How To Buy A Ripe Watermelon

You may have seen these striped fruits on the shelves back in the middle of summer. However, if you have tried early watermelons, you will notice that they are not so tasty. And if they have a good taste, then all this is the merit of nitrates. How to find a ripe and juicy watermelon?

No wonder the beginning of the season for this berry is August. It is by this time that the watermelons finally ripen, are filled with taste, aroma and useful vitamins. Fruits plucked in July are most likely still quite green. So either they ripen on the way and end up on the counter not fully ripe. All the sugar then goes into seed formation. Or their taste is improved with the help of chemistry. Therefore, if you want to enjoy delicious and safe watermelon, wait until the season.

There are different varieties and they look completely different. Some are round, like a ball, others are slightly oblong, and others are more like an oval. Some are dark green, others are lighter in color. Stripes can also be light or dark. The color of the pulp also depends on the variety. Red means it is a sugary fruit. And the pink is not so sweet, but very juicy. Therefore, do not be afraid to try those varieties that you have not met before. If the berry is ripe, you will like it anyway.

Unfortunately, even in August, not all watermelons are created equal. Here are some tips on how to choose the best one.

1. Pay attention to appearance

When a seller claims a watermelon is of a certain variety, it should look the same. Among approximately the same watermelons, do not take either too small – it will turn out to be green, nor too large – it can contain a lot of nitrates. The optimal weight of a ripe fruit is from five to eight kilograms. A faded color or washed out streaks should also alert you. Good watermelons always have a distinct contrasting pattern.

2. Try hardness

The rind of a ripe watermelon is hard, dry, because in the last weeks of ripening, it no longer needs to be saturated with moisture. And in green it will be soft. Press on the surface of the berry, lightly pry it with your fingernail. If the crust does not give way, everything is in order.

3. Look for a yellow spot on the side

It can also be orange. But not white. This speck forms in the place where the fruit lay on the ground. Watermelons with white sides are usually not tasty. Consider the spot size as well. Even if it is of the correct color, but very large, it means that the berry grew in a deficit of sunlight. And also, most likely, not sweet.

4. Look at the “ponytail”

You want dried out, but still green at the base. When watermelons are picked unripe, the tails remain green. And completely dry indicates that the fruit has stale on the counter and has begun to deteriorate.

5. Knock

The most popular way to test a watermelon is to knock. It really works. And although only experienced professionals can find a certain taste by sound, you can easily distinguish a ripe fruit. Its sound is clear and clear. The pulp of ripe berries has voids, and they make the sound like that. More about ripeness will tell a light crackling when you press the crust.

6. Find out the “gender”

You’ve probably heard that there are watermelons “boys” and there are “girls”. It is generally accepted that the latter are sweeter. In fact, this is not necessarily the case, farmers say. But the “female” watermelons definitely have more seeds. If this is important to you, then pay attention to the bottom of the fetus. A flat bottom and a wide circle around the ponytail – “girl”. A bulge and a small circle – “boy” is in front of you.

7. Examine the pulp

Sellers often show the quality of the product by offering customers a taste, or simply put a cut watermelon on the counter. If you see juicy pulp of a uniform color with tiny voids, you can take it. But any streaks – white or yellow – will give out chemicals. To try a cut watermelon or not is a moot point. If it has been lying for some time, especially in the open air, it is better not to risk it. The pulp quickly collects all the dust and microbes that are around. And even the film does not save here, it is not sterile. And you cannot be sure of the purity of the seller’s knife. If he cut a square out of an untouched watermelon in front of you, this is no longer so risky.

8. Put in water

It is unlikely that in a store or in the market you will have the opportunity to test the berry in this way. But just in case, remember that ripe watermelons always float – thanks to the same voids in the pulp. Accordingly, the immature drowned.

9. See docs

It’s always best to buy from trusted sellers, that’s a fact. When you know where and how the watermelons were grown, you can be sure that you will not get poisoned. If in doubt about the quality of the product, do not hesitate to ask for details, ask for documents. Already by the seller’s reaction to such innocent questions, you will understand whether it is worth dealing with his product.