Growing white-fleshed watermelon. What do the yellow and white veins in the flesh of a watermelon mean? Are there pink watermelons

There is about a week left before the official start of the season for the sale of watermelons, however, unauthorized trade in melons on the streets of Moscow has been going on since mid-July. Consumers are outraged not only by the high price, but also by the quality of the fruit: watermelons that are artificially ripened with the help of nitrates pose a health hazard.

At the same time, sellers of watermelon breakups in most cases cannot present either a trade permit or quality certificates.

Permission to trade melons will be valid from 1 August . The Moscow Department of Consumer Market and Services explained that it is not recommended to buy watermelons before this date - it is better to wait until the end of summer, when they will definitely ripen.

The number of gourd breaks in the capital this summer will be almost two times less compared to last year - total 450 . In addition, retail outlets will operate under the new rules. Sellers are required to work in special clothing, carry a medical book and documents confirming the quality of the products.

Where to choose watermelons

In Moscow, the sale of melons "from the ground" is prohibited. Sales outlets should be equipped with mesh chests and special scales instead of household, medical and postal scales. Sellers should not cut and sell watermelons and melons in parts, in slices.

In addition, visual information about the operating hours of the outlet and the legal address of the trade organization should be placed on the tray or collapse.

To be on the safe side, it's best not to buy watermelons from "spontaneous" markets where products are not checked by sanitary services, and always ask if they have documents. And even more so, you should not buy at the breakups near the roads: there the products absorb toxins.

Some producers stimulate the ripening of gourds with nitrogen fertilizers, which leads to the accumulation of nitrates in watermelons. The consequences of their use can be severe - acute infectious poisoning or chronic intoxication, which doctors call "cumulative effect".

How to identify a nitrate "bomb"

It is impossible to determine a nitrate watermelon by eye if it is not cut. A berry should not even be tasted if its flesh is riddled with yellow or light yellow fibers or has a purple hue.

If you soak the pulp of a nitrate watermelon in water, it will turn red or pink due to the high content of nitrates. A "healthy" watermelon will make the water slightly cloudy.

If you knock on a nitrate watermelon, it feels like you are hitting a half-mast ball. In appearance, such a watermelon may be ripe, but if it does not crack when compressed, it means that it has not ripened without someone else's "help"

What should a watermelon look like without flaws

There is a widespread belief that a large watermelon is "nitrate". This is not true: for example, for the “chill” variety, 10-20 kilograms is far from the limit.

The ideal watermelon should be large enough without being too heavy and with a distinct striped pattern. In order to determine the natural ripeness of a watermelon, first of all, you need to pay attention to the stalk - the tail at the top of the fruit must be dry.

The purchased watermelon should not have cuts and cracks - through which microbes enter, causing intestinal infections.

There is a myth that a ripe watermelon should ring if you pat it with your palm. In fact, the sound depends on whether the pulp inside has softened or not. Just the green fruit will ring, and the ripe watermelon should be deaf.

The crackle that a watermelon makes when you squeeze it with your hands is a good sign. You can safely buy such a product.

The earth spot on the lower side should preferably be yellow, not white.

And the last. A ripe watermelon can be easily scratched - by running your fingernail over it, you can easily remove the top layer of the peel.

When choosing a melon, connoisseurs advise paying attention to the aroma that its peel should exude, the softness that is felt to the touch, and the absence of light brown spots.

What to do in case of "nitrate" poisoning

In addition to nitrates, watermelons can contain microbes and even heavy metals. In case of poisoning, it is necessary to drink as much water as possible to prevent dehydration and reduce the symptoms of the disease.

Is watermelon useful?

There is conflicting information about the benefits of watermelons. Some say that the fiber of watermelons contains potassium, which is washed out of the body when taking diuretic drugs. Therefore, watermelons are advised to be consumed in diseases such as cystitis and nephritis.

At the same time, there is an opinion that all gourds, although they contain fiber, are poorly absorbed, loading the stomach. That is why doctors advise children and the elderly over 50 to give up juicy fruits.

The material was prepared by the online editors www.rian.ru based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources

I haven't eaten a really good and sweet watermelon yet this year. Everything that we buy in stores (Metro, Auchan) somehow does not really meet my standards of what a real watermelon should be.

Of course, you can eat purchased watermelons, but where is the tight ripeness and sugar content in them that I love so much? There are none. And this is despite the fact that I know how to choose watermelons - you can say that I grew up on watermelon melons near Volgograd.

I was walking here on the Internet and came across an interesting one about how the guys from the UralWeb site chose and checked watermelons. Unfortunately, we, too, have recently been increasingly falling on the watermelons described in this article ...

Buying a watermelon is a whole ritual. Moreover, everyone who has tried to choose the right watermelon at least once in their life knows at least a dozen signs by which you can identify a good, ripe and sweet fruit. But in reality, it turns out that 100% of these signs do not always work. As a result, the watermelon, which crunched the best and “thumped” perfectly, and even on the cut was red, turns out to be sour and tasteless. Or in general - candied and fermented.

Of course, the UralWeb natural scientists cannot continue to put up with such uncertainty, and therefore it was decided to deal with watermelons once and for all.

So, we decided to test in practice all the existing signs of a ripe watermelon and find out which one is the most correct!

Through lengthy research, we found out several signs of a ripe watermelon, which we tried to verify in practice:

- the degree of dryness of the tail - according to some, this is the most popular way to determine the ripeness of a watermelon

- "gender" of watermelon. For some of us, this was a revelation, but there are indeed “boys” and “girls” among watermelons, and now we imagine with interest how they reproduce.

- skin brightness

- sonority when tapping - the more "deaf" the knock, the riper the watermelon.

- softness of the peel - the easier the peel is scraped off (with a fingernail, for example), the riper the watermelon. By the way, this can be determined by the allocated juice.

- the creak of a watermelon when squeezing it with your hands. This method is clearly demonstrated in one of the series "Well, you wait!". Like, if the watermelon begins to creak at the same time, then it has already ripened.

- a yellow spot on the side. It is formed when watermelon is aged on melon. If the spot is large, especially if the watermelon is flattened in this place, then it lay in the garden for a long time and matured properly.

- the color of the pulp. Here, it would seem, everything is clear: the redder, the riper.

The striped berries were purchased from three checkpoints: a nearby greengrocer's shop, a large supermarket, and a stall selling on a busy highway. Just in case, we warn you - the gooseberry is also a green striped berry, but it is smaller than a watermelon. Do not confuse!

So, where and under what conditions did we buy watermelons

The watermelon in the store, oddly enough, turned out to be the cheapest and was in much better conditions than its counterparts in other outlets. The watermelons were kept in a relatively cool room, on high racks away from street dust. For one kilogram of live weight here they took 10.90 rubles (2009 prices). Thus, a "berry" weighing 5.5 kg cost us over 60 rubles.

On the street tray they also lay quite high from the ground, however, they already had a slight coating of street dust. A kilogram of watermelon here cost noticeably more than in the store - 16.50 rubles, so 6.5 kg cost us 109 rubles.

By the way, a little later, while studying information about watermelons found on the Internet, we found out that buying watermelons on city streets and along highways is not very desirable, since watermelons very actively absorb toxins, and up to 40% of this poison gets directly into the watermelon pulp .

The last watermelon was bought on the outskirts of the city along a busy highway. They lay in simple boxes right on the ground and were thickly covered with road dust. The saleswoman claimed that they had been here only a couple of days, but for some reason she did not want to believe.

Apparently, offended by our incredulity, the saleswoman shortchanged us for 70 rubles (we discovered this already in the office). By the way, watermelons here were also the most expensive - 19.80 rubles per kilogram. Thus, after some simple mathematical manipulations, a watermelon weighing 7.7 kg turned out to be a waste of 215 rubles for us and a firm conviction that we would never buy anything else along the highway.

After all the ordeals, the watermelons were eventually delivered to the base of naturalists, and we began to thoroughly check them.

External examination of watermelons showed the following

First of all, we paid attention to watermelon ponytails. As the popular saying goes, the drier the tail, the more ripe the watermelon. In fact, the dryness of the stem is more indicative of how long ago the watermelon was picked.
For example, a store-bought watermelon had no tail at all, a watermelon from a stall had a raw tail, and a watermelon bought on the highway had a dry one.

Next, we turned our attention to another watermelon "pole", that is, we tried to determine the "gender" of our subjects. It turns out that by the size of the trace from the flower, you can find out whether the watermelon is a “boy” or “girl”. If the trace from the flower is large, it is a “watermelon”, if it is small, then it is a “boy”. All three of us turned out to be “boys”, and you should not be particularly puzzled about this: according to the sellers, “girls” are practically never found in our area.

Tapping showed that the most "ringing" watermelon is the one we bought on the street. Of course, we did not measure this with any instruments, but relied solely on our collective ear for music.

According to folk signs, the third watermelon should have been the most ripe.

After listening to the watermelon echo, we moved on to examining its surface, that is, the crust. The color was bright enough everywhere, and the store-bought watermelon was even a little paler than its counterparts. Perhaps the point here is the lack of sunlight at the point of sale.

Having heard stories about how unfortunate watermelons are chipped with potassium permanganate and other dyes, we decided to examine the watermelons for injections as well. Suspicions of “doping” appeared only in relation to the watermelon bought on the track. At least, traces that vaguely resemble injection marks were found only on him. The rest, if they were tinted, then in some way unknown to us.

And the last point of checking the appearance is the size of the macula. This is the part of the watermelon with which it lies on the ground. Thus, the larger, paler and flatter it is, the longer he was in the garden with all the ensuing consequences. For a store watermelon, this spot was light yellow of a small size, for a roadside watermelon it was light green, for a watermelon bought on the street it was large and white.

The last test before opening is a compression test. It is said that a ripe watermelon, when squeezed with both hands, begins to crackle a little. All three watermelons were quite crunchy and thus passed the test. True, the store crunched less confidently.

And now we pass to the most interesting part - to the autopsy.

By the way, we found information on the Internet that some people check the readiness of a watermelon by the sound it makes when it is cut. We didn’t quite figure out exactly how the ripest watermelon should sound, so we only hoped for our aesthetic preferences. So, the watermelon bought on the track sounded the most pleasant.

In general, if you are offered to open a watermelon on the spot or, even worse, they offer to buy an already cut watermelon, it’s better not to risk it. Firstly, sellers, in principle, should not have a knife with them. Secondly, when cut, any infection can get inside the watermelon. And, thirdly, under plastic or food wrap, microbes multiply like in the best incubator, so if you buy a cut watermelon, you risk spending several unforgettable nights in the infectious diseases department.

So, an autopsy showed that all three watermelons had a different color of flesh.

At the store - red-pink,

bought near the road - red with patches of dark red pulp,

and the street one has an even red color.

But the color of the pulp was not the main thing. First of all, we wanted to test watermelons for nitrate content. In order to accurately assess their content in any vegetable or fruit, experts advise using a nitrate meter. It costs some 25 thousand rubles, and it is clear that such a thing will always come in handy on the farm, so there was nothing to waste on trifles. True, we would have to wait almost a month for its delivery, but we didn’t have such time in stock. I had to use the "grandfather" methods.

First of all, you need to carefully look at the fruit: the “nitrate” watermelon has an intensely red flesh with a slight purple tint, and the fibers that go from the core to the crust are not white, like good watermelons, but yellowish. If you rub a piece of watermelon in a glass of water, it should just become cloudy. This means that the fruit is good. If it turns red or pink - in front of you is a berry overfed with nitrates.

Of all three watermelons, only the roadside watermelon had a slight yellowish tinge. The other two were plain white.

As for soaking in water, the water turned cloudy at the first and third watermelons. We let it settle, and a light pink tint remained in all three samples. However, he was not strong enough to suspect the content of nitrates on this basis alone.

Another folk method is to pierce the skin of a watermelon. If a milky liquid comes out of the hole, then the watermelon is pumped up with something. Store-bought watermelon gave clear juice, street watermelon gave a little cloudy, and roadside watermelon gave dark discharge.

We also tested the watermelons for their water content. The fact is that many dishonest merchants often pump watermelons with water to make them heavier. It is not difficult to check this: if, after cutting, the juice flowed abundantly from the watermelon, it means that it was weighted with water. And if store and street watermelons turned out to be of natural moisture, then roadside watermelons were too watery. Ah-ah-ah, gentlemen roadside merchants!

Well, now the most important thing - watermelon flavor!

Sample number two lived up to our worst fears. Immediately after the first slice, the entire watermelon weighing 7.7 kg, not counting the water, went into the trash can. It was very sour and it was absolutely impossible to eat it. Thus, on the track we were not only cheated (this is not so bad), but they also sold a completely indigestible watermelon.

Sample No. 3, that is, a watermelon bought on the street, turned out to be much more pleasant in taste. It was very sweet in the middle and less sweet near the crust. However, a solid "5".

The watermelon bought in the store was not so sweet, but the taste was very uniform. So here is the "four".

So, what you need to pay attention to when buying a watermelon:

The spot is an important sign of the ripeness of the watermelon. The bigger and lighter the better. Even better, if in this place the watermelon is slightly deformed from long lying.

Place of purchase - decides. Don't take it on the track if you don't want to glow at night. Although, in infectious you can easily become a local landmark.

No injection marks. See that the integrity of the crust is not violated, the fewer suspicious spots and the cleaner the surface, the better.

Knocking, crackling and a dry tail will not save you from a tasteless watermelon. "Nitrate" watermelons ring perfectly and have wonderful tails. However, if the place is verified, then these parameters should also be paid attention to.

A ringing sound at opening does not indicate the excellent quality of the watermelon. The most crunchy when opened, the watermelon turned out to be the most unusable.

The sound of a watermelon when tapped: the more sonorous it is, the better.

Watermelon season is in full swing and will last until November 1st. This business is quite profitable - only according to official data, the turnover of the melon market in Moscow is 400-500 million rubles per season. However, the city authorities decided to reduce the number of watermelon and melon sales by almost half, and tighten the requirements for sellers.

For the first time in the capital, the placement took place on a competitive basis in all districts of the city, the permit for trade was issued by the capital's prefectures. And this is not only because of the love of order, improper storage of goods and its quality threaten the health of the consumer. In past years, many citizens, after tasting the "red delicacy", were admitted to hospitals with acute intestinal infections and nitrate poisoning. Therefore, now watermelons are under special control ...

In the capital, for example, there is a decree "On streamlining the trade in gourds in the territory of Moscow", according to which watermelons and melons can only be traded in specially equipped chests. The presence of a protective shield and a hinged awning is mandatory. The fruits should lie on a deck at least 20 centimeters high from the ground. The distance to the nearest highway should be at least 5 meters, because watermelons, like a sponge, absorb lead emissions from hundreds of cars. Sellers are required to work in sanitary clothing, provide, at the request of the buyer, documents confirming the origin, quality and safety of watermelons and melons. It is forbidden to use steelyards and household scales. Each outlet should have a sign indicating the organizational and legal affiliation of the enterprise, PSRN (main state registration number) and operating hours. A retail outlet located near a residential area must be closed at 22:00. After that, the sellers are obliged to remove the territory in which the trade is carried out. Along with this, the trade rules now include clauses prohibiting the sale of melons in underground passages, in the arches of residential and administrative buildings.

Despite the fact that police barriers protect our city from low-quality watermelons, checks still show a high percentage of nitrate goods. Unfortunately, most buyers do not know the rules for buying berries, so today the most common questions are answered by our expert - chief specialist of the maintenance department of the Moscow Rospotrebnadzor in ZelAO Oksana Avdoshina.

- When buying a watermelon, many do it according to the “cut-out” principle ...
- Never buy cut fruits and do not allow the seller to make a "trial cut". After all, buying a part of a watermelon or trying it on the market, you are at great risk. Firstly, there is no guarantee that the seller actually passed a medical examination, and did not buy a health certificate. Secondly, watermelons grow on the ground and are not transported in sterile conditions. Dirty hands of assemblers, movers and sellers, a dirty knife, leaking juice from cracked watermelons not only attracts flies and wasps, but also becomes a breeding ground for microorganisms, plus the warm season, violation of storage conditions for cut watermelon, etc. As a result - the prospect of catching a food infection, up to dysentery.

- What about supermarkets? There, watermelons are sold year-round in halves, quarters ...
- In supermarkets, the sale of melons in sliced ​​form is also prohibited, they risk ...

- Where can I complain about low-quality watermelons?
- You can complain about violations of trade rules and the unsatisfactory quality of fruits at the TO Department of Rospotrebnadzor of Moscow in ZelAO (tel.: 499-736-67-62, 499-735-54-53). If it turns out that you really were poisoned, then, having taken a certificate from a doctor and keeping receipts for the purchase of medicines, you can safely file a lawsuit in the Magistrate's Court demanding compensation for the damage. The laboratory level of nitrates in watermelons is determined at the Center for Hygiene and Epidemiology of Moscow in ZelAO.

- Does it make sense for customers to go to the stalls with test strips themselves?
- With the help of express analysis, you can, of course, independently check watermelons for the content of chemicals. But test strip control is not always effective. There is a laboratory in the market in each administrative district where watermelons and melons are tested for nitrate content. In addition, each batch of products is accompanied by documents confirming the quality and safety of gourds.

- Is there an acceptable level of nitrate content?
- Yes, for example, in watermelons it is up to 60 mg per 1 kg.

- Is it worth buying watermelons, which appear on our shelves in June?
- If you are offered to buy a domestic early-ripening watermelon or melon in June, then summer may not be remembered for sunny days and an abundance of fruits, but, alas, for hospital walls - because along with watermelon you will probably eat nitrates.

On a note The World Health Organization has set the maximum allowable concentration of nitrates and nitrites in the body. An adult can consume up to 250 mg of nitrates and up to 15 mg of nitrites per day without health risk. But the frequent use of foods containing nitrates leads to the accumulation of heavy metals in the liver and kidneys. At first, in small concentrations, chemicals will not cause harm. But subsequently, saturation of the body with nitrates can result in a variety of sores, including cancer. Studies were conducted, and it turned out that in the presence of nitrates in the body, the process of assimilation of other useful components stops, magnesium is not absorbed, the absorption of vitamin C decreases by 3 times. Another feature of nitrates is that they can gradually accumulate in the body of an adult and not appear for a long time. As a result, chronic intoxication occurs, which leads to heart rhythm disturbance, convulsions and even suffocation. Such "reserves" are especially dangerous for pregnant women and nursing mothers.

How can you tell if a watermelon is unripe or overripe?
- In the standards of GOST 7177-80, in the section "Watermelons, fresh", the signs of an unripe and overripe fruit are described. In an immature fetus- the surface of the fruit is matte, the ribbing at the stalk is pronounced, the stalk is juicy, the tendril is not wilted. When struck with a bent finger, the sound is sonorous. The flesh is pink or pale pink, the border between the bark and the edible part is barely noticeable. The consistency of the pulp is rough, low-juicy, tasteless. Seeds white, immature.

In an overripe fetus- the pattern and color of the bark is lighter than that of a mature one. The luster is well expressed, the tendril and peduncle are shrunken, the ground spot is yellow. The sound when struck with a bent finger is deaf. The color of the pulp has changed to orange. Mucus appears at the seed nests. Pulp with voids. The consistency of the pulp is loose, fibrous. The fruit is inedible or not edible.

Ripe watermelon has fresh green, whole, healthy, uncontaminated fruits, with the shape, color and luster of the bark characteristic of a mature fruit of this botanical species. Fruits with deviations from the correct form are allowed, but not ugly, with healed (corky) damage to the bark from cuts and scratches. The pulp is ripe, juicy, without voids with color and seeds characteristic of this botanical species. The size of the fruit in diameter is minimal - 17 (13) cm.

- Is it true that watermelons that come to Moscow from Astrakhan must be labeled ...
- Indeed, Astrakhan watermelons have holographic stickers. Marking on Astrakhan watermelons is done so that some others are not sold under the guise of Astrakhan watermelons.

- Nutritionists advise buying gourds at the end of August or even in September ...
- At this time, you can be completely sure that the berry is ripe, has become truly ripe and juicy and will not harm the health of you and your loved ones. Early melons, as a rule, are literally “overfed” with all kinds of nitrates and growth stimulants, which can cause acute poisoning. It is better to wait until September, when watermelons and melons that have ripened naturally will go to the capital.

- What to do in case of watermelon poisoning?
- If you still tasted an inedible watermelon and felt signs of poisoning - do nothing, you yourself cannot determine what kind of poisoning has occurred - food or nitrites, it is better to contact the nearest medical facility as soon as possible.

Agricultural producer G. Romanenko told about how to choose a delicious watermelon and what you need to know when choosing a fruit:

A good watermelon should be sugar! At the same time, it does not leave a cloying aftertaste, such as sweet grapes or very sweet cherries. This is because, unlike cherries, grapes and other fruits that owe their sweetness to glucose, watermelon is saturated with fruit sugar - fructose. That is why even those who suffer from diabetes can afford watermelon - fruit sugar is absorbed without the help of insulin. The colors of the watermelon rind should be as contrasting as possible. Not the tail, but the transition from the tail to the watermelon should be dry. If the tail resembles a dried twig, then the watermelon was transported for a long time or stored somewhere for a long time. If it is not there at all, it means that the seller is interested in the fact that the buyer does not know the whole truth about the berry being bought. There should be a pale, uncolored spot somewhere on the skin of the watermelon. It says that the watermelon ripened itself, on the ground. But if the spot is larger - larger than a man's palm - it means that the fruit ripened in the cold or shade, it will be tasteless and watery. A ripe watermelon is covered with a hard, shiny rind that is difficult to pierce with a fingernail, and all because, having “torn” with melons, the watermelon is no longer able to absorb moisture and its rind hardens. But if the nail easily pierces the watermelon skin, then the fruit is raw, immature. Look for "watermelon"! The "girls" usually have flat bottoms and wide "patch" on them. It is believed that "watermelons" are sweeter and have fewer seeds. Too light watermelon is a sign that it has lain in the sun and, most likely, will turn out to be tasteless. When choosing watermelons, avoid too small and too large. If the watermelon is large, but relatively light - feel free to buy, it is fully ripe. A ripe watermelon always springs back under impact and sometimes resonates when slapped. If you knock on it, you hear not a deaf, but a clear, sonorous sound. You can put a watermelon to your ear and squeeze it with your hands with all your might. In a ripe berry, the peel will bend a little and crackle.

Another important tip: carefully inspect the appearance of your purchase. If a small spot of rot with a puncture in the middle is found on the skin - no larger than a five-kopek coin - this means that saltpeter was introduced inside. Saltpeter is a good preservative. But eating such a watermelon is dangerous to health.

- How to choose a melon?
- Well-ripened melons should have a characteristic sweet smell that seems to ooze through the skin. The skin of a ripe melon will be soft and velvety to the touch, not woody and oaky. If there are dents on the fruit, it is better to refuse such a melon.

- How to determine that a watermelon is “overfed” with nitrates?
- He himself signals this to us, showing the following signs: too bright pulp, with a slight purple tint, the fibers go from the core to the crust, not white, as expected, but with all shades of yellow. In the “wrong” watermelon, the cut surface is smooth, glossy, and in a good watermelon it sparkles with grains. If a cut watermelon does not have pulp in the very middle, then, most likely, it was stuffed with chemistry for speedy growth and ripening. The flesh of the watermelon crust should be white without shades of yellow and brown. Yellowness indicates a high content of nitrates. On the pulp of a good kavun there are always starch grains. If the watermelon is red, but there are no seeds, this is unambiguous - saltpeter was injected into it, thanks to which the watermelon sings in a day.

An affordable way to check at home is to dip the pulp of a watermelon into a glass of water and grind it. If the watermelon is good, then the water will simply become cloudy, and not turn pink or red.

- What varieties of watermelons are considered the best?
- This is a matter of taste, but Astrakhan or Bykovsky, Monastyrsky, Mozdoksky, Uryupinsky, etc., early Apple, Korean, Chernouska, Raspberry cream are considered popular.

Square watermelons deserve special attention - they came up with the idea of ​​growing them in Japan, placing ripening berries in a special square-shaped container. Ripening watermelon, takes the desired shape. Now such watermelons are massively grown for export in Brazil.

Now that you are armed with all the necessary information, you can safely buy a watermelon and get the most out of it. Enjoy your meal!

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 the 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 characteristics are improved as a result of crossbreeding, 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.

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August and September are always associated with watermelons. But to buy a ripe, sweet, and wild-grown watermelon, there are a few tricks to follow. For example, take a tape measure with you to the store and measure the fetus, then you will not be mistaken with the choice. And before serving, dip a piece of pulp in clean water at room temperature to avoid trouble.

We are in website We love sweet watermelons. Therefore, so that you never make a mistake when choosing a berry, we have collected useful tips for you from Internet users and added a bonus in which we will tell you how to choose a truly delicious and ripe watermelon.

1. Yellow crust is a sign of high nitrate concentration

Although someone thinks that the holes through and through are traces of insects, and not from nitrate needles, still try not to take such a watermelon. Even if the berry is good, some of the pulp will be spoiled.

3. Do not eat watermelon with a large cavity inside

Breaks in the pulp indicate that the fruit is overripe or contains growth hormones. Overripe watermelon can be slightly bitter, and watermelon with growth hormone can cause poisoning. Therefore, it is better not to eat such berries.

4. Before eating a watermelon, dip the pulp in water

To test a watermelon for nitrates and avoid poisoning, dip a piece of pulp in clean water at room temperature. If the berry is dangerous, the water will turn a rich pink color. It is better not to eat such a fruit.

5. Watermelon should not be light when you pick it up.

Sometimes even a beautiful smooth skin, a yellow spot and a dry tail do not guarantee that a watermelon is tasty. Be sure to weigh it before buying: it should be dense and heavy. If the store does not have scales, trust the sensations. A ripe berry should be quite heavy when you pick it up.

Bonus: How to Pick a Delicious Watermelon

1. Choose fruit without dents

A ripe and sweet watermelon should be shiny, even and without visible damage. Small dents can be the result of bruises. In such places, the spoilage process occurs faster, it is likely to throw most of the fruit into the trash.

2. Holes and shallow holes in the peel should not be afraid

Many Internet users write that such depressions are traces of melon growers' needles that cut watermelons with nitrates. If the recesses are not through, you should not be afraid of them: these are traces left by wireworm larvae. They do not affect the quality and taste of the berry.

3. When picking a watermelon, look for small beige marks on the skin.

Such beige "scars" on the smooth skin of a watermelon are places where the bees tried to "taste" the pulp. Internet users checked and decided that such a watermelon is often very sweet.

4. A ripe watermelon weighing 4 kg must have a circumference of 61.9 cm or more

According to the magazine "Young Technician" in 1986, a ripe watermelon weighing 4 kg should have a circumference of 61.9 cm or more. Internet users checked the information from the Soviet publication, and it turned out