Simple arithmetic on how to choose a watermelon. How to choose a ripe and sweet watermelon - ways to determine by sound, dry tail and stripe color Ripe watermelon light or heavy

Choosing a sweet watermelon is not at all difficult, for this you need to remember some rules.

How to understand that the watermelon is ripe?

Find out how to choose the right watermelon. Don't buy them ahead of time. Watermelon is ripe and sweet when it ripens on time. This time is the end of summer and the beginning of autumn. Early fruits are always the result of nitrogen fertilizers and growth stimulants. Since the demand for this fruit is huge, in order to quickly get a rich harvest, producers feed them with chemicals. If you value your health, think about it. The choice is always yours.

Let's figure out how to make the right choice. The collected fruits should be sold on the shelves of the store or in a place specially designated for this, where there is an awning and flooring. It is desirable that they are not on the ground. The fact is that this fruit is a favorable environment for the reproduction of various microorganisms. And since cracks can form on the crust, bacteria can penetrate the pulp and pose a great threat to health.

It is for this reason that you should never buy them on the roadway or in other questionable places. There is probably no point in talking about cut watermelons, since such a tidbit is simply teeming with microbes. No certificate will help here.

A good and healthy fruit should not have cracks, dents or other damage through which various bacteria can penetrate inside. A ripe watermelon has a uniform color, spherical shape. A firm rind that is difficult to pierce with a fingernail and a bright color are a sure sign of ripeness. The smell of the unripe fruit crust is vaguely reminiscent of the smell of hay.

The right choice is that the watermelon must be dry. Everything is very simple: when it matures and stops receiving moisture from the ground, the tail becomes dry. If you see a green tail on the fruit, then know that it has not yet ripened. Over time, such a tail turns yellow. If it is ripe, then its tail breaks, otherwise it will be sluggish. If his tail is cut off, it is better not to buy such a berry.

Large yellow spots are a sign that they were harvested ahead of time from the garden. But small light spots appear on a ripe fruit. They appear after the production of chlorophyll stops. The largest spot should be within 10 cm.

Let's figure out how to choose a sweet fruit according to its size. Large fruits are mainly the result of the use of fertilizers. They often contain a large amount of nitrates. And small ones can be unripe, although very sweet fruits are sometimes found among them. Therefore, we choose the average size.

How to choose a watermelon by sound?

To determine the ripeness of the fruit, you need to knock on it with your fist. You will hear a characteristic sound. Why knock on a watermelon? This is probably the most common way to determine maturity. If you hear a ringing sound - this is a good sign, then the fruit is fresh and ripe, and if the sound is deaf, then it is better not to buy it. You can squeeze it with your hands and listen, if the watermelon crackles, then feel free to take it.

There are watermelons boys and girls. Oddly enough, but watermelons also have a gender. The girl can be recognized by the flat bottom, and the boys are watermelons with a convex bottom. The girl is distinguished by a large brown circle at the bottom, while the male half has a small one.

Watermelon girl is usually always very sweet and delicious. If you are not a fan of a large number of seeds, then your choice is a watermelon girl.

You can ask the seller about the origin of the fetus, where it was brought from, and then draw conclusions.

How to expose nitrates? After you have chosen the right, in your opinion, watermelon, take a closer look at what it is like from the inside. Unnaturally bright flesh with a purple hue should cause doubts. Smooth and glossy flesh refers to watermelons grown in an unnatural way. And remember, nitrates accumulate closer to the rind, so for safety reasons, it's best for children to always give the center.

Is watermelon a fruit or a berry? Most likely, a large berry that loves warmth and a lot of sun. Watermelon, like melon, belongs to the heat-loving crops of the Pumpkin family, growing under the direct rays of the sun. A lot of controversy took place about what a watermelon is: a fruit, a vegetable or a berry. In terms of its taste, it is more like a fruit, but since fruits grow on a tree, and watermelon spreads on the ground, they decided to attribute it to berries.

The beneficial properties of watermelon include its ability to alkalize the body. With it, you can safely arrange fasting days, which are tolerated by the body very easily, the reason for which is the high content of fiber in it. It quenches the feeling of hunger. The fruit has a pronounced diuretic property, which means that it cleanses the entire urinary system. It perfectly quenches the feeling of thirst. It contains:

  • ascorbic and folic acid;
  • potassium;
  • magnesium;
  • pectin.

If you are a watermelon lover, then you just have to learn how to choose it correctly. The above tips will definitely help you.

To please your family with a delicious sweet watermelon, you should learn more about the basic rules for buying it.

Purchase time

The best watermelons ripen from the second half of August to the end of September. It is dangerous to buy watermelons at the beginning of summer, because early specimens are stuffed with nitrates. If you want to taste sugar watermelon without consequences for the body, patiently wait for August!

With early watermelons, nitrates (salts of nitric acid), which are contained in fertilizers, enter the body.

Place of purchase

Watermelons easily absorb harmful chemical compounds from the atmosphere. It is better to buy these berries away from highways with exhaust fumes, namely in shops, markets or in stalls set up far from the road.

visual inspection

When choosing watermelons, you should pay attention to their size, shape, color, peel, stripes, tail, field spot and some other features.

Size

Watermelon size matters! Farmers recommend choosing medium or large fruits, but not heavier than 10–12 kg. Tiny watermelons lacked the sun and nutrients to grow big and sweet.

It is better to choose such fruits so that they can be eaten without leaving the next day.

stripes

The color of the berry should be bright, with clear, contrasting stripes. A faded, dull fruit resembles a tired person who is not remembered for anything but irritation. Such a watermelon will certainly not be sweet.

Peel

The watermelon peel should be intact, without minor damage through which bacteria and microbes easily penetrate into the sweet pulp of the berry. The skin should feel smooth and firm to the touch.

Before cutting a watermelon, be sure to wash it with warm water and soap.

Smell

You can distinguish a ripe watermelon from an unripe one using the following express test: rub the rind of the berry with your fingernail and sniff its aroma. The peel of a ripe watermelon smells of freshness, and an unripe one smells of hay.

field spot

Due to prolonged lying on its side, a field spot of saturated yellow color forms on the watermelon. This spot should be small (up to 10-15 cm in diameter), brightly colored.

A large or too light spot is a sign that the berry is not ripe.

Tail

A ripe watermelon has a dry and brittle tail, while an unripe watermelon has a green and soft tail. You can determine the maturity of a watermelon by the tail only at the beginning of the season.

By the end of the season, the tails will dry up in all watermelons, including those that have lain on the base for a long time.

Too dry tail means that the fruit was taken away from melons many weeks ago

Floor

Among the watermelons, there are "boys" and "girls". Look at the "butt" of a watermelon. In the sweetest berries, it is large, brown and flat. It is believed that female watermelons have fewer seeds than their relatives with small "butts".

Sound

Tap on the watermelon with your knuckles: a ripe fruit will respond with a ringing, elastic sound, and not ripe - deaf. Place your ear against the surface of the fetus and press lightly on both sides. If the berry is ripe, you will hear a slight crunch.

Checking for nitrates

If the cut watermelon has a sour smell - in no case should you eat it, this can threaten food poisoning

Cut the watermelon at home. Under the knife, a ripe berry should crackle and disperse. Meticulously inspect the watermelon pulp and seeds. The ripe fruit has a uniform color, a fine-grained core and seeds of a very dark, almost black color. The following signs indicate that the level of nitrates in watermelon goes off scale:

  • too bright pulp with a lilac tint;
  • the flesh is lighter at the crust and intense red in the center;
  • the presence of yellowish fibers (ideally they should be white);
  • smooth, glossy flesh, without characteristic grains in the center;
  • the presence of white or pale yellow seeds.

Let's do a mini test. We take a small piece of watermelon, put it in a glass beaker with clean water and stir well. If there are nitrates in the watermelon, then the water will turn pink, if there are no nitrates, then it will only become slightly cloudy.

The highest concentration of nitrates is observed near the watermelon peel, so it is better for children to give a sweet and harmless core.

Choosing a ripe and sweet watermelon is always like a lottery. To make it a win-win - follow the simple tips for choosing gourds, then you can fully enjoy the pleasant, refreshing taste of this autumn berry.

At the same time, it becomes necessary to solve the problem - how to choose a watermelon, because it is not so difficult to determine a juicy and tasty fruit. The main thing in this matter is a competent approach, otherwise, there is a high risk of getting light pink instead of scarlet pulp without any pleasant taste. How to choose a good watermelon It is necessary to choose such a berry correctly due to the fact that harmful substances may be present in some watermelons. Poisoning with nitrates, the content of which in the fetus sometimes exceeds the norm, causes headache, nausea and vomiting. In addition, do not buy melons near highways, because. Car exhaust contains heavy metals and harmful substances. To buy a ripe fruit, take into account the following main criteria:

Seasonality of ripening

In order not to buy an unripe fruit, take into account the month in which you decide to purchase melons. The most delicious watermelons ripen during the season, which starts from mid-August and lasts until the end of September. Early fruits are usually saturated with nitrates, because producers who want to harvest faster feed gourds with growth stimulants and nitrogen fertilizers. If you want to enjoy healthy products without any consequences for your health, then try to be patient and take into account the full ripening period.

Appearance

One of the signs of the ripeness of the fruit is the appearance. Examine it and make sure that there are bright contrasting stripes on the surface. They, like a shiny hard crust, are considered a sure sign of the ripeness of the fruit. If they are not found, then feel free to pass by and continue your search. Also, make sure that the surface of the watermelon is free of dents, soft spots, small cracks, scratches, and other damage. The fact is that through them microbes and bacteria can easily penetrate into the fetus. The benefits of watermelon for fasting days when losing weight Watermelon with vodka - how to pump up with a syringe and tincture recipes. How to make a watermelon inflated with vodka It will be good if the fruit has a slightly elongated or spherical shape, an even and uniform color - this is a huge plus in favor of choosing a specific product. Be sure to rub the crust, because. immature products will have a pronounced smell of fresh hay. In addition, do not buy cut fruits - in this case, even the presence of certificates may not protect against possible health problems.

What is the sound of a ripe watermelon

Do not forget that melons should be sold either on the counter of the store, or in stalls with an awning or on special decks located above the ground. In order not to choose an unripe or, conversely, overripe fruit, be sure to tap it with your fist. A ripe watermelon makes a sonorous, clear sound. If he turns out to be deaf, then refuse to buy and continue your search. In addition, put your ear to the fruit and lightly squeeze the berry - a slight crackle is a sign of quality.

The presence of nitrates in the berry

Try to choose melons of medium size. Large fruits, despite their tempting and appetizing appearance, are often grown using nitrates. As for the small ones, they often turn out to be not very sweet, although everything will depend on the variety. Pay attention to the cut watermelon (if the seller has it). If the bones turn out to be white, then the watermelon is either unripe or contains a lot of nitrates. Seeds should be black or dark brown. Additionally, you should be alerted by the incredible bright color of the pulp with a lilac tint. Another point that may indicate an excess of nitrates is a smooth gloss on the cut surface. Do not forget that nitrates are concentrated closer to the crust, in this regard, leave the juicy core to the children - it is just the most delicious. You should not try a berry if its flesh is riddled with yellow or light yellow fibers.

How to recognize a good watermelon

The process of finding a berry suitable for consumption can take a lot of time, because. you have to examine the fruit from all sides and make sure that there is a bright striped peel. The stem is of particular importance. If it is not there, then there is a possibility that it was torn off on purpose, because. the goods went through long storage and long transportation. To choose delicious gourds, pay attention to: a yellow spot on the side; bright striped crust; crust; tail; sound; gender (boy or girl).

yellow spot on side

Since the fruit lies on one side, a light spot is formed over time at the point of contact with the ground, which has a yellow or orange tint. In another way, it is also called "cheek". You should be alerted by an unevenly colored, too light or large surface. This is a sign that the berry did not lie on the melon. The optimal size of such a spot is considered to be 5-10 cm. Another sure sign of ripeness is light spots of small sizes. They appear over the entire surface of the watermelon peel after the production of chlorophyll stops.

Bright stripes on the peel

Choosing the right watermelon is a little more difficult than it might seem at first glance. Another important sign of the ripeness of melons is the presence of contrasting stripes, and bright ones. The color should be bright green. If you haven't noticed them, or they are only slightly visible, then continue with your selection. It is better to spend more time looking for a tasty and ripe berry than to be convinced later that the purchase made was a waste of money.

Thick and shiny crust

The rind should be smooth and shiny, but due to the fact that sellers constantly rub their products, choose a watermelon from the back of the display. In addition, the crust must be firm, because it hardens when the fruit reaches maturity and stops absorbing water. Try to pierce the crust with your fingernail, if this fails, then you have a product of really excellent quality. Despite the good density, such a crust can be easily scratched. Before choosing the product of interest, make sure that the peel does not have a matte coating, and the pattern is clear.

In the summer, the most favorite delicacy of children and adults grows - watermelon. Juicy fragrant fruit is a healthy alternative to dessert. Do not rush to buy a berry, it may turn out to be completely tasteless and watery.


How to choose the right watermelon so that it turns out to be ripe and sweet, what you need to pay attention to, will be prompted by the advice of experienced farmers.

The height of the watermelon season does not come until August. At this time, melons and watermelons ripen on melons. Therefore, without any fear, you can safely buy a crop in the last month of summer.

However, some sellers have been trading since almost the beginning of June. It is very dangerous to buy fruits at this time, most likely, chemicals were used for early ripening, which accelerate growth. These components include nitrates. At a glance and taste, they are not felt in any way, but the harm to the human body is enormous, up to severe food poisoning.

Important! For the presence of nitrates, watermelon pulp can be checked in a folk way. The pulp is crushed and dipped in a glass of water. If the water turns red, then there is absolutely no fruit. The appearance of turbidity in the glass indicates that the pulp is healthy.

What to pay attention to

There are several ways to help choose a crop with ripe and fragrant pulp. They are not difficult to remember, but in practice they are very useful.

Peel

It is necessary to carefully examine the fetus from all sides for cracks, mechanical damage, scratches. The skin must be intact, without flaws. Damaged areas of the skin indicate that microbes could already penetrate the watermelon pulp, it is better not to buy such a fruit.

The culture has a bright color - the more intense the green stripes are, the sweeter the pulp will be. Bright green stripes are a sign that the fruit has lain enough in the sun and is already well ripened.

The yellow spot is the place where the fruit lay while it was ripe. If it is with a white tint, then it means that the fruit did not lie on the melon for too long. The size of the spot in a mature watermelon can reach from 5 to 10 centimeters in diameter.

The peel can be lightly rubbed with your hand - it should not smell sharp. If there is an aroma of fresh hay, then the watermelon is not yet ripe.

Size


Many people mistakenly assume that the bigger the watermelon, the sweeter it is. This rule rarely works. The best size is medium. Small watermelons are most often unripe fruits, and overgrown ones are berries that unscrupulous farmers pretty much pumped up with nitrates.

Of all the fruits presented, you need to choose a watermelon weighing up to 20 kilograms, no more.

Boy or girl

Sweet berry lovers know that there is a difference between the shape of the fruit. Some watermelons have an elongated shape, a convex lower part - these are the so-called male representatives. In watermelon girls, the shape of the fetus is more flattened and round, and the bottom is flat.

It is believed that watermelons-girls are the sweetest in taste. Their pulp literally melts in your mouth, and there are few seeds.

Sound


The most common way to find out the ripeness of the fruit is to knock on it. If the knock is dull, indistinct and generally hard to hear, most likely the pulp has not yet ripened. When a ripe watermelon is tapped, a clear, sonorous sound is heard. You can try to lightly press on the walls of the fetus - if they crackle, you must buy such an instance.

Important! If the watermelon is already overripe, then squeezing the peel can lead to further cracking.

Tail

Absolutely every fruit has a tail located at the top. If it is yellow, dry to the touch, it means that the berry has already been picked ripe. A green tail indicates that the watermelon is not yet fully ripe.

However, with this method of evaluation, errors sometimes occur. Indeed, even in unripe watermelons, over time, the tail dries up and turns yellow. But if there is no tail at all, this should alert. It was cut off by an unscrupulous seller to hide its maturity - such fruits should be avoided.

Where is the best place to buy


You can buy culture in any large supermarkets, grocery stores. There are observed storage standards, special conditions and commodity neighborhood. You can buy fruits in the markets, but you should ask about the availability of a quality certificate. Every seller should have it. The certificate indicates where the watermelon was grown, its collection period, and there may even be a mark about the absence or, conversely, the content of nitrates.

If there is no certificate, or the seller behaves insecurely, you need to leave - this place probably sells low-quality products. The presence of a certificate is always a positive thing when selling berries and speaks of the good reputation of the seller.

In the market, very often, in order to make sure that the berries are ripe, sellers offer to cut off a piece and taste the pulp to the buyer. This cannot be done. There may be an infection on the knife, and the watermelon itself has not yet been washed. A lot of cases of poisoning occur precisely because of such unsanitary conditions.


When the fruit has already been bought, before eating, it is well washed in the bathroom or in the sink with soap and baking soda. Then the skin is wiped dry and only then cut into pieces and enjoy the aroma and sugar taste.


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