneous points of sale of this delicacy, passing or passing by which any of us will immediately want to buy a juicy ripe tasty watermelon, which will perfectly quench the thirst that arose from the already seemingly unbearable summer heat. In addition to excellent nutritional qualities, watermelon is also famous for the presence of a large number of vitamins and minerals, as well as folic acid. In this article, we would like to tell you how to choose the right watermelon, which is fully consistent with what is written above.

It is known that watermelon is at least 80 percent water. This primarily explains its ability to cleanse the body and remove toxins. They say that in order to wash the kidneys well, a person needs to eat up to 100 kg of watermelons per season. But, there is also another opinion that excessive consumption of melons washes away useful substances from the body, which means that you should not “abuse” watermelons. Whatever it was, but everyone agrees that watermelon has a calming effect on the nervous system. A few slices of watermelon a day will help you improve your mood and increase vitality. Other useful properties of watermelons are also known.

Watermelon contains a small amount of calories, but is very rich in fiber, which cleanses the intestines.
Watermelon pulp contains lycopene, a substance with powerful antioxidant properties, which makes it very useful in the prevention of cardiovascular and oncological diseases.
Watermelon juice has a diuretic effect. This means that the blood is filtered through the kidneys faster.
Watermelon contains iron, which is extremely beneficial for anemia.
And finally, the use of watermelon in combination with black bread for one week perfectly cleanses the kidneys.

Many people argue and still cannot come to a consensus on what to attribute the watermelon to. To fruits, vegetables, or berries? Most of the opinions tend to be that it is still a berry. But, by and large, people are less interested in the class affiliation of this product than the question of how to choose a delicious watermelon.

For those who grow melons, choosing the right watermelon is not difficult, as they can always navigate by the key (do not confuse the key with the tail). If it is dry, then the watermelon is already ripe. Ordinary buyers do not have such an opportunity and they have to solve the problem of how to choose the right watermelon, starting from other data.

First of all, you need to understand that more or less natural watermelons can only be purchased during their season, which in the south of Russia corresponds to the second half of August. Everything that came before could be grown using nitrates and growth stimulants.

Carefully choose the place of purchase of watermelon. In places of spontaneous trade, you can with equal probability buy both very tasty watermelons and those that do not meet sanitary standards. Ask the seller where these fruits were grown and whether they have a quality certificate. You should not buy watermelons near busy highways, as they can accumulate harmful substances contained in exhaust gases.

In an effort to choose the right watermelon, you must remember that you should not buy cracked or rotten berries. At best, the taste will be spoiled, and at worst, you can get food poisoning due to pathogenic bacteria that have got inside the watermelon. Watermelon with a sour smell can be very poisonous.

Many people choose a watermelon, focusing on the dryness of its stalk, or tail. This is not entirely true. The stalk can dry out during storage in both mature and unripe watermelon.

Therefore, it is more correct in the matter of how to choose the right watermelon to be a visual assessment of its size. Stop your choice on medium specimens weighing 7-10 kilograms. A larger size may indicate that the watermelon is stuffed with chemistry, and a smaller one may indicate that it is not ripe and is plucked greenish.

A ripe watermelon should give off a dull deep sound when tapped on it with the knuckles. With little pressure it should crackle a little. A sonorous sound is characteristic of unripe berries.

Note the light spot on one side of the watermelon. In this place he lay when he matured. A large spot is a sign of watermelon immaturity. Choose watermelons with a small white spot.

The peel of a ripe watermelon is easily scratched with a fingernail.

On the cut of the watermelon, white fibers should stand out. Yellow colored fibers may indicate a large amount of nitrate used for growth. Since nitrates are unevenly distributed and most of them are in the rind area, it is better not to eat such a watermelon to the rind, but to eat only its core.

Pay attention to the color of the watermelon peel. Our local watermelons have a dark green rind, while the berries imported from Turkey are distinguished by a lighter yellow-green color.

Those who do not like to mess with the seeds in a watermelon need to learn to distinguish between berries by gender, since a watermelon is a bisexual berry with male and female individuals. Male berries have a convex lower part with a small circle above it, and female ones have a flat bottom and a wide circle. Female watermelons contain fewer pits and more glucose, which is why they are traditionally more loved.

At first, choosing a watermelon can seem daunting. After a little practice, you will be able to accurately select ripe berries to please yourself and your loved ones. Good luck choosing!

Ah, summer, summer! It's a wonderful time when all people have a rest, children are on vacation, adults go on their well-deserved vacation. And immediately begin trips to the beaches and trips to the sea. But summer is not only sun and tan, but also delicious watermelons! In summer, this large berry becomes a faithful companion in every trip to the forest, to a picnic, on a hike, to the beach, to visit. You can buy watermelon and just home. He will not let you get bored and stay hungry. However, choosing a ripe, juicy and tasty watermelon is not an easy task. To buy only tasty 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, it's just a pleasure. Many do not know how and do not know how to choose the right watermelon. In order for the purchased berry to please with its taste, you need to know a few tricks. You need to be guided by them when you go shopping for watermelon:

Place of trade.
Berry color and contrast.
Sound quality.
skin requirements.
Weight range.

Requirements for the place of purchase

To purchase a truly delicious watermelon, you need to decide where it is best to do it. You should not buy a miracle berry in street tents. Of course, it is better to give preference to proven 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 lie in pallets that are specially designed for this. Moreover, their height should be at least a quarter of a meter.

In addition, watermelons must be hidden from direct sunlight, that is, they must be under a canopy. Feel free to ask for a certificate. The seller must have a document on hand, which will at least indicate that his product has passed the examination and does not contain nitrates above the established level. If your health is precious, then you should not be afraid to defend your rights. One simple question about certification 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 at the same time his shelter is located next to the highway, then you should not buy a watermelon in this place, even if it seems ideal to you. By their properties, gourds perfectly absorb everything from the environment, because there are many microcracks on their bark. Striped whales, which are sold along highways, absorb a large amount of exhaust gases and harmful substances. Using them can cause serious damage to your health.

How a ripe watermelon should sound

A ripe berry, when tapped on it, should respond with a dull sound, as if there is nothing under its bark. And if it is possible to squeeze the watermelon on both sides, then such a procedure should definitely be performed. If the minke whale responds with a sonorous crack, you can be sure that it was picked from the garden on time, it is very juicy and ripe.

Requirements for the condition of the peel and its color

Watermelons should be 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 - 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 to be tasty and juicy. As for the peel, it should be hard and shiny, without any plaque. Hardness is determined by fingers: if the berries have a soft peel, then they are most likely underripe. It is 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, spots, 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 tell about the introduction of injections of various drugs.

Most likely, before you could hear that if there is a yellow spot on the side of a watermelon, then this speaks in favor of its ripeness. Yes, this is true, but this mark must be of a bright yellow color, in no case white. The white spot just shows how the watermelon lay (and possibly 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 product at any cost. Finding a good seller who will really help in choosing a good fruit is a very big success. Therefore, every person should know how to choose a ripe watermelon correctly.

You should not buy berries with a cutout from the middle. This is bad not only from a hygienic point of view (after all, you don’t know what kind of knife you did the autopsy), but also from the point of view of safety, since being cut or at least notched, the berry will no longer retain its taste if it is not place in refrigerator. Also, do not buy damaged watermelons, even if they are offered at a discounted price. It is better to pay more for a 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 maturing, the minke whale itself breaks away on the melon from the place of its maturation, like any other of its family. But, unfortunately, a dry tail may also indicate that it was plucked a long time ago, so this sign is only an additional one in the question of how to choose a good watermelon.

Mass 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 notorious for their unnaturalness. But you should not chase small watermelons - they are usually unripe and fresh. The main thing is that before you eat a purchased minke whale, you should smell it. So to speak, to check whether he himself grew up or 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 them. In order not to suffer with them, you can cheat a little and find a special fruit, namely a watermelon girl. Buying it is not very easy, because almost everything is on sale for the selection of boys. And according to statistics, there is only one girl for twenty watermelon boys, and, as you understand, meeting her on the market is a rarity.

So, how to identify a ripe watermelon girl? Stripes are determined by gender only by their buttocks. The "soft spot" of the girl's watermelon is flat, with a large speck, while in the berry-guys it is embossed and the speck is smaller. The difference in this mark on the buttocks lies in the flower that blooms during the maturation of the girls.

If you know how to choose a ripe boy watermelon, then buying a girl berry will also not be difficult.

How to choose between two identical watermelons

We are all very indecisive and want to get the best product. In people, uncertainty is always born about which berry to give preference to when both suit them. How to choose a delicious watermelon from two seemingly identical ones? When choosing between two identical berries, you should give preference to the one that will be lighter. The entire weight of a watermelon depends on how much water it contains. With the same volume, a large mass will indicate its juiciness, and in a smaller striped berry, the pulp will be sweeter.

The first signs of a delicious watermelon

Let's summarize a little 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 patch on the flank, but by no means white.
The rind should be firm when pressed with a fingernail.
Dry tail.
When choosing between a boy and a girl - take a girl, and distinguish them by curvy and flat ass.
Crunches when pressed, buzzes when slapped.
No cracks or breaks in the skin.
Large volume and low weight.
No sour smell when cut.

Summer is in full swing! Vegetables and, of course, gourds appear on the shelves. If you dream of a striped berry, but are afraid of making a bad choice, be sure to read our recommendations. Then the most delicious and ripe watermelon will definitely be yours!

Let's start with the good news. More than 1,500 tons of gourds in the Astrakhan region have matured naturally. Because of the extreme heat, the harvest began earlier than usual.

So, you came for a watermelon. First of all, do not rely on the advice and suggestions of sellers, but carefully inspect the goods. The best proof of quality is a certificate of conformity of the goods to the requirements of the standard. Each seller must have it on hand. If the document has all the signatures and seals, you can safely buy. However, in practice, we know that most merchants do not have a certificate or refuse to show it. Then our advice and your attentiveness will come to the rescue.

1) The watermelon peel should not have a matte coating, the striped pattern should be clear and contrasting.

2) The watermelon itself should not lie on the ground or asphalt in the open sun. An ideal place for selling watermelons is a tent well sheltered from the sun with pallets for berries and stationary scales. Watermelons should be located at least 15 cm above the ground.

3) In no case do not take berries near the highway! A plucked watermelon "breathes", which means it absorbs road dust and gases.

4) A quality fruit should have a yellow spot, which indicates that this place the watermelon was in contact with the ground and ripened on melons under the sun.

5) Contrary to popular belief, never go for a dry tail, this means that the watermelon has survived long storage.

6) No need to ask to cut a watermelon to determine its ripeness. By doing this, you open a corridor for microbes that multiply rapidly in the heat.

7) Be guided by weight: a ripe watermelon should be heavy, overripe watermelons are usually much lighter.

8) Don't try to buy a giant watermelon that will feed your family and two neighbors. Give preference to a medium-sized berry, as a rule, it is the most ripe.

9) Pay attention to the crust of the striped berry. It should be firm and shiny, because the ripened fruit stops absorbing water and the crust hardens. Pry the crust with your fingernail: if the peel is easy to pierce, then you should not buy a watermelon.

10) Watermelon can be "girl" or "boy". The gender of the minke whale is easy to determine: the “male” berry has a convex bottom opposite the tail and a small circle on it. The "girls", on the contrary, have a flat bottom and a wide circle on it. It is believed that “girls” watermelons are tastier, as they contain fewer seeds and more sweetness.

11) When purchasing an early watermelon, it should be borne in mind that it may contain nitrates. It is almost impossible to check the berry for the presence of harmful substances when buying, but at home before eating, you can do a little research. Rub a piece of watermelon pulp into the water. If the watermelon is of high quality, then the water is simply cloudier. Otherwise, the water will turn red or pink. If you still have suspicions that your watermelon is “wrong”, eat it carefully, not reaching the white border with the crust. This is where the highest amount of nitrates is found. Therefore, it is better for children to feed the pulp from the middle.

12) And finally, do not neglect the well-known method of checking a watermelon. Tap on the berry you like! If the watermelon is ripe early, you will hear a dull sound. If you buy a watermelon at the end of the season, a ringing sound should be heard.

13) If you put all our tips into practice, congratulations. Having brought home a sweet and ripe watermelon, remember the rules for storing it. Before use, be sure to wash the watermelon with soap and a washcloth to clean the crust from dirt and dust.

14) An untouched watermelon can stay fresh for three months, but a cut berry can be stored for no longer than three days. It is better to store it in a dark, cool place like a cellar or refrigerator.

15) When you store a half-eaten watermelon, place it cut-side down on a plate and wrap it in cling film on top so it stays fresh longer.

It is recommended to buy watermelons from reliable sellers, and the berries should be protected from dust, and not stacked near the road. Some buyers try it to determine the maturity of watermelons, but you should not do this, because along with the juicy pulp, you can bring into your body harmful microorganisms that have fallen on a slice from the environment. For sanitary reasons, it is not recommended to purchase watermelons with a crack, albeit a small one, as well as a bruise. These places can serve as an excellent breeding ground for pathogenic bacteria.

Some growers of watermelons apply significant amounts of fertilizers, especially nitrogen, to the soil to obtain increased yields. As a result of such activities, the fruits develop intensively, become large, but they, as a rule, do not ripen and pose a danger to human health. Each of the sellers must carry a certificate that confirms 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 the puncture site can be seen.

If nitrates are introduced from the soil, then it was previously impossible to determine their presence without cutting the fetus. However, now there are nitrate meters on sale - devices that will show the content of nitrates in watermelon. It is useful to have a nitrate meter on the farm to measure the indicators of these substances when buying all vegetables and fruits.

Usually, when cutting a natural watermelon without the participation of chemistry, black seeds can be found, and the presence of harmful substances is given out by insufficiently sweet and light pulp, immature seeds. In a natural product, when broken, a granular middle is exposed, while a fruit overfed with fertilizers contains a significant amount of fibers. The presence of white streaks usually indicates a lack of heat at ripening, while yellow formations indicate an excess of mineral fertilizers. If the flesh of the watermelon is too bright, you need to cut off a piece and stir it in water. Usually a change in the color of the liquid indicates an artificial tint.

How to determine the ripeness of a watermelon by appearance

A fully ripe watermelon should weigh within 6 kilograms, but even smaller fruits can 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 the 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 peel acquires a contrast with the main color. When choosing, pay special attention to the spot of contact of the fruit with the ground - in a ripe and sweet watermelon it is yellow with a diameter of 10 centimeters or more, in unripe ones it is white. The rind of sweet, fully ripe watermelons is easily scraped off with a fingernail.

The stalk of a mature fruit is yellowish and dry, in an unripe watermelon it is green. With an experienced eye, you can determine how the tail of the fruit separated from the main stem - it was torn off itself or it was torn off for a long time, it is more difficult to determine the cut with a knife. If there is no tail on the watermelon, 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 crack when pressed, and 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 are watermelons ripe?

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 the middle of summer, but are harvested selectively. Melon growers pay attention to the fact that berries intended for transportation over long distances are plucked a few days from the moment of physiological maturity.

The middle of summer is the approximate period of ripening of the first watermelons. In fact, everything depends on many factors: the region of cultivation, the variety used, soil conditions, as well as technology (plants can develop and produce crops in unprotected soil or greenhouses). Depending on the variety chosen, 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 lane or Siberia, where loamy and cold soils are present. The crops that will be planted in the considered climatic zones will not only ripen late, but will not have time to accumulate enough sugar, and the fruits will be lopsided. It has been noticed that the ripening of watermelons can be delayed in the event of a rainy summer and a violation of the balance of positive temperatures. In such situations, in order to accelerate the ripening processes, a frame is arranged over the cultures and a transparent plastic film is stretched.