This amazing berry, which can be difficult to tear yourself away from, has a pleasant sweet taste, perfectly quenches thirst and contains a great variety of useful vitamins and elements - ideal for summer. However, difficulties may arise when purchasing a watermelon, because every year more and more unscrupulous sellers appear who offer for sale not only tasteless fruits, but also often downright dangerous due to their high nitrate content. Therefore, in order not to spoil your summer meal and please yourself with the most appetizing pulp, you should know some of the subtleties of choosing a ripe watermelon.
Choosing a high-quality, ripe watermelon is important not only because taste qualities, but also because useful substances in its composition. How more natural product, the more benefits it will bring to your body.
The berries contain vitamins B, A, C, E, as well as iron, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus. Watermelon has such beneficial properties as cleansing the liver and kidneys, improving metabolism, lowering cholesterol and generally strengthening the body.
Note! A high content of nitrates can harm the body and negate everything beneficial features berries, so it is very important to choose good quality products.
Every person wants to eat only natural, first-class and healthy products. But unfortunately, some sellers use various tricks to sell low-quality goods and make more profit. To prevent this situation from happening when purchasing a striped berry, you should know some of the signs of a ripe watermelon and recommendations for choosing the fruit.
Video: how to choose a ripe, tasty and sweet watermelon
These tips will help you choose the right sweet, ripe and healthy watermelon:
Tip #1. Pay careful attention to appearance fetus. It should not have any cracks, dents, scratches or other damage. Otherwise, the damage can become a convenient “entry” for germs and bacteria. The berry should have contrasting, bright stripes. The crust should be shiny and not matte. As a rule, ripe watermelons have a hard rind that is not easy to pierce with a fingernail.
Tip #2. Please note the date. When grown naturally without chemicals, the fruits ripen in the second half of August and until the end of September. Try not to buy fruits over early dates, because unscrupulous producers stuff the plant with growth stimulants and chemical fertilizers for early ripening.
Tip #3. Go by size. You should not choose a fruit that is too large (perhaps it is “stuffed” with chemicals) or too small berries (there is a big risk of choosing immature product).
Tip #4. A ripe watermelon should have a yellow or orange spot. This means that the fruit ripened naturally in the fields and came into contact with the ground, absorbing the warm rays of the sun. In a normal fetus, the size of the spot should be about five to ten centimeters. But you should not choose a product with a white spot, it indicates that the berries were not allowed to ripen in the melon field!
Tip #5. There is an opinion that watermelons can be “girls” and “boys”. It is believed that girls are the most delicious fruits and they have fewer seeds. Male berries are slightly larger in size, and their lower part is convex and has a small spot. In female specimens, the lower part is most often flat, flattened, and the spot is larger.
Tip #6. When choosing a watermelon, it is highly not recommended to cut a piece of pulp from the fruit to determine ripeness. After all, by the time you transport the fruit home and start eating, microbes can multiply in it.
Tip #7. Buy berries in the right places. More detailed information on this issue awaits you below.
Tip #8. If you want to choose a safe, tasty ripe watermelon without nitrates, you You should check with the seller whether he has a certificate for the product. If the seller does not have such a certificate, then you should doubt the quality of the product and look for another point of sale of juicy berries. Also, early sales of watermelons may indicate a high content of harmful substances.
Tip #9. Carefully examine the stalk (that is, the tail) of the fruit. A high-quality, ripe watermelon should have a yellow, dry tail. The presence of a sluggish, greenish stalk indicates the immaturity of the fruit. A very dry tail may indicate that the product is overripe or spoiled. Some sellers want to cheat and cut off the tail to sell low-quality goods.
Tip #10. Identify a ripe watermelonsound will help. When tapping or clicking ripe watermelon should make calls th sound j. Although there are experts who claim that ripe berries should have a dull sound . And some believe that sound, in general, is not able to help check a watermelon for ripeness, since watering affects the dullness or ringing of the sound - if the fruits were well watered before harvesting, then they will be ringing, if watering was not carried out, then they will be dull.
Video: how to choose a ripe watermelon: signs of sweetness
How to test watermelon for nitrates at home
Unfortunately, it is difficult to choose a ripe watermelon without nitrates, because it is almost impossible to independently check the fruit for their content when purchasing, unless, of course, you have a special device that determines nitrates - a nitrate meter. But you can conduct a small experiment at home and understand whether the product is worth eating or not.
There are several signs indicating a high nitrate content in watermelon:
- The berry contains white or yellow veins, as well as compactions in the pulp.
- When a fruit is immersed in water, it sinks to the bottom and does not float up (a quality product should float up).
- Place a small amount of pulp in water for about 15 minutes. If the liquid turns bright pink or red, it means the berry has a high nitrate content. And if the water becomes a little cloudy or pale pink, then the berry is of high quality.
Advice! The highest concentration of nitrates in the berry is near the rind, so you should not bite the watermelon in these places.
Where is the best place to buy watermelons?
It is important not only to be able to choose the right ripe watermelon, but also to buy a valuable food product in the right places, the quality of the product largely depends on this. When choosing the place where you plan to buy a treat, you should pay attention to the following recommendations:
- It is highly not recommended to choose watermelon at points of sale near highways, since melons absorb heavy metals and other harmful substances found in exhaust gases.
- Berries should be stored in clean trays, and they should be neatly arranged.
- Avoid points of sale where watermelons are laid out on the floor and may come into contact with dust and dirt.
- The seller must have a full set of documents necessary for sales, and have a medical record.
- It is not recommended to buy food products at spontaneous markets; it is better to give preference to special stores and fairs.
You can determine the ripeness of a watermelon at the market or in a store without any problems, knowing only a few recommendations and exact signs of ripeness. The main thing is not to rush into buying, because it’s better to wait and buy tasty and delicious food during the season. useful product, rather than purchasing it much earlier than the usual ripening period and eating a harmful delicacy stuffed with chemicals. Happy shopping and delicious watermelons!
Video: how to choose a watermelon and test for nitrates with your own hands at home
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Watermelon is probably the most mysterious berry for a novice gardener in terms of determining its ripeness. Not only does it take a lot of effort to grow melons, but try and guess when to pick them in time.
ripe watermelon fruit
When I was faced with such a task, I remembered all the advice I heard at the market, from friends and by chance on the street, read 1001 articles on the Internet, identified the most common signs of a ripe watermelon in the garden and tried to determine the joyful moment of harvesting from them.
Signs of a ripe watermelon in the garden
Yellow spot
The side that the watermelon touches the ground should be yellow. I can’t say one hundred percent, but I looked at all the watermelons in the melon patch, as they say, from small to large, and in all of them the point of contact with the ground blatantly smacks of yellowness. Maybe I have the wrong perception of colors and am confusing yellow with white? In general, this is not an indicator for me.
But experts say that the side on which the watermelon fruit lies on the ground should be yellow - the green or white color of the side indicates that the berry is not ripe.
side of watermelon touching the ground
Height
A ripe watermelon no longer grows. Again, such a vague sign for me. Let’s say, today I noticed that it had stopped growing (I literally measured every fruit every day - who would do this?) So what? Should I rip it right away? Don't know.
Maybe this sign will help someone - a ripe watermelon no longer grows.
Sound
There is no consensus on this point. I have heard and read that some claim that a ripe watermelon, if you click on it, makes a dull sound, while others insist that ringing sound. What to base it on? Unclear.
From my own experience, I will say that out of curiosity I knock on all the watermelons that I pick from the garden and that I buy at the market. Also, I haven’t yet come to a common denominator - ripe berries sounded differently, maybe it depends on the variety or size (I noticed that watermelons of different sizes make sounds of different tones).
As for me, it’s not worthwhile to be guided by sound, especially since there is no consensus on what should be heard - dull or voiced.
Bark
It is believed that a fingernail mark can easily be left on an unripe fruit. A ripe watermelon is hard to pierce with a fingernail. I experimented in the garden according to this characteristic. Maybe my nails are sharpened, but I pierced the bark of even a ripe (on the same day the fruit was removed for a different reason) watermelon.
By the way, this sign is indicated as a guide for the buyer when choosing a watermelon. They say that the picked fruit stops feeding and the bark quickly hardens. To be completely sure, I went on an experiment and kept a ripe watermelon for several days and tried to pierce it with my fingernail - I pierced it!
This in no way disproves this theory that a ripe watermelon has a very tough bark. After all, these signs have been determined for years, or even centuries. However, now there are so many new varieties emerging. There are watermelons with yellow flesh, square, and without seeds. And many varieties of thin-barked ones. It was this kind of bark that I pierced with my fingernail. Perhaps the ripe, thick-skinned fruit is too tough for me.
Conclusion: try “working” with your nails, maybe this sign is effective in your case. Although I personally won’t use this method anymore, somehow I don’t want to damage the bark of a ripening watermelon, integrity still matters.
Drawing
Again new varieties. This largest berry for a long time may not be striped, but monochromatic - what kind of pattern is there? If the watermelon is striped, then a bright, distinct pattern should be a sign of its ripeness. The “waxy” coating should come off the surface of the fruit of any color.
I watched the “minke whales” and, to be honest, I didn’t really notice the difference in the clarity of the stripes. But the “waxy” coating seemed to disappear and the bark shone.
So, the guideline is the brilliance and clarity of the drawing.
Crackling
I would attribute this sign to choosing a ripe watermelon in a store/market. You need to bring the fruit to your ear and squeeze it slightly; a ripe watermelon will make a cracking sound. The method has been tested several times and I can say with confidence that it works.
In the garden, it was simply physically inconvenient for me to check using this method. Then there are fears that such execution will not benefit the unripe fetus. Although there is a rumor that watermelons do not suffer and ripen quietly.
Conclusion: the method works. True, with a thick-skinned watermelon you will have to make an effort. Checking in the garden is a matter of taste. And on the market there is a 100% guarantee of ripeness for cod.
Dried tendril
We reached the landmark, which I consider the most important. But let’s be clear about the tendril, which needs to dry.
The advice has long been known that when buying a watermelon you should look at the tail; if it is dry, then you should be happy to buy the berry, it will be ripe. So here it is. Myth clean water. A dry tail indicates only one thing - the watermelon has been plucked from the garden a long time ago.
The mustache should dry. The watermelon is connected to the lash by means of a tail, and the lash has tendrils. If there is grass in the path of the lash, the antennae will definitely catch on it. So opposite the tail there is a antennae. This is where it needs to dry. And the tail itself remains green.
There was an experiment, and I waited for the tail to dry. I waited until the watermelon burst. It was overripe, and very much so, it practically began to decompose inside, and the tail was absolutely green with no signs of drying out.
Personally, when harvesting watermelons, I focus on the dried tendril - so far the method has not failed.
green tail of an overripe watermelon
watermelon bursting in the garden with a green tail
overripe watermelon with a green tail
green tail and tendril of watermelon
dry tendril
for clarity, a dry mustache on the hand
Signs of a ripe melon in the garden
It's easier with melons. A ripe melon is fragrant and easily comes off the tail. It happens that melons fall off on their own, but it’s better not to let this happen. Carefully take the fruit and try to tear it off; if it comes off with the slightest effort, then this is a guarantee of ripeness. If this does not happen, then you should not forcibly pick or cut it, the melon will be green.
ripe melon
Good luck determining ripeness and!
To get a good harvest of watermelons, you need to take care of the seedlings in May. When three leaves appear on the plant, it can be transplanted into open ground or a greenhouse. This point usually occurs at the end of May or beginning of June. From that period you need to wait about 60 days. Only after this period can the ripeness of the watermelon be determined.Of course, the number of days can vary more or less depending on weather conditions and the type of berry. If it has been hot all summer, then the first harvest will not take long to arrive. The size of the fruit does not indicate its ripeness, so you should learn how to determine the ripeness of a watermelon.
How to determine ripeness
You can determine the ripeness of a green berry in the garden by its peel. When the ripening process begins, it turns from matte to shiny. A good indicator of ripeness are scratches on a watermelon. They remain from the crow's beak. Birds will not peck an unripe watermelon. How they calculate this is anyone's guess. To avoid damage to the crop by birds, it is necessary to build a scarecrow. To prevent over-ripening, or, conversely, to avoid picking a green watermelon, you should pay attention to the stalk. It should be dry.A dry stalk indicates that the watermelon has already absorbed all the nutrients and is now ripening.
Tapping sound
You can twist the watermelon in the garden to find the small yellow side where the watermelon came into contact with the ground. It will be an indicator of the ripeness of the watermelon. The tapping method is also practiced. True, it needs to be carried out several times at different times. During the ripening period, all watermelons will make a ringing sound. Therefore, you need to knock on the watermelon, and then repeat this a week later and compare the sonority of the sound. In a ripe watermelon, the flesh bursts and because of this the sound will be somewhat muffled.A green, unripe watermelon also makes a hollow, dull sound, so you should be especially careful.
A ripe watermelon has a bright rind, with a distinct pattern and very hard. If you can easily pierce it with your fingernail, then the watermelon should not be picked, let it ripen. The rind thickens to retain moisture inside the fruit. When you pat a ripe watermelon, it will even spring back slightly.
IN middle lane It is very risky for Russia to grow watermelons, because weather anomalies can lead to damage to the crop. But don’t be disappointed at the first failure; next time you will probably be able to grow this sweet berry in your region.
During the "watermelon season" many buyers go to the market for this delicious berry. It will be useful for all of them to know how to determine the ripeness of a watermelon. Knowing how to determine the ripeness of a watermelon, you can choose the most delicious, juicy and appetizing fruit for yourself, without resorting to the help of sellers who are not always honest with their customers. Such a berry will not only allow you to fully enjoy it bright taste, but also be sure that watermelon will not harm the health of adults and children. After all, it is not recommended to consume unripe watermelons. Especially those that appeared in markets and stores before August. In this case, you can be sure that they have been treated with various chemicals to ensure that the flesh turns red as quickly as possible. But this does not add sweetness and ripeness to the fruit. Therefore, it is better to immediately refuse to buy them in favor of the safest and most delicious watermelons.
If you have the opportunity to enjoy watermelon straight from the garden, then you should not neglect this opportunity. After all, in this case you will be able to choose a truly ripe and tasty fruit. And, in addition, you will be able to know for sure that the berry did not previously lie for weeks in a fruit shop. And do right choice Anyone can get advice on how to determine the ripeness of a watermelon in the garden. The easiest way to do this is by peeling. If it is matte, then the fruit is probably not yet ripe. But the shiny surface indicates that it’s time to enjoy the berries. In addition, experts who know how to check the ripeness of a watermelon recommend paying attention to the marks left by birds’ beaks on its rind. If they are, then the fruit is probably ripe, because an unripe one simply will not interest the crows. The stem of a watermelon can also help in this difficult issue. In ripe berries it is always dry. This is a sure sign of fruit ripeness.
There are also excellent ones effective ways, how to check a watermelon for ripeness in a store or market. Its peel can also help with this. Only this time you will need to examine the stripes on it. Firstly, the stripes must have a clear, clearly visible edge that separates the colors, and, secondly, the stripes must be contrasting - dark and light. It is important that one of the sides of the fruit is light - bright yellow. This indicates that the watermelon actually ripened in the sun and simply lay on one of its sides, and was not chipped with chemicals to accelerate ripening while still unripe. Therefore, you should not be embarrassed to ask the seller to show the watermelon from all sides or twirl it yourself. Only by carefully studying it can you draw the right conclusions about the ripeness and maturity of the fruit. Moreover, market traders always treat such a careful selection of watermelons with understanding.
Explaining how to determine the ripeness of a watermelon, experts also note that it is necessary to touch the berry. For example, you can pat the surface well with your outstretched palm. If the fruit is ripe, then the sound from this patting will clearly be heard in the pulp. Usually it turns out quite loud and clear. If the buyer has enough strength, then you can lift the watermelon and try to squeeze it on the sides. The ripe fruit will crackle. But don’t worry, the thick peel won’t burst this way, so the berry will remain intact.
Very often watermelons are sold near major roads. Of course, it is not recommended to buy any food products in such conditions; it is better to visit a store or market. This applies to a greater extent to watermelons. But, if there is no other way out, then you should at least check the fruits for the presence of an obvious white coating on them. If it is present, it means that the berry probably contains heavy metals, the consumption of which is harmful and dangerous to human health. In this case, you should refuse the purchase. It is strictly forbidden for the youngest members of the family to eat such watermelons.
In addition to the dry tail, the ripeness of a watermelon is also indicated by the place from which it grows. If it turns out to be convex, and its edges are lightened and rough, then we can safely say that the fruit is ripe, juicy and sweet. This berry is worth purchasing. A great way to determine the ripeness of a watermelon is to place it in a container of water. Of course, it is not always possible to do this before purchasing. But if there is such an opportunity, then you just need to place the berry in a basin filled with water, and then look at its “behavior.” The ripe fruit will certainly float to about half the container. The whole point is that it will be lighter than water. It is important to remember that watermelons naturally ripen around mid-August, and only during this period there is no need to use nitrates for speedy collection harvest. This fact should also be taken into account when choosing a fruit.
How can you accurately determine that a watermelon is ripe and tastes sweet? Dmitry
Summer means a huge assortment of berries, fruits and vegetables that can be eaten fresh straight from the garden. Watermelon is one of the brightest and favorite berries of the summer season, because adults and children love the juicy sugar pulp of watermelon. Watermelon juice is perfectly refreshing on a hot summer day, quenches thirst and is a storehouse of vitamins: pectin and fiber, potassium and magnesium, folic acid and iron.
Most often, watermelons are consumed fresh, but today there are many recipes for successfully pickling and fermenting them in tubs. Watermelon rind becomes the basis for making candied fruits, and some craftsmen make honey from its juice. It is much easier to choose a ripe sugar watermelon in the garden than on the store counter. This article will discuss how to accurately determine the ripeness of a watermelon in the garden and in the store.
A fully ripened watermelon has the shape of a slightly elongated ball. If we talk about the weight of the finished product, the berry should not be light and at the same time too heavy. The optimal weight of a ripe fruit is from 8 to 12 kg. Small watermelons will often be under-ripe.
- But when buying at the market, refrain from purchasing a watermelon that weighs more than 12 kg, since often such specimens are obtained as a result of abundant fertilizer, which is not beneficial for humans. If we consider the ripening period of the berry, then mid-August is the very point when the likelihood of buying a magnificent sugar watermelon is highest. When choosing a ripe berry, you must be guided by several basic visual indicators:
- spot on the side;
- “butt” of watermelon;
- appearance of the crust;
- condition of the tail;
sound resonance.
A small yellowish spot on the barrel of the berry is formed due to contact with the ground. Its presence is confirmed by the fact that the watermelon ripened in the garden, and was not picked unripe for “comfortable” transportation. The color of the spot should be from yellow to dark orange, but a white or green tint indicates that the fruit is not ripe.
Watermelon is a bisexual berry, and therefore the gender of the watermelon matters. According to many consumers, a female fruit will be sweeter and will have fewer seeds than a “boy” fruit. Externally, a “girl” has a flatter lower part and a wide circle, while “boys” are characterized by a more inward lower part and a very small circle.
Determined by the crust
Pay attention to the contrast of colors, how clearly the black-green stripes of the berry are visible. During the growth process, like most plants, it needs nutrients. Some are introduced by man, while others are given to the growing “organism” by nature itself. Chlorophyll is what makes the berry bark green and produces glucose. Once the fruit is ripe, chlorophyll production stops and the color slowly changes to yellow. Therefore, if the “combat” color of the berry is bright and contrasting, it means that during the growth process there was a lot of sun and heat, which is what the plant needs for comfortable development.
Video “Determination for sweetness and ripeness”
We distinguish ripeness by the tail
The ripeness of a watermelon can be determined by its tail. When the fruit reaches maturity, the stalk (tail) and its junction with the fruit begin to dry out. A dry tail and dry edges of the stalk circle are a sure sign of a ripe watermelon. But very often melons are harvested unripe to make it easier to transport, especially over long distances. However, the tail should be moderately dry, since an overdried version indicates that the melon was harvested many weeks ago. The absence of a stalk, as a result of the seller’s activities, indicates that the watermelon is definitely not ripe.
How to understand by sound
As you can see, it is not difficult to buy a ripe fruit if you carry out a careful visual inspection and “spank” it a little. Juicy berries will be a wonderful dessert on a summer day and will only benefit you and your household.
Can you tell by the sound whether the seller is offering you a ripe watermelon? Of course, it is possible if you conduct a small experiment that is accessible to every buyer. It should resonate due to empty micro pockets in the sugar pulp of the fruit. To check whether the specimen chosen for you resonates, place the berry in the palm of your left hand, and slap the fruit on the barrels with your right palm. So, a ripe berry transmits sound, and you will feel the recoil of your cotton in your left hand.
Video “How to determine ripeness”
To find out whether this crop is ripe in your garden, we recommend watching the video we prepared especially for you.