What varieties of watermelons are stored until winter. Regular check of watermelons during long-term storage

Watermelon is a symbol of summer. Juicy fruits perfectly quench your thirst, and it is in this season that they are easy to find. Many lovers of watermelons want to enjoy the taste of fruits not only in summer, but also in winter. In this article, we will tell you what you need to do to enjoy watermelon in winter period and how to preserve its taste.

The benefits of watermelon

Thanks to watermelon pulp improves intestinal microflora, normalizes activity digestive tract the blood vessels dilate. The use of fruits is indicated for people suffering from chronic constipation or, conversely, diarrhea.
Watermelon contains fiber, which is responsible for cholesterol levels. At regular use reduces the risk of developing atherosclerosis and other serious diseases associated with big amount adipose tissue. In addition, watermelon maintains blood glucose levels, allowing people with diabetes lead a fulfilling life.
The berry contains lycopene, a natural antioxidant. It normalizes the work of the heart, stabilizes arterial pressure, reduces the risk of developing malignant and benign tumors. With regular use, the possible occurrence of cancer is prevented.

Choosing watermelon for winter storage

So that the shelf life of the fruits is as long as possible and at the same time they retain their taste qualities, it is very important to know which watermelon to choose for harvesting for the winter. Appearance When choosing fruits, be sure to pay attention to their appearance. They must not be damaged. Sunburn, cracks, scratches and dents make the fruit unsuitable for long-term storage.

There are several proven ways to preserve watermelons for the winter at home, the main thing is that the temperature is below room temperature. But at home, not any variety of berries can be stored for storage. Late-ripening varieties of watermelon with thick skin are suitable for this. Pay particular attention to the following options:

Volzhsky;
Astrakhan striped;
Dessert;
Bykovsky;
Pulse
Kholodov's gift.

Whatever variety you choose, you should not buy a watermelon in early August in order to extend its shelf life and keep it until the new year, it is right to make a purchase in mid-September - in October. Then the plant will lie at home for a very short time. To achieve a guaranteed result, you can even grow a suitable variety of watermelon yourself.

The ideal weight of a berry should be 4-5 kg. Watermelon must be handled carefully, not thrown, while maintaining its integrity. Otherwise, it will quickly disappear and cannot be stored. Variety You can save a watermelon until the New Year only if you choose the right variety. Only late-ripening varieties with a thick peel are excellent for storage. It is recommended to purchase fruits for harvesting at the end of September. Usually they contain practically no nitrates, since by this time their maturation occurs without auxiliary substances. It is recommended to give preference to varieties with strong pulp, such as Astrakhan Striped, Dessert, Kholodov's Gift, Volzhsky.

Storage conditions for fresh watermelons

The places where they will lie fresh watermelons before NG, must be:

ventilated;
dark;
cool (t air in the storage should not be higher than t + 5- + 8 ° C);
with relative humidity of 60-80%, but no more. In a dry room, the berries will quickly lose their juiciness, and in a too humid room, they will simply deteriorate.

Where is the best place to store fresh watermelons in the apartment

There are not so many places in the apartment that would meet all the above requirements, but they are. The most suitable for long-term storage are such premises as:

pantry;
glazed loggia;
bathroom or any other poorly lit room with a low temperature;
mezzanine.

Any of these places sunny fruits» will be stored for a long time. However, choosing the right storage is not the only key to success.

Ways to store watermelons until winter

Successfully proven ways to store sweet fruits are many. All of them are effective and available even at home:

In the newspaper.

Loosely wrap the watermelon with dry newspaper, place it in a net, and hang it up.

In alabaster or clay.

Dilute the alabaster with water and coat the berry. After the first layer dries, apply the second one. After drying, also hang the watermelon in the net. Alabaster can be replaced with clay.

Storage in the ashes.

Ash serves as an analogue of aging fruits in the sand. If for some reason you decide to resort to this method, choose ashes from burning branches of fruit trees.
The "preservation" technology is identical: pick up a wooden box, line the bottom with ash, lay out the berries and sprinkle them. Duration of exposure - until January.

Grid storage.

If you plan to keep a small crop until the New Year, use a string bag or a fine mesh. Choose one fixture for each berry.
Wash the fruit with newspaper parchment paper or landscape sheets, send inside. Hang the mesh from the ceiling in the basement or cellar. It is important not to allow fruit to touch each other.

Moss storage.

To resort to this method, you need to collect moss in the fall. It must be dry and whole, otherwise the watermelons will rot. Before packing the berries, spread the moss in the sun, leave for 2 days to dry.
Choose a wooden box of the right size. It would be better if each copy is allocated a separate box. Line the bottom with moss, send the watermelon inside, wrap it on all sides, tamp it down.

Regular check of watermelons during long-term storage

So that you do not have any questions about how much watermelon can be stored, you should conduct a daily inspection of the fruit. With the timely identification of rotten fruits, you can protect others from damage - the appearance of spots and decay. It is important to turn the watermelons over every day, change the bedding and ventilate the room. This will avoid the appearance of various defects and bedsores on the surface of the crust. All operations should be carried out with disposable rubber gloves to minimize contact with hands. By following these simple recommendations, you will learn how to properly store watermelons so that they stay fresh, tasty and juicy.

Freezing watermelons for the winter

If you do not have the opportunity to place gourds in a separate room, then you are probably interested in whether it is possible to store watermelons in the refrigerator and how long a watermelon is stored in a frozen state.

It is best to store watermelon in freezer where it fits, previously cut into pieces. To do this, it is recommended to remove the crust, cut the pulp into uniform medium-sized pieces and put it on a flat surface in one layer (for example, on a tray or baking sheet). The tray is then placed in the freezer where the pieces freeze evenly. After part of the fruit can be quickly transferred to containers or tight bags.

Such a berry can be stored for a very long time - until the next harvest. However, remember that defrosted pulp quickly loses moisture and volume, so be sure to consume fresh watermelon quickly. Also, do not forget to close the container tightly, otherwise the fruits will be saturated with the smells of the freezer.

Perhaps, any hostess seeks to please guests with delicacies, and especially on New Year's holiday. Imagine that you are served fresh champagne fragrant slices watermelon, as if only with melons. To all lovers striped berry in this article we will tell you how to save a watermelon until the New Year, all the secrets of choice and ways to save in an apartment and in a private house.

Selection of watermelons for long-term storage

Talk about long-term storage makes sense only if you have chosen the right striped fruit.

Much depends on the variety. watermelons early varieties ripen already in June-July and for the most part are stored for 1-2 weeks. But even if you take a fetus with a shelf life of 30-40 days, it is unlikely that it will reach new year holidays.

More promising are medium and medium late varieties. Many of them are quite light. For example, when optimal conditions:

"Stimulus" will lie for 60 days;
"Impulse" - 60-75 days;
Crimson Sprint, Icarus, Crimson Record - 65 days;
"Basketball", "Russian Birch", "Black Prince", "Svyatoslav" - 40-50 days;
"Bedouin", "Bomb", "Vnii OB 2", "Volzhanin", "Semko 2003" - 40-45 days.

They go on sale in August-September. If you stock up on watermelons of these varieties at the end of September, you can enjoy their taste all autumn.

In the Russian Federation, where watermelons do not have time to ripen, they are grown in greenhouses or on steam mounds

But what about the New Year's table? Few varieties will "survive" before him. This:

"Chill" with a shelf life of 3 months;
"Monastic plus" with a keeping quality of 90-100 days.

Large fruits weighing at least 4 kg each.
No damage: dents, scratches, sunburn.
Mature, with a tail in the drying stage.
Fresh, ringing when tapped.

Do you know that…

The shelf life of purchased watermelons is reduced by the time they are transported to the place of sale and located in the retail outlets themselves.

Optimal storage conditions

The shelf life of watermelons directly depends on compliance with a number of conditions:

Ideally, the storage temperature of watermelon should be 5-10 °C. The higher it is, the shorter the shelf life, and at temperatures below 0 ° C, the fruit freezes, the pulp loses its texture and taste.
Humidity in the range of 85-90%. At a higher rate, the risk of decay increases sharply, at a lower one, the fetus becomes lethargic.
Lack of direct sunlight.
Good ventilation in storage.

The listed criteria as a storage correspond to the basement, cellar, subfloor of a private house, and in the apartment - a pantry or a well-insulated balcony, loggia.

At room temperature a giant berry will wither after a while, become tasteless and may even ferment

Cellar storage

Before sending watermelons for storage in the cellar, they need to be prepared:

Spray with 2% lime solution. It effectively destroys putrefactive bacteria and pathogenic fungi located on the crust.
Close up the "poles" of the berry with plasticine, clay, wax. It is through them that moisture evaporates intensively.

There are several ways to store watermelon in the cellar:

On the shelves. This method is good for saving a large number fruits. Cover the shelves of structures with soft material such as straw, sawdust or moss. Then spread watermelons on top of it.
Under the ceiling. This method is suitable for those who need to save only a few fruits. Simply place them in appropriately sized fabric or plastic nets and hang them from the ceiling.
In sand. Install in storage large wooden box in which pour dry river sand. Bury the fruits intended for storage in it.
In the ashes If you have a stove and there is a lot of ash left from burned wood, you can replace the sand with ashes. The shelf life of the fetus will not be reduced from this.

Periodically check stocks to remove all rotten specimens in time.

Storage in the apartment

In the pantry. To store striped berries, an ordinary pantry is quite suitable. The main thing is that it should be dark and cool enough. Simply place the watermelons in wooden crates lined with dry straw or moss beforehand.
On the balcony. Owners of glazed balconies or loggias can use them to store watermelons. Proceed in the same way as when storing in the pantry. Just insulate the boxes with additional old blankets, felt.
In a refrigerator. It is unlikely that you will be able to save more than one entire copy in this way, however, you should not discount this method. Simply place the selected fruit in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator. Before laying, wrap with several layers of paper, newspapers.

Conservation is the most reliable way of winter storage

Do you want fragrant berry pamper yourself all winter? Canning is the most The best way save watermelons not only until the New Year, but also until spring. In this form, they are no less tasty than fresh, and certainly piquant.

Where there are many watermelons, they are fermented in barrels. To do this, choose the same heads weighing up to 2 kg. The technique does not differ from fermentation. The product is interesting, but not for everyone.

Watermelons in jars

It is a completely different matter to preserve watermelons in jars. Such a blank will look exotic, and both adults and children will like its taste. This dish, of course, will not go as a dessert, and not very much with champagne, but how salting will be a highlight on holiday table.

For conservation, it is better to choose an unripe berry. You can cut as you wish, but the pieces should be the same.

It will work out well if, taking a piece on a fork, you can bite off once, and then carefully consider (a curiosity, nevertheless) and send everything else into your mouth. Therefore, the ideal pieces are 5x5 cm and 2 cm thick.

Do you know that…

Watermelon tissue tends to evaporate strongly and decrease by almost 2 times. This property must be taken into account when seaming.

Made from striped berries watermelon honey- nardek, evaporating it to a viscous consistency

So, in a 3-liter jar we put:

- 2 pcs.;
allspice - 2 pcs.;
a sprig of basil (you can not add, but it will be very harmonious with it);
sliced watermelon (you can with a crust, you can without).

Pour boiling water for 2-3 minutes, drain the water into a saucepan, and again pour watermelon with boiling water. In parallel, in another container in boiling water, we hold several slices of watermelon. After the contents of the jar have evaporated and there is free space, we will add these, also reduced in size, to the jar.

In a saucepan with drained water (approximately 1.5 liters) add:

4 tbsp. spoons;
2 tbsp. spoons;
60 ml or 1 teaspoon of citric acid.

Bring to a boil. We drain the water from the jar, put the slices into it and immediately pour boiling marinade over it. Roll up, turn over and - under a fur coat.

Canned Assorted

If you haven't eaten your watermelon, don't keep it in the fridge for too long, especially if you're going to have tomatoes.

At the bottom of a 3-liter jar, put tomatoes, then cucumbers, and on top of watermelon slices, you can add slices of apples and rings - the richer, the more exotic.

Next, proceed as previous recipe. Such an assortment will be interesting both in a jar and on a festive table, everyone will find something to their liking. This is at room temperature, but it is better to choose a cool room.

Tip of the day

We should not forget that here the watermelon will become smaller. Therefore, either the jar will not be full, or add pre-heated watermelon pieces to it separately.

So, getting to know different ways how to store watermelon until the New Year and even longer, you can choose the most suitable one for yourself, depending on personal opportunities and preferences.

Store properly and be healthy!

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Watermelons are in abundance only in summer. At this time, you can enjoy a sweet and refreshing berry at any time. But the lack of sunny fruits especially noticeable in winter. It is not easy to save fruits before the cold weather. After all, it is important that they do not lose their freshness, useful material And unique aroma. How to save a watermelon until the New Year?

How to choose

It is impossible to keep watermelons for a long time if they are not suitable for this in the first place. Half of the success in business depends on the correct choice of fruits. Purchased watermelon should be of late varieties, so purchase it at the end of September. Such berries contain a minimum of nitrates, since by this period they ripen on their own. An example of late-ripening watermelons are the varieties "peasant", "lying" or "excellent black". The storage leader is the “chill” variety. He does not lose his qualities up to 5 months.

Pay special attention to the appearance of the berry. best indicator good watermelon long-term storage - no cracks, sunburn, dents or scratches on the glossy surface.

An important role is played by the size of the fetus. It is desirable that it be heavy (weighing about 4–5 kg), medium in size, dense, with a bright pattern on a green peel. These signs indicate that the berry is fully ripe and has firm flesh.

It is better to clean watermelons intended for harvesting for future use with gloves. It is not recommended to wash them: the skin is covered with natural fruit wax. It protects the fruit from spoilage.

Terms and conditions of storage

First of all, allocate a place for long-term storage of watermelons. The apartment has the most suitable premises a glazed loggia, mezzanine, pantry or any other room with a low temperature and low light are considered. In a private house, a basement, garage, attic, pantry or summer kitchen are suitable for storage.

The places where the watermelons will lie must meet certain parameters.

Protected from penetration of ultraviolet rays.
Well ventilated.
Cool. Optimum temperature air in the storage - no more than +5 ... +8 °C.
Air humidity - 60-80%. In a dry room, the fruits will quickly wither, and in a too wet room, they will rot.

Subject to the rules of selection and storage, watermelons will not lose their taste within 3-4 months.

Rules

When preparing watermelons for storage, do not place them on a hard surface. Lay something soft: thick insulation, sand, straw, sawdust, grain, etc. Stored berries should not come into contact with each other. Also protect them from contact with other fruits and vegetables: fruits quickly absorb foreign odors. neighborhood with various products detrimental to their taste.

Turn and inspect the watermelons periodically. Perhaps, when buying, you did not see a crack or scratch. Over time, it will make itself felt by lethargy or rotting of the fetus. It is not worth keeping such fruits. Throw them away at the first sign of spoilage.

Popular ways

There are many proven methods, thanks to which the watermelon will last not only until the New Year, but also until spring. And they won't cost you much.

Dry sand. To use this method, you need a wooden box filled with ½ sand. Immerse the fruits in it with the stalk down. Leave a small distance between them. Store the container on the floor cool place. If desired, replace the sand with grain. In dry cereals, watermelons will be stored no worse.

Freeze. Although under the influence low temperatures the pulp loses consistency, freezing watermelon is an easy way to store it. Cut the fruit into pieces of arbitrary shape. Remove skins and seeds from them. Pour into a resealable container and place in the freezer. Thanks to the comprehensive effect of cold, the berry will quickly freeze. It will retain aroma, shape, taste and juiciness.

Under optimal conditions, you can save watermelon not only until the New Year, but also until spring.

Dry swamp moss sphagnum. This plant has good absorbency and natural bactericidal power. Sphagnum is mild and safe for fruits. Collect it only in sunny weather so that there is no excess moisture. Choose a wooden crate that is the right size for the number of watermelons to be stored. Line the bottom with a thick layer of moss. Lay the berries carefully, covering the plant on all sides. The air temperature must be at least +3 °C.

Alabaster. good effect provides processing of a peel of a fruit alabaster. Dilute the product to a mushy consistency. Apply a protective agent to the surface of the watermelon. You should get a layer up to 1 cm thick. The coating will not transmit light, moisture and air.

Paraffin. Just like in alabaster, watermelon can be stored in paraffin or beeswax. To do this, melt the substance in a water bath. Rub it on the watermelon several times. The layer thickness should be about 1 cm. Place the processed berries in a cool place.

the old fashioned way

Straw. Place a thick layer of straw on a crate, wooden shelf, or room floor. Place on her ripe watermelons wrapping around on all sides. Under optimal storage conditions, the berries can lie until spring.

Clay. It has long been used to store watermelons. Prepare a thick and lump-free clay solution. Then coat it with a clean and dry fruit. Put it in a cool place.

Wood Ash. First, prepare a large barrel in which the ashes will be collected. Then place strong fruits there and cover with ashes again. Be sure to check if there are large fractions in the filler - sharp pieces coal, unburned wood chips. They can damage the skin of a watermelon. Cover the box with a lid and store in a cool, dry place. Ash will prevent the development of putrefactive bacteria and fungi, absorb excess moisture.

Hanging a watermelon. This is one of the most reliable methods that can be used even when living in an apartment. Buy together with fruit mesh. Gently place the berries in them. Hang the string bag on hooks previously attached to the ceiling. Watermelons should not touch each other. Otherwise, damage will appear on the crust, moisture will get there and rotting will begin. You can also wrap ripe fruit dense natural fabric and hang from the ceiling. With this method, the berry has every chance of being preserved for 4-5 months.

Water is the ideal medium for long-term storage. Many housewives keep fruits in it until winter. It is important that it is cold and completely covers the watermelon. You can lower it into the hole or keep it in the basement - in a wooden vat or a barrel filled with water.

Knowing how to save a watermelon until the New Year, you can always treat your family to a sweet treat. The storage time depends largely on the chosen method. Adhere to all conditions, especially temperature regime and humidity level. Choose the right variety and carefully inspect the fruit for defects.

We are used to eating fresh watermelon only during the melon season, but it can become the highlight of the New Year's table. The only difficulty is that it is not easy to keep a watermelon in an apartment until the New Year. Not everyone knows how to do it, but it is possible!

Of course, you can buy it in a store, it's hard to vouch for the quality. Naturally, a practical solution appears - to keep it yourself, in the garage, in the attic or even in a city apartment.

Choosing a watermelon suitable for storage

No matter what conditions you have and how you want to store sweet berry, first of all, it is necessary to choose a fruit suitable for this, because its quality directly affects its shelf life.

For long-term storage, you need to choose watermelons:

Fruits weighing 4-5 kg;

Fully whole berries, on the surface any damage to the upper layer of the fruit is unacceptable - cracks, traces of sunburn, dents on the peel or scratches;

Fruits collected from late varieties that have a thick and dense skin, they are able to lie longer than others.

The necessary conditions

In order for fresh watermelons to lie for sure until the New Year, you will need to organize for them special conditions storage. An ideal room should have the following properties:

Must not penetrate sunlight;

There must be good ventilation;

Cool.

Most suitable temperature for storing fruits 5-8 degrees, with an air humidity of 60-80%, if the room is warmer or colder, or there is more moisture in the air, then the shelf life of watermelon will be significantly reduced.

You can store the fruits, both in a private house and in an ordinary apartment.

How to save a watermelon in an apartment

Of course, it is more difficult to store fresh watermelon in an apartment for a long time; it is much easier to do it in your own house. There are few suitable places in the apartment, but it is not difficult to find them:

1. On a closed balcony;

2. In a dark closet or in a niche;

3. And not surprisingly, in the bathroom.

Storage in your home

It is easier to store fresh berries in your own house than in an apartment, it is easy to find more places suitable for storage.

Suitable for this:

Dry basement or cellar;

Warm garage;

Attic above the house;

You can use a summer kitchen or other room where the temperature does not rise above 5-8 degrees;

can be successfully stored a small amount of harvest "solar berries" in the pantry. The main thing is to regulate the temperature and humidity level.

Storage methods

Having chosen the right place, you need to decide what technology you will use to store the berries, there are several completely working ways, you can choose the one that best suits your conditions.

The first way is hanging

This technology will help to save berries both in an apartment (using a pantry) or in your home (pantry, dry basement). The fruit must be tightly wrapped with a natural cloth in such a way as to completely cover it, after which it is hung in a string bag on a hook. Watermelon should not be allowed to touch anything (shelves, walls).

The second way is in straw

save " sunny berry"You can use straw, for this the shelf or the bottom of the box is covered with straw, with a layer of at least 10 cm. Watermelons are placed on it at intervals, turning the tail up. Between the fruits, “partitions” are made of straw, they are well covered from above so that the berries are completely covered with straw.

The third way is in the sand

Thus, it is also possible to store fresh fruits both in the apartment and in your own house. A wooden box is brought into a cool room and half covered with completely dried sand. Watermelons are laid on it with the tail down (if there is enough space to arrange them so that the fruits do not touch, then you can store several fresh berries). After that, everything is carefully covered with dry sand, the sand should completely cover the watermelons.

Attention! Instead of sand, you can successfully use dry grain; in dry cereals, fresh watermelons can lie and do not deteriorate for a very long time.

In addition to the listed technologies for storing fresh watermelons, there are several more original, one might even say exotic ways. If there is free time and desire, you can test them and surprise your guests.

The fourth way is in water

Do not be surprised, it is written, it is true - it is to store ripe watermelons in water. Only this is required - the water must completely cover the stored fruits and be cold, sometimes fresh watermelons are immersed in an ice hole or in a wooden vat or barrel installed in the basement and filled cold water. But when stored this way, your watermelon will become too watery.

Fifth way - in the ashes

In a private house or country house, keep wood ash from the fireplace or stove, maybe you can get the ash, it will help you keep the watermelon until the New Year. The ash will immediately stop the development of putrefactive microorganisms and fungi, absorb excess moisture, which will save the fruits. A box knocked down from thick boards is covered with a thick layer of wood ash, which must first be dried well. Watermelons are carefully placed on it, at intervals which are filled with sifted ash. The box is covered from above tight lid and put it in the basement or cellar.

The sixth way - in clay

Clay helps to save many products, why not try to save fresh watermelons with it? Clay is pre-moistened and kneaded to a consistency thick paste, this mixture is well coated with fresh berries. After the clay dries, the watermelon is covered with clay several more times, allowing it to dry thoroughly after each smearing. As a result, the fruit should be covered with a 0.5-1 cm layer. The coating obtained in this way should dry completely, after which the prepared watermelon is transferred to a dark room where the temperature does not rise more than 8 degrees, the fruit is laid on a layer of sawdust or hung on a hook in a string bag.

The seventh way - in paraffin

As well as in clay, watermelon can lie in paraffin or wax for a long time. It is necessary to warm up the wax and cover it with a fresh berry several times. The resulting layer should be at least 1 cm; such a fruit is stored in a dark room for storage. The disadvantage of this method is that the berry does not breathe under paraffin and the pulp in it can ferment.

Is it possible to save watermelon until the New Year holidays? It is possible and this good news, because such a yummy to New Year's table- not only a great treat and a piece of summer in winter cold, but also an important evidence that the mistress of the house is really capable of working miracles. But keeping a watermelon until the New Year is truly a difficult task. However, with a certain skill and observance simple recommendations this task is quite within the power of even a novice hostess.

Selecting watermelons for storage

thick-skinned;
late maturing;
having strong pulp;
grown without the aid of nitrates;
pitted (optional).

Important! The last condition is not mandatory, since such varieties include only recently grown hybrids that are difficult for amateur gardeners to cultivate.

To successfully store a watermelon for the winter at home, you need to use a berry that grew without the use of fertilizers. This is very important condition. After all, accumulating, they not only worsen its taste and useful qualities, but also accelerate ripening even after the berry has already been plucked. Thus, the processes of fruit decay occur faster.

Suitable varieties

You can store watermelons of the following varieties at home in winter:

"Popovka";
"Astrakhan striped";
"Volzhsky";
"Dessert";
"Astrakhan marble";
"Bykovsky";
"Melitopol";
"Icarus";
"Gift of Kholodov".

The best option to preserve the fruit for a long time would be berries grown by the gardener.

make sure of the proper grade, quality of the goods, for which purpose check all the certifications available for it;
do not purchase goods at the roadsides, in unauthorized markets, collapses.

It is important not only to properly store watermelon for the winter, but also to choose a berry for this. When buying a berry for the purpose of storage, you should purchase one watermelon per sample in order to conduct an elementary check yourself.

If the flesh has a yellowish tint, the fruit has been grown with chemicals.
If you pour a piece of pulp with water, it should become cloudy. When acquiring a bright red hue, you should not take a batch of berries, as nitrates are present there.
If the flesh is too crumbly, the watermelon is not suitable for long storage Houses.
In the presence of cracks, white, brown spots on the peel, it makes no sense to acquire the fruit, since the integrity of the peel is the main criterion for the so-called keeping quality of the berry.
In the "correct" fruit, the stalk, or tail, should be dry, and the peel should be shiny.
Size suitable berry should not be too large - large fruits are more prone to decay. The best option weighs no more than five kilograms.
The fruit must be just ripe. An underripe watermelon will still remain green, and an overripe one will quickly deteriorate.
Berries should only be picked in dry weather, as excessive moisture increases the chances of rotting.
Since late varieties are used for bookmarking, they should be collected no earlier than the beginning of September.

Choosing a batch of watermelons for long-term fresh storage is a very responsible and time-consuming task, so for starters, you should choose only five or six suitable fruits without buying a large batch.

Watermelon storage rules

Proper storage watermelon at home should begin from the very moment of collection, since starting from the time when the fruit is separated from the stalk, it requires special conditions.

Collection of watermelons

When harvesting fruits, all measures must be taken so as not to damage them. For this, some rules and recommendations have been developed.

Before picking the berries, you need to prepare a place for laying them. It can be a thick layer of hay, or a thick blanket. Of course, it must be clean and dry.
You need to pick the fruits in cotton gloves. When carrying them, they should not be shaken, thrown, and even more so - dropped.
The stem must be at least five centimeters long.

On a note. People who store watermelons professionally prepare special boxes for packing and transportation, inside of which there are cells filled with hay.

Thus, each berry has an individual place. These boxes are already in the back, and each watermelon, after being harvested, is immediately placed in the car, each in its own cell. In this way, damage to the skin can be avoided as much as possible.

Preparing fruit for storage

After transportation, the fruits must be carefully transferred to the place of intended storage for the winter and carefully examined for cracks that appeared during transportation.

Important! Before laying the fruit for storage, it should not be washed and wiped. This will damage the protective layer on the peel, which will reduce the chances of a safe preservation of the berry.

As it became clear, washing is excluded. Therefore, in order to preserve watermelon for a long time, you need to choose only the purest fruits. Dirt adhering to the peel means that the fruit is not suitable for laying, since it is not recommended to wash it off, and by leaving the berries on the surface, you can accelerate the decay of not only the watermelon itself, but the entire batch if they are laid nearby.

Storage conditions

Below you can see in the table at what temperature and humidity watermelons can be stored, as well as optimal amount light and air.

General information the conditions for keeping watermelons indoors in winter are presented in the table above. Places that meet the above conditions and where you can store watermelon for the winter:

cellar, barn, basement;
apartment;
glazed balcony.

Depending on the storage location, as well as on the size of the batch, the the best container for bookmark:

Sand box. The sand is pre-screened and dried. Approximately one third of all sand is poured into a dry, clean box. The fruits are laid at a distance of about ten centimeters from each other. Watermelons are completely covered with sand, the sand is slightly pressed.
Shelving. Shelves are fastened so that the distance between them is about a meter. Before laying the shelves are dried to prevent the development of mold. Further, they are lined with straw, sawdust. Watermelons are located at a distance of about twenty centimeters.

Pit. In the ground, you should dig a hole about half a meter deep, line the bottom with a thick layer of sawdust. The berries are treated with a solution of lime at a concentration of one to four and placed in a pit, observing the gap. From above, everything should be generously covered first with sawdust, then with earth. The advantage of this method is that the batch of watermelons can be very large. The disadvantage is the inability to check each of the berries during the wintering period.
Water. This method suggests storing watermelon until the New Year in a barrel of water. The advantage of this technique is its simplicity and low cost. The disadvantage is that the water must be changed once a week, and if there is at least one microcrack on the berry, it will rot very quickly.

Ash. Ash must be exclusively wood. The storage container is covered with ashes, and berries are placed there, completely falling asleep in it.
Net. For this method, newspapers or parchment are used. Having wrapped them around the fruits, they are hung from the ceiling in a barn or basement in a net. So you can save a small batch, sufficient for one family.
Moss. Moss dried in the sun is placed in boxes, then berries are stacked in them and completely covered with moss.
Clay. Each of the berries is smeared with clay, after the clay “grabs”, the fruits are placed both suspended and simply on shelves and boxes.

Important! Watermelons should be inspected and sorted about once a week. So you can "save" the berries that are already starting to deteriorate.

Storage locations for watermelons

The choice of the bookmark site depends on how large the batch is supposed to be stored, as well as on the specific weather conditions of the region.

Apartment. Choose a cool, dark place for storage, such as under the bed, under the windows or in the pantry. A big plus of storing watermelons in an apartment is the ability to constantly monitor the state of the batch.
A private house. A private house allows you to save watermelon and arrange large batches of berries in the cellar, on the veranda, in the summer kitchen. It should be remembered that the temperature should not fall below zero. The same rule applies when laying watermelons on the balcony.
Fridge. You can store watermelon in the refrigerator if there are several small fruits. This is a very optimal option. For this fruits should be placed in the vegetable compartment, after laying it with dry newspapers and laying the gaps between the berries with them.

When choosing a place to store a given fruit, it is necessary, in general, to create a regime that consists in cleanliness, dryness and isolation of the berries from each other. Not all methods allow you to sort through the fruits, but if possible, this should be done as often as possible.

Freezing watermelon

Like any berry, this fruit can be frozen in small batches. In order to save a cut watermelon at home, you need to free the berry from the peel, cut in small pieces and send to the freezer in small containers.

Important! The taste of a frozen fruit will differ significantly from a fresh one.

Common Mistakes

In order to keep watermelon at home for a long time, it is necessary to eliminate errors in this matter. The main mistake in storing fruits is non-compliance with the conditions described above. There are a number of "specific" oversights that lead to the "death" of the entire pledged lot.

The use of glossy magazines for packing berries. This should not be done, since such printed products are made using chemical dyes, inevitably penetrating through the pores of the fruit.
Preservation of the fetus in paraffin. Paraffin is a product of petroleum refining, it is poisonous and should not come into contact with food.

Video: how to store watermelons until the New Year.

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