How to choose a delicious watermelon - the rules for determining the ripeness of the fruit. How to choose a delicious watermelon.

• 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 others Asian countries when collecting watermelons, they use another interesting feature these berries. Ripe watermelons due to specificity 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 affected 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 equipped with pallets and canopies are necessarily organized to protect watermelons from contact with the soil and sunbeams. 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

Unfortunately, in last years people have become less and less fond of watermelons. And this is not due to the fact that someone ceases to like the taste of dark red pulp with a wonderful aroma, but to the fact that the chances of getting a good and ripe watermelon are very small. What is not done with them to speed up maturation! They are pumped up with nitrates, they give an injection of urea for quick redness - any means are used in order to quickly sell their products to customers. Naturally, both quality and taste suffer from this. That is why so many buyers are disappointed. So, how to check the watermelon for ripeness? Let's try to answer this question.

Purchase time

Time is the main indicator. The first watermelons appear in the markets and stores long before their normal ripening period, which means they were clearly helped. You don't have to buy these products. The best time to buy watermelons is from late August to mid-October.

How to determine the ripeness of a watermelon by the peel

The peel of a ripe watermelon is harder, lignified, and if you press on it with a fingernail, it will not damage it. The bright contrast between the stripes on the rind also shows that the crop was harvested at the optimum time. A characteristic yellow spot is also an indicator of ripeness, but it should not be too large.

How to determine the ripeness of a watermelon by the tail

Contrary to popular belief, a dry tail does not guarantee the ripeness of a watermelon. On this basis, you can navigate only if you are waiting for your own harvest - during the ripening period, the lash begins to gradually die off. In store watermelons, a dry tail can mean both ripeness and the fact that unripe berries have been in storage for a long time. However, you should pay attention to the "button" - a small callused seal at the point of attachment of the whip. If it is dense, light and convex, then the watermelon is ready to eat.

How to determine the ripeness of a watermelon by the sound

A ripened watermelon makes a very characteristic sound when tapped - light, sonorous and slightly rattling. This is due to the fact that a ripe berry has a looser, starchy pulp that resonates well. The same property explains the good buoyancy of watermelons - a ripened berry should float at least half. When squeezed, ripe watermelons crackle.

How to determine the ripeness of a watermelon with the help of smell

Unripe watermelons have a strong grassy smell. Ripe berries have a different flavor - lighter and sweeter. It is difficult to explain this in words, but after a little practice, you can learn to distinguish watermelons well by smell.

These are explaining how to know the ripeness of a watermelon without cutting it. However, it is best to determine the quality and ripeness by appearance pulp. It should be red, starchy, without large yellow streaks. The optimal weight for a good watermelon is 5-7 kg. Remember: the main indicators of the presence of nitrates are large streaks, as well as water coloring in pink color while stirring a piece of pulp in it. In a watermelon without nitrates, the water will become cloudy, but will not change color. You should not buy a cut watermelon, even if it is ripe - there is no guarantee that microbes have not already settled in it.

(from Brazil or Spain), but to local ones, including Central Asian watermelons.

Although watermelon is very healthy and relatively inexpensive, there are a few things worth knowing about it.

For example, you may come across an immature watermelon, or it may be loaded with nitrates, which do not bring anything useful and even more - deprive the watermelon of their advantages.

It will be interesting to note the fact that watermelon is not a berry, but member of the gourd family.

In order not to make a mistake when choosing a watermelon, you should know a few useful things about which will be discussedbelow.

How to choose a ripe watermelon

Just by eye to determine whether a ripe watermelon or not is almost impossible.

It used to be possible to make a small cut to show how red the watermelon is, but now it's illegal because the peel and knife of the seller in the market can hardly be called clean, not to mention simple hygiene.

So you need to use other methods.

1. Tapping

This method can help, but not always. Yes, it happens that a ripe watermelon, when tapped, makes a ringing sound. But sometimes not quite ripe watermelon can make the same sound, so it is not advisable to completely rely on this method.

2. Looking at the ponytail

This method also cannot be called the best, although it is used quite often. It is believed that a ripe watermelon has a dry tail, which is true.

But given that the watermelon did not ripen in vivo(not on melon), then his tail is also dry, and the watermelon is not ripe.

3. Squeezing a watermelon with your hands

This traditional method of determining ripeness is perhaps the most reliable.

You need to squeeze the watermelon with your hands - if it makes a crack, then it is ripe.

4. Stain on the side

Also pay attention to the side of the watermelon - there should be a spot that appears when the watermelon has been lying on the ground for a long time. It is desirable that this spot be yellow.

It is worth noting that this spot is called the "point of the field" and the watermelon rested on the ground with it, ripening under the rays of the sun. The darker this stain, the better.

A white spot or no spot means that the fruit was picked early and did not have time to ripen.

5. Scratch the crust

If you scratch the rind of a watermelon a little, then you can determine its ripeness - in a ripe watermelon, a thin peel will be removed quite easily.

How to choose the right watermelon

* choose a watermelon with a more or less symmetrical shape. Do not take small watermelons, as a rule, they are not very sweet. At the same time, too large watermelons may contain nitrates.

* watermelons that have a strong contrasting color pattern on the skin are most likely very ripe. This means that you should look for a dark watermelon with light stripes.

* DO NOT take watermelon with cracks, spots or dents. Stains on a watermelon mean that it was not stored and transported carefully, and it could lose its taste properties and turn out to be sour. Also, these indicators may mean that the fruit was watered incorrectly.

* DO NOT let the seller cut the test piece. As already mentioned, the knife can be dirty, and dust can get into the watermelon on the way home.

* Choose the watermelon that is heavier - such a fruit is full of juices. Take two identical watermelons - the one that is heavier is the most ripe. This advice is relevant for many fruits and vegetables.

The benefits of watermelon

Despite the fact that the watermelon looks like a large berry with a lot of seeds, in fact, the "common watermelon" refers to members of the Cucurbitaceae family, and its fruit is called pumpkin, and, as you might guess, its closest relative is pumpkin.

*Since traditional watermelon contains a small amount of sugar, it can be eaten by those who suffer from diabetes, but of course within reasonable limits.

* It is also worth noting that watermelon juice boasts very high alkalinity. Mostly vegetables, fruits and berries have an acidic, neutral or slightly alkaline reaction, but watermelon is ahead of everyone in this sense.

You have probably heard about such a criterion as an indicator of the acidity of the environment - it is designated as pH. It is worth noting that a change of only 1 pH unit means that the acidity level has changed 10 times.

Since watermelon has a high alkalinity, it is a very good diuretic, which means it is incredibly useful for those who suffer from liver and kidney diseases, as well as people with arthritis, atherosclerosis and hypertension.

And don't forget that ripe watermelon - very sweet. But this is only when it does not contain a large amount of pesticides and fertilizers, which are used for faster ripening.

"How to choose a watermelon?" - a question arises in the minds of thousands of people as soon as the green-striped beauties begin to appear on the shelves of shops and markets. The task is not easy, but solvable.

It is enough just to remember a few proven ways to identify a ripe and sweet watermelon.

There are a number of characteristics that will help you choose a truly ripe and sweet specimen from a pile of alluring striped fruits. Here is the cherished list:

• the size;
• a spot on the side;
• safety;
• tapping sound;
• color and structure of the pulp;
• season;
• the appearance of the crust;
• "half" of watermelon.

In addition, there are quite popular "signs" of watermelon ripeness among the people, which do not really work and will not help you in such a task as choosing a ripe watermelon. The most common of these is the myth that a ripe watermelon should have a dry tail.

Many try to choose not too much big fruit. Someone fears that it will be too heavy and difficult to carry, and some are afraid that the watermelon has become large only because of the abundance of nitrates in it.

But after all, varieties of watermelons are different, and in some varieties, the size of the fruit can reach 20 kilograms. Therefore, when choosing, it is better to give preference to a medium-sized watermelon. The rule of the golden mean works in this case too.

Ripe watermelon do not hide "cheeks"

For reference: the “cheek” is a small light spot on the side of a watermelon, which forms in the place where the watermelon lay when ripe. The spot is not a sign of illness or immaturity, just that the sun has not touched this area of ​​​​the crust.

So, in how to choose a good watermelon, a look at the light spot on the rind will help. Everything is simple here: the more yellow it has, the better.

But buying a watermelon with a white circle on its side, you run the risk of running into a tasteless product.

The size of the spot also requires attention. Know that a large stain indicates that the watermelon for a long time ripened in not too warm conditions. Because of this, the fetus loses palatability ah and becomes less juicy.

Buying a watermelon in the market or from the back of a car on the side of the road, Special attention look at this feature.

Watermelon should never have the following flaws:

• cracks;
• dents;
• incisions;
• rotted areas (even very small ones!).

The fact is that the juicy and nutritious pulp of a watermelon is an ideal breeding ground for bacteria, which, together with air and roadside dust, can get inside in abundance.

Eating watermelon with such a surprise can lead to poisoning and gastrointestinal upset. The same applies to cut watermelons, so do not try to save money by buying not a whole watermelon, but only a half. Such frugality can cost you dearly.

The most commonly used method for testing watermelon for ripeness is tapping. Yes, here's the problem: everyone knocks, but few people remember what the sound of a ripe fruit should be. So remember: a ripe and juicy watermelon makes a sonorous, booming sound, and an unripe one makes a deaf sound.

An overripe watermelon also sounds dull, in which there is already too much moisture and it has begun to sour. It is also better to refuse such a purchase. Thus, a voiced sound is good, a deaf sound is bad.

To be sure, you can also squeeze the copy you like with your hands. A slight crackle indicates readiness for use. The main thing is not to overdo it.

The color and structure of the pulp

And this is already a characteristic that will help you determine the ripeness of the fruit after cutting it. If the purchase is made in a supermarket, you can see watermelon halves on the counter.

They are wrapped in cling film, which almost eliminates the ingress of bacteria into the pulp, and gives you the opportunity to study the product in detail. So, how to choose a delicious watermelon by the appearance of the pulp?

Two main positions can be distinguished: color and structure. The color of the pulp should be pinkish.

The scarlet color indicates the presence of nitrates or that the watermelon is overripe. Both are not in his favor. The structure should be porous, granular. Such watermelons are sometimes referred to as "sugar".

sale season

As a rule, watermelons start selling almost from the beginning of summer. However, if you want to get enough of a real southern fruit, and not a product of chemicals, you will have to wait until about mid-August.

Of course, there are also early varieties, but it still takes time to transport them. You may be lucky and the July watermelon will indeed turn out to be sweet, but it is not known how useful it will be.

Ripe watermelon is easy to distinguish among fellows, paying attention to the appearance of the peel.

Here A few key features of a delicious watermelon:

• the stripes forming the pattern must be clear;
• the peel is glossy;
• the crust is hard, it is impossible to damage it without effort;
• when the colored layer of the peel is damaged, a recognizable smell of fresh grass appears.

Signs indicating immaturity or disease of the fetus:

• the pattern is broken or uncharacteristic, the stripes are blurry;
• dullness of the peel;
• the crust can be easily damaged even with a fingernail.

Choose watermelon with more space between the stripes, as they are considered to be sweeter.

"Sex" of watermelon

It is believed that girl watermelons are sweeter than boy watermelons, although the division itself is arbitrary. How to choose a watermelon girl? It is enough to look at the speck left in the place where the flower once was.

If the spot is flat and rather large, then it is a girl. In male watermelons, the spot is convex and smaller in size.

This division has nothing to do with biology and exists only to simplify the selection process. Indeed, watermelons-girls in practice turn out to be more juicy and sweet. There is an assumption that this is due to the characteristics of pollination.

Is a dry tail a sign of ripeness?

It is believed that when a watermelon, ripening, can no longer take nutrients and moisture and under its own weight is separated from the bush. In general, the theory is correct, but it is broken by the fact that, in practice, watermelon can be separated from the food path before cutting.

And the tail dries out in 3 days, so a green watermelon with a dry tail may well lie on the counter.

If you still do not want to give up this method, pay attention to the tip of the tail. Even with a dried stalk, you can determine whether it was cut or broken off naturally.

All characteristics listed above are general.

It does not hurt to highlight several varieties of watermelons that fall on the tables more often than others, and emphasize their features.

1. Watermelons Kherson. Kherson sugar watermelons never grow too large, their weight does not exceed 10 kg. If you are shown a twenty-kilogram giant and they say that he is from Kherson, do not believe it. It is either of a different variety, or grew on some nitrates. The appearance of watermelons of this variety is classic: bright light stripes, an oblong shape, soft pinkish flesh and a rather thin peel.
2. Crimean Crimson Gloria. Watermelons of this variety can be really big. The weight of one copy on average can range from 10 to 17 kg. In addition, watermelons of this variety are able to withstand long-term transportation. They are also grown in the south of Russia. In appearance, they resemble Kherson ones, but they are distinguished by a thick skin and a large weight.
3. hybrid chill. The peculiarity of watermelons of this variety is that they can be stored for a very long time, until the New Year. It is only necessary to provide the fetus with comfortable storage conditions. To do this, place it in a dry, dark place. However, representatives of this variety appear on the market only in early September, as they ripen late.
4. Skorik. Watermelons of this variety are early and appear on the shelves among the first. You can distinguish them by the dark green uniform color of the skin and low weight - no more than 7 kg.
5. Photon. It also applies to early varieties and differs from Skorik only in that it has a light skin with pronounced stripes.

Market or shop?

Wherever you buy this juicy berry, this place must meet certain requirements. Both for the market and for the supermarket they have their own.

Watermelon on the market

To begin with, it should be noted that the market does not mean a spontaneous accumulation of tents near your entrance, but a territory specially designated for this purpose. And the tents by the road are not even considered, since buying a watermelon in them, you can get severe poisoning instead of enjoying the taste.

So, The following requirements must be met by the owner of a trading place engaged in the sale of watermelons:

• the presence of a canopy that protects watermelons from direct sunlight;
• distance from the roadway;
• the storage tray is located at a height of at least 20 cm from the ground;
• availability of a certificate of the Epidemiological Surveillance Service for each batch of goods.

Watermelon in the store

When buying a watermelon in a store check the following points:

• watermelons are not stored outdoors, under the sun or near the roadway;
• storage pallets are located at a height of at least 20 cm from the floor and do not have any damage;
• Availability required documents on the purchase of goods from trusted suppliers.

Now you know what the perfect watermelon looks like, and you can safely go in search of it. And where to buy and which variety to choose - it's up to you.

Mother of two children. I have been running a household for more than 7 years - this is my main job. I like to experiment, I constantly try various means, methods, techniques that can make our life easier, more modern, richer. I love my family.

How to choose the right delicious and ripe watermelon What are the signs to look out for? This material will help you choose sweet watermelons with juicy flesh without a high concentration of dangerous nitrates.

First rule: watermelon season.
It is best to buy watermelons at the end of summer, then this berry no longer contains a lot of nitrates and will bring maximum benefit, joy and pleasure.

Second rule: the "correct" places.
It is recommended to buy melons and watermelons only in special places that are intended for the melon trade: in equipped tents and shops. In such tents, there must be a hinged awning, and fruits and berries must be placed on special decks, above the ground at least 14 cm.

Third rule: unharmed and whole.
When buying a watermelon, you need to carefully examine it from all sides, you need to make sure that the fruit is not damaged. It should not have any bruises, cracks and other visible flaws, and even more so, the fruit should not be rotten.

Fourth rule: fruit size.
A lot of buyers, choosing a watermelon or melon, are guided by the size of the fruit, but this is absolutely no guarantee of good taste and maturity.

Fifth rule: shiny hard crust.
Mature "minke whale" has a hard and shiny crust, which is difficult to pierce with a fingernail.

Sixth rule: degree of striping.
To buy a good watermelon, be sure to pay attention to how striped the watermelon is. After all, the more contrasting color of the watermelon crust, the more ripe it is.

Seventh rule: yellow spot on the side.
As a rule, while the watermelon ripens in the field, it “lays down” one side of itself and a bright spot forms there. If the fruit is ripe, then the spot is colored brightly. yellow sometimes the spot becomes orange.

Eighth rule: dry tail.
A dry tail has always been a sign that the watermelon is ripe. When ripe, the watermelon, as it were, “disconnects” from the bush by drying out the tail. But do not forget that such a dry tail can also be found in fruits that have been plucked for a long time and at the same time they will not necessarily be ripe.

Ninth rule: Who tastes better - "boy" or "girl"?
As you know, among the watermelons there are "boys" and there are "girls". If the “boy”, then on the opposite side of the tail, the bottom of the fetus is slightly convex, while for “girls” the bottom is flat and decorated with a wide circle. It is believed that "girls" are tastier and sweeter, they more sugar and many fewer seeds.

Tenth rule:"voiced" watermelons.
If the watermelon is already ripe, then when tapped, it makes a sonorous sound, not a dull sound.

That's all the secrets of choosing a delicious watermelon. Before serving it on the table, this sweet and fragrant berry must be washed under running water.

In the photo: 8 eight most important signs of a ripe watermelon:

How to choose a watermelon without nitrates?
Some unscrupulous melon growers, fertilizing the soil with nitrates, often exceed the permissible norms in pursuit of quick fruit ripening and quick yields.