What is the sound of a ripe watermelon. The purity of watermelon is the key to health

The onset of the watermelon season in the second half of summer is eagerly awaited by both big and small gourmets. It just so happened that in our country, where most of the territory belongs to the zone of risky agriculture, it is this southern culture that enjoys mass popularity and love. Juicy, sweet watermelon pulp not only perfectly quenches thirst on hot days, it gives pleasure in taste, pleasant emotions and is a source of many useful substances.

Ripe watermelon contains ascorbic and folic acid, magnesium, iron and potassium, dietary fiber and pectins.

That's just how to determine what is hidden under the green dense peel? How to determine the ripeness of a watermelon so that, once on the table, the cut berry does not disappoint, revealing to the audience a tasteless pale pink flesh?

If watermelons are grown on your own plot, you don’t have to worry about their quality, but sometimes purchased fruits, in addition to a pale appearance, present much more unpleasant surprises. Failure to comply with agricultural technology, the rules for the use of fertilizers and the storage of watermelons entails the danger of poisoning. Therefore, it is important not only to be able to distinguish a ripe berry from a green one, but to know how to choose the right watermelon that is safe for health.

Beginning of the watermelon season

You can buy watermelon in the supermarket today at any time of the year. Treated with preservatives or grown in greenhouses, sweet fruits from remote corners of the world easily reach Russian shelves. Is it possible to compare them with watermelons grown in the open field, in a summer cottage, under the hot summer sun? Based on the timing of the ripening of giant berries, we can conclude.

The first ripe watermelons on melons can appear only in July, and the mass collection of these gifts of summer begins in mid-August and lasts until October.

Moreover, the earlier the watermelon hits the counter, the greater the risk of containing nitrates and other compounds that are dangerous for the body, causing increased growth in fruits. So do not rush, because it is much easier to choose a good watermelon when their mass ripening starts.

How to determine the ripeness of a watermelon by the appearance of the bark?

Today, at the disposal of farmers and summer residents there are many varieties and hybrids of watermelons with a variety of patterns and colors of the bark. Breeders suggest growing fruits not only with bright red or pink flesh, but also with yellow and even white. At the same time, not a single scientist was able to create a plant, by the type of berries of which one could immediately determine the ripeness of a watermelon in the garden.

And yet there are a number of signs on how to choose a ripe watermelon. When choosing a fruit, pay attention to the condition of the peel, the brightness of the pattern and the presence of all kinds of damage. With all the richness of the existing colors of watermelons, the pattern on the bark should be clear, and the color of plain berries should be uniform. Watermelons with an uncharacteristic or blurry pattern are best set aside. After all, this can be a sign not only of the immaturity of the berry, but also a symptom of a disease, for example, a viral mosaic.

• Watermelons, which is not yet the time to leave the melon, have a matte bark.
• In a ripe fruit, the peel becomes glossy and hardens to such an extent that it is difficult to pierce it with a fingernail, but you can only scratch the top painted layer.
• In addition, in an unripe watermelon, the damaged bark secretes juice and emits a characteristic herbal smell.

According to folk observations, from striped watermelons, you need to choose the one in which the distance between the dark stripes is wider.

And some, even dry-looking defects and traces of scab on the surface of the bark can signal scab or anthracnose damage, which leads to underdevelopment of the pulp and a deterioration in the quality of the watermelon.

How to choose the right watermelon for the size and color of the earth stain?

Fruits grown on melons necessarily have a characteristic spot on the peel - the place where the watermelon comes into contact with the ground. In this area, the peel received less sunlight, less chlorophyll was produced here.

To determine the ripeness of a watermelon in a garden or on a counter, pay attention to the size, condition and color of such a spot:

• The bark here should not be damaged or be softer than in other areas.
• There are no stripes on the ground patch. This suggests that the watermelon was not disturbed during growth.

A spot, on average not exceeding 7–12 cm, should ideally be yellow, if the shade is closer to white, it is better for the watermelon to lie in the garden for another couple of weeks.

Is it possible to choose a sweet watermelon by a dry stem?

Are there any other tips on how to choose the right watermelon? You can often hear the recommendation that you can choose a delicious watermelon by taking a berry with a dry tail. But what if the watermelon on the counter has no stalk at all, or by all indications, a ripe berry in the garden does not want to separate from its native lash?

Indeed, in a fetus that has reached full maturity, the tail begins to dry:

• Knowing this, unscrupulous traders pick green watermelons, and the stalks dry during transportation and storage.
• In addition, the tail could dry out due to twisting or breaking of the whip long before the watermelons ripen.
• Also, trusting a dry stalk, you can bring an overripe watermelon to the table.

Therefore, you should not completely trust this sign.

It is much more reliable to pay attention not to one of the signs of watermelon ripeness, but immediately to their totality.

So, for example, in a sweet berry, ready for harvest, the stalk becomes smooth, characteristic hairs fall off it, which are present while the watermelon is immature. If watermelons grow in the country, you can determine the ripeness of a watermelon in the garden by other features. For example, melon growers are well aware that the tendrils at the place where the stalk of the watermelon is attached to the lash are sure to dry out when it is time to pick a ripe berry. In addition, at the place where the flower once was, by the time of ripening there is no trace of the bract.

How to choose a good watermelon by weight?

And in China and other Asian countries, when collecting watermelons, they use another interesting feature of these berries. Mature watermelons, due to the specifics of the internal structure, are lighter than water and always float on the surface. Based on this, one more sign can be deduced on how to choose a ripe watermelon. Of two fruits of equal size, the one that is lighter will be sweeter.

However, there is an exception here too. If at the beginning of summer there was cold, rainy weather, it is possible that this influenced the formation of watermelons, and voids did not form inside them. Such fruits, even when ripe, seem less juicy, and closer to the core, the tissues noticeably coarsen.

As for the actual weight of the watermelon, at the beginning of the season, when buying a sweet treat, it is more reasonable to give preference to medium fruits. And already in the midst of the watermelon season, you can feast on real giants weighing from 7 to 15 kg.

How to choose a good watermelon by sound?

You can often see how, when determining the ripeness of a watermelon, buyers or sellers tap on the peel or squeeze the fruit with their palms:

• In response to a knock, a ripe sweet watermelon makes a booming sound, but if the fruit is not yet ready to hit the table, the echo will be deaf and unclear.
• When squeezed, a good watermelon may crackle slightly, a green fruit does not produce such an effect.

If the listed methods for determining the quality of the fetus did not fully answer the question of how to choose a ripe watermelon, the video will help you understand everything clearly.

The main thing, when choosing a high-quality, tasty watermelon, is not to forget that success is possible when all the features considered are taken into account.

Summer residents who grow watermelons in their own beds do not worry about the quality of the fruit. They know for sure that, following the rules of agricultural technology, only useful sweet berries will be harvested from melons without excess amounts of nitrates, pesticides and dyes.

How to choose a watermelon of proper quality?

But how do you choose a good watermelon on the counter of a store or in a vegetable stand? Can all sellers be trusted, and how to protect yourself from poor-quality fruits?

Approaching the counter, you need to pay attention to the conditions of injury and laying out watermelons. In the conditions of street trade, for the sale of melons, special pavilions are necessarily organized, equipped with pallets and canopies to protect watermelons from contact with soil and sunlight. In the store, watermelons are also laid out on pallets or in baskets and do not come into contact with the floor.

Since the pulp of a watermelon instantly absorbs the slightest pollution, settling dust, and the pathogenic flora reproduces perfectly on sweet pulp, it is by no means possible to buy watermelons at roadside points, or choose fruits with cracks and cuts.

It is better to refuse to buy watermelon if the seller cannot present documents certifying the quality and safety of melons. Such certificates and certificates indicate the place of cultivation of the batch, the date of harvest and the expiration date. A certificate from a specialized laboratory assures that there are no substances harmful to health in watermelons.

Ten rules for choosing a ripe healthy watermelon - video

Watermelon is a favorite summer berry for many people. Juicy pink fruits, which cause a pleasant feeling of heaviness in the stomach, are a real symbol of summer, heat and the holiday season. However, we do not always manage to buy a sweet and healthy product, especially if the climatic region turns out to be an unfavorable environment for growing them. In this case, it is very important to know how to choose the right watermelon, and what you need to pay attention to first.

Watermelon is a seasonal product

Do not forget that both vegetables and fruits are seasonal products. You can get a quality harvest only at certain times of the year.

Melon crops, which include watermelon, are heat-loving plants, and even in the southern Central Asian countries they ripen no earlier than the second half of summer. In the meantime, they will grow in our climatic conditions (by the way, not the hottest), while they are delivered to the place of sale, sweet watermelons can be seen in the markets not earlier than mid-August.

Of course, sellers can assure you of the absolute quality of their product, arguing this with some kind of “super early variety”, but in reality, such watermelons often turn out to be a greenhouse product grown on fatty fertilizers.

It is possible that such products will indeed turn out to be sweet and ripe, but the amount of nitrates will certainly be impressive. A real field watermelon ripens not earlier than the end of August and can delight you with its taste throughout September.

Did you know? Archaeological excavations confirm the fact that people grew and consumed watermelons 2000 years ago. In Europe, the berry, quite possibly, came after the battle of Poitiers in the 1st century AD, with the invasion of the Umayyad dynasty in Spain.

Availability of documents, choice of place of purchase

Surely you have come across photographs from Turkmenistan, in which ripe watermelons simply lie in a heap on the ground. Those people who believe that this is how they should be sold are very mistaken.

Here's another tip for you: never buy a product off the ground. The cleanliness of our roads and road dust is clearly inferior to those of some Turkmen hinterland, which means that it is more correct to buy watermelons from store shelves.

Goods from the markets, like goods from supermarket shelves, come from the same places, only the sanitary conditions of storage in the pavilions and the store are an order of magnitude higher than in the markets. All melons and gourds must be sold either in stores or in stalls with awnings, placed on trading decks at a height of at least 15 cm from the ground.

Important! No need to think that a thick peel completely protects the entire watermelon. Of course, dust will not get to the pulp, but harmful microorganisms may well get inside through microcracks.

It is better not to pay attention to the watermelon rolled in the roadside dust, leaving it to the sellers.

If you have already found the best place and have chosen a suitable watermelon, then before buying, you can ask the seller for the appropriate quality certificate. Such a document should indicate the place where the watermelon grows, the timing of the harvest, the content of nitrates and other characteristics, based on which the quality of the selected product can be judged.

In the event that the seller shows you a photocopy of the certificate, take a good look at the seal - it must be in color, not black and white. If there is the slightest doubt about the authenticity of the document, it is better to buy a watermelon elsewhere, because health is more expensive.

Pay attention to the size of the watermelon

There is an opinion that the larger the watermelon, the sweeter it is, and this is absolutely true. Only representatives of certain varieties reach more than 10 kg, but they will weigh so much only if they are fully ripe.

Therefore, if you are thinking about how to choose a delicious watermelon, we advise you to give preference to large specimens, since the likelihood that it is really ripe will be higher.

Important! Given the peculiarities of our climate, you need to beware of too large watermelons, because even such giants cannot ripen on melon, which means that there is a possibility that the berries were fed artificially.

What to do if small watermelons are not so sweet, and the quality of large ones is in doubt? The correct answer is to choose an average size weighing 5-7 kg.

How to determine the ripeness of a watermelon by the tail

Watermelon "tail" can be compared with the umbilical cord of a baby, because it is through it that moisture and nutrients enter the fetus. But as soon as the berry ripens, it is no longer needed and begins to dry.

If you have a watermelon with a green “tail” in front of you, then most likely it was plucked before it was fully ripe, although it may also turn yellow from prolonged lying. To check whether the watermelon is ripe or not, try to break its “tail”. In a ripe berry, it will turn out to be quite fragile, while in an unripe specimen it will simply bend.

It is possible that the seller decided to disguise the poor quality of the crop and simply cut off the roots of the product, then this fact should finally convince you to continue searching.

Did you know? It turns out that the skin of a watermelon is completely edible. It is not only pickled, but even jam is made, and the seeds of the berry are fried.

Selection of watermelon by soil stain

Some buyers may be put off by the unattractive yellow spot located on the side of a watermelon, but its presence is quite normal. Moreover, it is by it that the quality of the berry can be determined.

yellow(or, as it is also called, "earth" spot) - this is the place where the watermelon came into contact with the ground when ripe. In a fully ripe berry, it should be brownish-yellow or even orange-yellow, but not white.

If the barrel of a watermelon is too pale, then this means that it was picked too early, and it did not have time to get enough sunlight and light necessary for its good ripening.

Pay attention to the "bee web"

"Bee web"call not very beautiful brown spots on a watermelon, which indicate that the bees often touched the ovary of the fruit during pollination. The more often pollination occurs, the larger the "cobweb" pattern will be and the sweeter the fruit should be. Therefore, this feature should not be regarded as a lack of berries.

Boy or girl who is sweeter

Not everyone knows that watermelons can be divided into species based on gender. So, among this melon family, there are "girls" with a flat bottom and a large brown circle, and "boys", whose bottom is convex, and the circle is small. It has been proven that it is “girls” who are sweeter, and they have much fewer seeds.

Visual inspection and pat test

You can choose a berry by simply patting your hand, but for this you need to know exactly what sound a ripe watermelon has. So, Ripe fruits will "sound" clear and loud, while unripe ones will respond deafly.

You can even put your ear to the watermelon, which will help you better understand the nature of the sound. A sonorous sound will indicate porosity and softness, that is, the ripeness of the berry, and if you hit it, it should spring a little.

In addition, the usual visual inspection from all sides is also important. There should be no small (especially large) cracks, dents, soft spots, scratches or any other damage on the rind of the watermelon through which bacteria could get inside.

Well, if the watermelon has a slightly elongated or spherical shape, complemented by a uniform color. Bright and contrasting stripes are a sure sign of the ripeness of the selected watermelon, which is also evidenced by the shiny wooden rind.

As for the last characteristic, the “clothes” of the watermelon should also be hard enough: you can scratch it, but you can’t pierce it with a fingernail. Try rubbing the peel with your finger - unripe fruits will smell like fresh hay.

Checking the watermelon for a cut, what should be the color of the watermelon

Some sellers allow you to cut a watermelon, so you can visually evaluate the internal characteristics of the selected fruit. A ripe watermelon has a rich red color, but a purple color should alert you, as it indicates a large amount of nitrates.

Sweet, ripe and nitrate-free? There are many tricks and tricks to distinguish a healthy berry from a juicy ripe pulp.

The second half of summer is a real holiday for lovers of watermelons. You can enjoy your favorite berry at least every day: eat sliced ​​pulp, prepare cocktails and various desserts. But the fruit brought home from the market or store is far from always tasty and healthy: the pulp may be unripe or unsweetened, and an excess concentration of nitrates can cause a violation of the blood composition and cause severe poisoning.

There are several rules, adhering to which you can choose a watermelon not only ripe and sweet, but also without the content of nitrogen fertilizers harmful to the body.

With the beginning of the season, watermelons can be found in supermarkets, markets, in tents located right under the open sky. The taste and useful properties of berries largely depend on storage conditions, so before you go for a watermelon, it is important to choose the right place to buy.

Sanitary conditions in shops 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 right 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 through small cracks.

If you still decide to choose a watermelon in an outdoor tent, pay attention to the following:

• from above, the fruits should be covered with a canopy;
• all watermelons must be on a special flooring at least 20 cm high;
• the best option is to have side walls in the tent that protect the berries from dust and dirt.

Before choosing a watermelon in the market, in a store or other point of sale, the buyer has the right to demand certificates confirming the quality of the goods. The document indicates the timing and place of collection, the presence of nitrates and other data that will allow you to make a choice. In the absence of 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 a long time, but it is impossible to provide such conditions at street sales outlets. This means that the average shelf life is no more than 2-3 weeks. After that, the berries begin to sour and lose their taste. If it is not possible to set a harvest date, you can check this by tearing off a small piece of skin with your fingernail: fresh watermelons can smell only cut grass, and a small amount of moisture will appear on the surface.

Some producers and sellers, in order to keep the crop longer, process it with a mixture of chalk or a solution of alabaster and paraffin. The duration of storage at the same time increases by 1.5-2 times, but the quality of the berries is significantly reduced: frequent consumption of the pulp of such watermelons can result in the formation of sand in the kidneys.

The most useful are watermelons grown outdoors. Since this melon culture is thermophilic, the first ripe fruits appear not earlier than the second half of summer. At first, berries imported from the Central Asian countries go on sale, a little later - from the southern regions of the country. The optimal time to buy your favorite treat starts from the second decade of August and lasts until the last days of September. During this period, the highest chances to choose watermelon are not only delicious, but also without nitrates.

By appearance

Experienced lovers of sweet fruits first of all pay attention to the color and other external characteristics of the peel. Knowing some tricks will allow you to establish the ripeness of the pulp even without a preliminary sample. What should you pay attention to and how to choose the right watermelon in appearance?

Many are interested in the question: is it possible to determine the presence of nitrates in the pulp by appearance? Unfortunately, it is impossible to establish the content of an increased amount of harmful substances without cutting the fruit, except perhaps with the help of a special device.

Knowing the signs of excess nitrates will help to avoid poisoning. Before eating a cut watermelon, carefully inspect it:

• 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 fetus;
• a ripe watermelon has black pits, the combination of immature seeds and ripe red pulp is a bad sign.

By sound

When watermelon ripens, the pulp changes its density - it becomes more porous. This feature makes it possible to determine the ripeness by the sound that the berry makes when tapped. To do this, you need to knock on the crust with your knuckle. The louder the sound, the riper the berry. You can check several watermelons in this way and compare the result.

How else can you choose a watermelon by sound? There is another method for determining ripeness, which is more suitable for men. The fetus is clamped between two palms opposite each other. They should be placed in the middle between the tail and the bottom. When squeezing the palms of a ripe fruit, the peel will emit a characteristic soft crackle. 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 indicators of sugar content are considered optimal? With the mass cultivation of gourds, the suitability of fruits for consumption is determined when the sugar concentration reaches 10% or more. To determine this indicator, a special device is used - a refractometer. On melons in different places, several fruits are selected, cut and the 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 that affect the taste of the pulp.

First of all, the choice of variety is important. Despite the large number of different types of gourds, breeding work does not stop, due to which new improved hybrids appear. Not all traits are improved as a result of crossing, and often an increase in disease resistance or an increase in yield affects the palatability. When choosing a variety, the growing conditions, as well as the structure and composition of the soil, should be taken into account.

Even properly selected seeds may not give the desired yield if the cultivation technology is not followed or adverse weather factors are not followed. For a normal sugar content, the following conditions are necessary:

• Sufficient lighting. The more sunny days during the period of plant growth and fruit formation, the sweeter the harvest will be.
• The presence of moisture. Sufficient soil moisture ensures good germination of crops and normal growth of gourds. But during the ripening of the crop, excess moisture can have the most negative effect on their taste: if after dry days it rains heavily, 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 plant feeding is necessary, which makes it possible to get a richer harvest and increase the sugar concentration by as much as 2-3%. Some unscrupulous growers seek to increase yields by oversupplying nitrogen in the soil. It is able to cause intensive cell growth, in which their number remains the same, and the size exceeds the norm several times. The increase in volume in this case occurs due to the accumulation of water and the deterioration of taste. With an increased amount of nitrogen, the pulp may acquire a specific bitter taste.

Another reason for the discrepancy between the expected taste is the untimely harvest. Watermelon, unlike the vast majority of fruits, is not able to ripen after harvest. The taste characteristics are also affected by the conditions of transportation and storage.

So how can you choose a watermelon with sweet pulp? 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 largest berries, mistakenly believing that they are the most ripe. In fact, too large a size can be a sign of artificial fruit enlargement by the application of a large amount of nitrogen fertilizers.

The optimal weight depends on the variety: for most of the most popular varieties in the middle lane, this indicator is at the level of 5-6 kg, for large varieties and hybrids ("", "", "Palladin", ""), the weight of the fruit can reach 10-12 kg. When choosing from one batch, it is better not to buy the largest or smallest watermelon, but to give preference to medium-sized specimens.

At present, the opinion that a light skin tone is a sign of insufficient maturity is not true. This is due to the achievements of modern breeding, thanks to which a large number of the most diverse species have recently appeared with a shade of peel from light green to dark green, approaching black.

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 the watermelon be completely dry, or is it not an indication of ripeness at all? A ripe berry stops consuming moisture and gradually the stalk at the point of attachment to the stem dries up. A dried tail is one of the signs of maturation, but only if it is fragile and breaks easily.

If the stalk is simply sluggish, it can be said with great certainty that the crop was harvested ahead of schedule, and the stalk dried out during transportation. A clear sign of the immaturity of the fruit is the correctly cut ends of the ponytails.

Another well-known method of selection is the evaluation of the surface condition of the peel. It is believed that after ripening, the watermelon peel 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 upper layer acquires a pronounced waxy sheen. During the period most suitable for eating watermelon, this shine is preserved, but when overripe, the skin becomes matte again.

However, this feature is not true for all varieties: many recently bred hybrids have a waxy 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 to a shine.

At the point of contact with the ground, a so-called “cheek” is formed - a light spot, which can have a hue from white to orange. The presence of such a speck is the norm if its diameter, depending on the total weight, does not exceed 5-10 cm. Light areas of much larger sizes indicate a low quality of the crop.

By the color of the "cheeks" 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 already ready to eat.

Sometimes, when cutting the fruit, it is found that the pulp has an uneven structure and is pierced with dense light veins. What do such white threads inside a watermelon mean? The appearance of seals is a plant response to stress caused by a sudden change in growing conditions. Basically, such threads appear with sudden changes in temperature.

If there are streaks in the pulp, before eating it, you should pay attention to the color of the threads: a yellowish tint is one of the signs of an increased nitrate content.

Often, buyers try to choose a watermelon according to 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 sweetness, but the taste of a boy who has a small convex bottom is much worse. How true are these signs of the sweetness of a watermelon?

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. A 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 pulp 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 lovers of 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 unambiguously. The ultra-early varieties developed by breeders are able to produce crops much earlier than mid-season representatives of the crop. Additional opportunities were opened by the technology of growing plants in greenhouses. It is possible that the earliest fruits are grown in compliance with the nutritional requirements and do not pose a threat to health. You can determine the presence of nitrates 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 a refreshing sweet, juicy and healthy pulp.

Summer is remembered for us not only by the abundance of sun, travel and fresh herbs, but also by the delicious dessert of this season - watermelons. A ripe watermelon with velvety and juicy flesh will come in handy on a hot day, and the main thing is to choose the right delicious watermelon. For some time, watermelon was considered a useless fruit, but later it was found that this large berry is a real storehouse of fiolic acids, which have a beneficial effect on blood formation and chemical processes in the body. Despite the fact that watermelon is 90% of its mass water, it also contains useful substances - vitamin C, fiber and iron, etc.

Surely, there are many lovers of this delicious berry. However, does each of us know how to choose the right watermelon? Unfortunately, finding absolutely organic fruits, like watermelons, is now very problematic. However, choosing the most “clean” berry, without an excess of nitrates and other things harmful to the body, is not so difficult. There are several secrets on how to choose the right delicious watermelon.

Carefully choose the place and time of buying watermelon. If you want to fully enjoy a delicious watermelon without sacrificing your own health, then keep an eye on where you are going to buy watermelon. It is highly not recommended to buy watermelons near dusty roads, on which cars drive every now and then, releasing harmful gases into the air. Although, on the other hand, this is the most common option, buying a watermelon during a trip near the highway is simple and fast. Watermelons in stores do not differ in taste either - as a rule, supermarkets buy them still immature. The ideal place to buy is a tent next to the field where these watermelons grow. It is better not to buy early watermelons, it is better to enjoy melons not earlier than August.

Pay attention to the color of the watermelon. The "face" of the berry will always tell you how to choose a sweet watermelon. Pay attention to the color of the watermelon: it should be contrasting, but not matte. However, it is difficult to choose a watermelon on this basis: before selling, watermelons are carefully rubbed with a rag, giving it a marketable appearance, and therefore determining the ripeness of a berry only by color is a risky business. The yellow spot is also an indispensable attribute of a delicious watermelon. It does not say anything about ripeness, however, the size of the spot can tell about the taste of the berry: if the size of the spot varies from 5 to 10 cm, then you have come across a quite sweet and juicy fruit.

Determine the ripeness of a watermelon by the sound. Many mistakenly believe that you can choose a good watermelon by a dull sound. In fact, when tapped, the correct watermelon should make a ringing sound, which indicates the porosity of the pulp, and, consequently, the ripeness of the berry. It is difficult to convey in words the sound made by a ripe watermelon, but after a little practice, you can easily determine the correct sound. Also, with a slight squeeze, the watermelon should crackle slightly, which will also notify you of its maturity and juiciness.

The absence of a stalk is a bad sign! Another way to choose a ripe watermelon is to carefully examine the stalk or the so-called “tail” of the fruit. It should be moderately dry and yellow: a too dry stalk indicates that the watermelon has undergone long-term transportation and storage, which is unlikely to benefit its taste. It is better not to buy a watermelon without a "tail": most likely, it was deliberately torn off to hide the poor quality of the fruit.

Ripe and juicy watermelon never sinks in water. In addition, when cut, the berry will diverge, slightly crackling under the knife blade. Ripe watermelon seeds are dark brown or even black in color. White seeds are a sign of an unripe fruit or a high nitrate content in the berry.

Knowing the secrets of how to choose a good watermelon, you can be sure of the ripeness of the purchased fruit, cutting which you will feel the sweet aroma and immediately realize that you have made the right choice.

Text: Anastasia Buylova

« Himself - scarlet sugar, caftan - green velvet. This riddle is easily guessed by all kids. Juicy, sweet and velvety watermelon flesh is pleasantly refreshing on a hot day, quenches thirst and is a source of vitamin C, iron, folic acid, potassium, magnesium, pectin and fiber. However, how many times have we brought home a large beautiful watermelon, gathered at the table with the whole family, cut it and ... were disappointed. Instead of scarlet pulp, splashing with juice, something pale pink and completely tasteless appeared before our eyes. It is even more offensive when, after tasting a watermelon that looks quite decent, symptoms of poisoning appear - headache, nausea and vomiting. This reaction is caused by the nitrates contained in watermelons, which appeared in the process of growing the fruit due to the use of a large amount of mineral fertilizers.

How to choose a good ripe watermelon

It's not difficult at all if you know a few simple rules. So, we will learn to choose the perfect watermelon, fragrant, sugary, melting in your mouth and without nitrates!

Rule 1 Look at the calendar.

The most delicious ripen in season, that is, from the second half of August to the end of September. Early watermelons are rich in nitrates, as some producers, in an effort to harvest more quickly, feed gourds with nitrogen fertilizers and growth stimulants. If you want to enjoy watermelons without the health consequences, be patient!

Rule 2 Meeting place can not be Changed.

It is very important where you buy watermelon. Melons should be sold either in a store or in stalls with an awning, on special decks located at a height of at least 15 cm from the ground. The fact is that the tender watermelon pulp is a suitable breeding ground for microorganisms that enter through inconspicuous cracks along with dust and dirt. All gourds instantly absorb hazardous substances from the environment, so never buy them near highways, because car exhaust contains harmful substances and heavy metals. For the same reason, do not take cut watermelons, which are literally teeming with germs. In this case, even certificates will not help - an initially flawless watermelon can be very dangerous to health.

Rule 3 Meet by clothes.

Carefully inspect and feel the watermelon from all sides - the watermelon peel should not even have small cracks, dents, soft spots, scratches and other damage through which bacteria and microbes easily penetrate. Well, if the watermelon has a spherical or slightly elongated shape, uniform and even color - this is a huge plus for the watermelon image. Bright and contrasting stripes are a sure sign of the ripeness of a watermelon, as is a shiny “wooden” rind that cannot be pierced with a fingernail, but is easy to scratch. Rub your finger on the watermelon rind - unripe fruits will clearly smell of fresh hay.

Rule 4 It's all about the tail.

The watermelon tail must be dry - when the watermelon ripens, it stops taking moisture from the ground and dries up. If the tail is green, then the watermelon is plucked before full ripening, although the green tail turns yellow over time in long-harvested unripe fruits. There is an important difference between a mature and immature tail - in a ripe watermelon, the tail is fragile and breaks easily, while in an unripe fruit it is more sluggish. If the tail is cut off, bypass such watermelons - most likely, the sellers decided to mask the poor quality of the crop.

Rule 5 Those mysterious yellow spots.

Since it lies on one side for a long time, a bright spot of a rich yellow or orange hue forms at the point of contact with the ground - it is called a “cheek”. Too light, large or unevenly colored surface should alert you, because this is a sure sign that the watermelon was not on the melon. The optimal size of the “cheek” is 5–10 cm. There is another sign of ripeness - small light spots that appear on the entire surface of the watermelon peel after the production of chlorophyll has stopped.

Rule 6 Big or small?

The correct answer is medium. Large watermelons, despite their tempting appearance, are often grown using nitrates, and small fruits are most often unsweetened. Sometimes there are exceptions - small watermelons can be sugary and tasty, while large watermelons can be watery, unsweetened and pale pink.

Rule 7 Sound and ripe.

Tap the watermelon with your fist - ripened fruits make a clear and sonorous sound, and unripe watermelons respond dully. You can put your ear to the watermelon, like a seashell, and squeeze it slightly - a ripe watermelon will crackle slightly.

Rule 8 Girl or boy?

It turns out that watermelons have a gender. In female fetuses, the bottom is completely flat with a large brown circle, while in male fetuses it is convex and with a very small circle. Know that the sweetest and most delicious are “girls”, besides, they have much less seeds.

Rule 9 Watermelon "passport".

If you have found the best watermelon and are ready to buy it, ask the seller for a quality certificate, which can be considered a kind of watermelon “passport”. The certificate should contain the following data: the “homeland” of the watermelon, its age, that is, the harvest time, nitrate content and other characteristics, on the basis of which you can make a final conclusion whether or not to be a watermelon on your table. If the seller shows you a photocopy of the certificate, take a closer look at the seal - it must certainly be in color, not black and white. If you suspect false documents, do not take risks - health is more expensive.

Rule 10"Exposure" of nitrates.

Finally, you bought the "right" watermelon, brought it home, and cut it up. Do not rush to taste, first make sure that the fruit is not nitrate. The following points should alert you - an incredibly bright watermelon pulp with a lilac tint, yellow fibers in the pulp and a smooth gloss on the cut of the watermelon instead of a grainy surface. Remember that nitrates are concentrated closer to the crust, so always leave a juicy core for babies - it is just the tastiest.

Enjoy the fragrant and sweet pulp, make juices and summer desserts from it, which are very fond of children. And you can also arrange watermelon fasting days and lose weight tasty, easy and healthy. We wish you a pleasant watermelon season and a juicy fruity mood!