If you do not know how to choose the right watermelon, then buying it will be a lottery for you. If you're lucky, it will be tasty, if not, you will end up in a hospital bed. There is hardly a person on Earth who does not like watermelon. This truly summer fruit with excellent taste cannot leave anyone indifferent.

This sweet pink fruit is an essential attribute of summer. But it can be difficult for an ordinary outstanding buyer who is not very versed in agronomy and varieties of watermelons to choose a good watermelon. Therefore, below we provide you with a few rules that will help you in choosing this berry (yes, because watermelon is the largest berry) and will ensure that you do not buy a watermelon that may not only turn out to be not tasty, but also cause irreparable harm to your health. Indeed, in recent years, the general trend has been the oversaturation of watermelons with nitrates, which cannot be seen with the naked eye, which in turn leads to disruption of hemoglobin in the blood, problems with oxygen transport in the human body, and in the worst cases, even to oncological diseases.

Where to buy watermelon

When choosing a watermelon in a store or on the market, first of all, pay attention to the conditions for their storage, a lot can be determined by the type of watermelon. If watermelons are just lying on the ground, you'd better look elsewhere for this purchase. Watermelon is like a sponge, it absorbs everything. That is, if it has cracks, chips, cuts, bursting places, a huge amount of dirt, microbes, etc. gets inside the berry through them. Any scratch is an opportunity for the substance to penetrate inside the watermelon. According to the rules, the watermelon should be at a distance of 20 centimeters from the ground.

And also, you should not ask the seller to cut the watermelon you like, since you cannot be sure of the cleanliness of the knife with which he will do this, thereby introducing not very “useful” substances inside the watermelon.

Remember that watermelon season is mid-August. The earlier you buy a berry, the more likely it is to be saturated with nitrates. How to check? The first is a measurement with a special device. In the event that you do not have this, then you can put a piece of watermelon in a transparent container with water, if the watermelon colors the water, then it contains nitrates.

You have every right to demand from the seller in a store or market a certificate that will confirm the origin of this product, as well as the presence of harmful substances such as nitrates, heavy metals, etc. in it. If you are presented with a copy, then it must have a color seal. Be careful!

Remember, if you choose a sweet watermelon, then you should not chase the size, you should not buy a very large watermelon. Yes, exactly, and even if you have a large family and you don’t want to “stay at the edge of the trough”, it’s better to buy a few, but medium ones. Be content with the "golden mean" rule. But there are exceptions, if this is the Crimson Glory variety, then its dimensions can reach 17 kg without recharge and nitrates. How to recognize him? It will have large light streaks and be oblong in shape, with a very thick rind.

How to choose a ripe watermelon: peel color, thickness, elasticity and smell

These are the indicators that will help you choose the right watermelon when buying. If, under the pressure of the nail, the rind of the watermelon is easily squeezed through, and when you rub it, you smell greenery, freshly cut grass - it is not ripe. This is very simply explained. When the watermelon fruit has reached the peak of its maturity, its tail dries up, water from the roots stops getting to the fruit, and its peel hardens and makes a crackling sound that is pleasant to the ear when cut.

In case you bought an unripe watermelon, but without nitrates, do not worry, you can use it in cooking to pickle, ferment, preserve, etc. Remember, if a watermelon is picked not ripe, it will not ripen under any circumstances, it's not strawberries or tomatoes, it just lies down and it's not about him. Also, if you see a watermelon in a section and its bones have a different color - black and white, this is also a sign of a large amount of nitrates.

If you want to choose a ripe and sweet watermelon - choose a minke whale! Choose a watermelon with maximum color contrast between its stripes on the rind. This is also not unimportant, as it indicates the sweetness and ripeness of this fruit.

Do not be afraid if there is a speck of yellow on one side. This is a “resting barrel”, the watermelon ripens on the ground, and when its tail, which we have already mentioned above, dries up, then all processes of chlorophyll production stop, which, as a result, leads to the formation of these yellow and orange spots - “barrels”. Please note - the speck should be on one, in no case on several sides, as long as this will indicate its long-term storage, and shifting on the way to the counter. Watermelon will simply not be fresh and lethargic. The spot should be no more than 5-10 centimeters in size and not be white.

If you take a watermelon in your hands, press it to your ear and squeeze it slightly, you should hear a slight crackle - it means the watermelon is ripe. It is also possible to choose a watermelon by knocking on it, if you hear a dull sound - this does not always mean the ripeness of the watermelon, most likely you are holding in the hands of an already overripe watermelon.

When not to buy watermelon

If inside the watermelon, directly on the pulp itself, there are cracks along the entire length, this indicates that a huge amount of nitrates was added to the watermelon, under the influence of which it began to grow rapidly and the flesh simply broke. The presence of nitrates will also be indicated by yellow streaks in the pulp of the watermelon.

If you want to choose a delicious watermelon, then keep in mind that an overripe watermelon can have a dull sound, it can be dangerous to health and lead to poisoning, because inside it starts to turn sour, unfavorable microflora, bacteria develop and in some cases can be released even toxins. If you cut a watermelon, and it is overripe, it is best to throw it away. How to determine? Smell if you hear a sour smell - this watermelon is better not to eat.

How to choose a watermelon girl

For a boy, the opposite side of the watermelon will be convex with a small circle. And the “watermelon - girls” has the opposite - with a flat bottom and a large circle. It is believed that "watermelon - girl" is much tastier and sweeter than "watermelon - boy."

And of course, if you bought a watermelon, came home, do not forget to wash it before you eat it, even if you don’t eat it with the peel, all the same, when cut, all the dirt gets on the pulp, which may adversely affect your future well-being.

How to store watermelon

Choosing the right ripe watermelon is half the battle, what if the watermelon is not finished? If this has already happened, then remember that the shelf life of an already split fruit is no more than three days. It is best to store in the refrigerator, cut side down on the plate, so it will retain its freshness longer. An uncut berry fruit can be stored for a week or even more.

Despite all the beneficial properties of watermelon, it is contraindicated in large quantities for people suffering from diabetes, as well as overweight people, as it contains a lot of sugar.

Video how to choose a ripe watermelon

Watermelon- great food. And ate, and drank, and washed.

A real ripe and tasty watermelon should be large, have a beautiful yellow spot on the side and vibrate when slapped with the palm of your hand.

Autumn is just around the corner, and shoppers are tempted by the lavish multicolored stalls of the bazaars with their exciting special scents, the obligatory mountains of brightly striped watermelons and yellowing melons, the noisy din of the crowd and the shouts of the vendors. Supermarkets are not far behind - watermelon mountains break the symmetry of strict ordered shelves, attracting the eyes of confused shoppers wandering around them like a magnet. And everyone wants to choose their own, the sweetest and most ripe watermelon from the many striped beauties.

Why does everyone love watermelons?

Mankind has been growing watermelons for four thousand years - at first the ancient Egyptians enjoyed it, then it was cultivated by Persians, Arabs, Indians and residents of other hot countries. After the Crusades, the crusaders brought the striped berry to Europe.

A sweet juicy berry, beloved by many peoples of the world, under a hard green peel stores a whole range of useful substances:

• antioxidants, including the most powerful - lycopene;
• vitamin C;
• riboflavin;
• folic acid (vitamin B9)
• thiamine;
• provitamin A;
• fructose;

These compounds prolong human life, protect against age-related changes, make sharper vision, have the ability to protect cells from cancerous changes its sweetness does not hurt diabetics, and protects joints from pain. Without enough folic acid the human body cannot develop - without it, the normal reproduction of DNA and RNA is impossible, it ensures cell division. Without a sufficient amount of this acid in the body, a fetus cannot form normally in pregnant women and a sufficient amount of breast milk cannot form.

Watermelon is great for lovers different diets and non-traditional food systems (vegans and raw foodists), it is actively used in clinical nutrition, using it for fasting days and various cleansings (the most famous are cleansing the liver, kidneys and intestines).

But in order for the benefits of the eaten watermelon to be maximum, it must be fresh, ripe and sweet, without excess harmful substances.

Watermelon is loved in all countries of the world, it has become a symbol of entire regions:

• in many towns in the United States throughout July, incendiary watermelon festivals are celebrated;
• in the state of Arkansas, on lands owned by the Bright family, a giant watermelon weighing almost 122 kilograms grew;
• world watermelon day falls on the third of August, and in the Russian expanses August and September are traditionally watermelon months;
• monuments to minke whales were erected by grateful Ukrainians, residents of the traditional “watermelon” region of this country in the Kherson region (a giant minke whale adorns the embankment in the village of Holaya Pristan);
• watermelons grow and square (they are grown in Japan);
• the peel of the berry can be almost white or jet black.

How to determine the degree of ripeness of a watermelon by appearance, so as not to be disappointed by the unripe pale middle? Let's try to define a few main rules for choosing a giant berry.

Step-by-step instructions for choosing a watermelon

Take a closer look at the crowd of buyers around the sellers of watermelons - some examine the peel and tail, the second - knock on them, the third - choose the brightest and most striped ones. Each of these signs most often has a logical explanation when choosing, but consider them in order.

The watermelon season starts in August and lasts until the end of September. Instances that appear on sale in the middle of the second month of summer are probably not grown without the help of chemical fertilizers, and it is not safe to feast on them. A watermelon grown in this way will not be as tasty as a “correctly” ripe watermelon.

1. First step

The right choice begins with determining the optimal size of a watermelon.

The first thing a cautious buyer will think about when he sees hefty specimens is that they are grown with an excessive amount of mineral fertilizers and stuffed with nitrates. But there is a variety of watermelons, specially bred for long-term transportation, which reach a weight of 15-17 kilograms, and a mature fruit cannot have a weight less than 10 kilograms. Such a variety was bred in the Crimea specifically for transportation over long distances, and its name is appropriate - Crimson Gloria (now it has been successfully zoned in the south of the country). An elongated watermelon, bright light stripes are visible on the peel. The peel of the fruit is thick, elastic, the flesh is dark pink.

The famous Kherson watermelon (a monument was erected to him in the Ukrainian Hola Pristan) should not weigh more than ten kilograms - an excess will clearly indicate an excess of nitrates. The skin of the handsome Kherson is not as thick as that of Crimson Gloria, it is painted in more saturated colors, the flesh is of a thick pink color.

For early maturing varieties (the most common are Photon and Skorik). Skorik is characterized by a uniform thin dense green peel, Photon is light with pronounced stripes. Early ripening watermelons cannot weigh more than 7 kilograms.

The Kholodok variety also ripens late - in late August or early September. It can be stored for a very long time - for this, the watermelon is hung in a net in a dark, dry room. A fresh, freshly picked watermelon can be preserved in this way until Christmas.

Raise the watermelon- a fully ripe large-sized specimen will be quite light due to the porous pulp inside. Therefore, from two identical watermelons, you should choose the lighter one in weight.

2. Second step

There is always a light spot on the striped side of the watermelon - it is on it that it lies on the ground of the chestnut tree and is characteristic of all varieties of the striped berry. To determine the degree of ripeness of the fetus, carefully consider this mark on the side:

• the normal spot size is about the size of a palm;
• a spot of bright yellow, or even orange, indicates a ripe watermelon;
• light, almost white mark - unripe fruit;
• a large spot diameter indicates poor weather conditions for the watermelon to ripen, and it will be unsweetened and watery.

But for a more correct choice of a sweet specimen, you should consider the pattern on the peel.

3. Third step

A sure sign of the ripeness of a watermelon, regardless of its color, will be the difference between light and dark stripes on the skin of the fruit. Bright contrasting stripes indicate that it grew in due time and was not plucked prematurely. Watermelon of striped varieties with a weak contrast on the peel is not worth buying.

4. Fourth step

After the buyer has estimated the size and weight of the selected watermelon, it is necessary to check the peel for hardness - the ripened specimen has a hard peel, it is impossible to pierce it with a finger. If you try to scratch the peel of a ripe fruit with your fingernail, it can be easily removed with a strip.

Ripe watermelon is different smooth, shiny thick skin.

In order not to fall for the tricks of bazaar traders polishing the skin of watermelons for beauty, you need to choose a copy from the depth of the layout.

If the peel is matte, does not have a shine and is oily in appearance, the watermelon is overripe and should not be eaten, this can cause poisoning. In order to make sure that the pulp inside the watermelon is not damaged, it is necessary to feel its entire surface. If soft zones are noted on the peel - the watermelon was damaged during transportation, you should not buy it.

5. Fifth step

Knock and spank on watermelon to determine its ripeness - one of the most common methods among the people. It is believed that a ripe watermelon should make a ringing sound. The disadvantage of this method is that an overripe fruit will make the same sound, which is absolutely impossible to eat. The pulp in an overripe fruit sours and causes poisoning by accumulated pathogens and toxins, often sourness cannot be tasted.

You can try to determine the ripeness of a watermelon in the following way:

1. Holding it on weight on one hand, slap the other hard on the crust - vibration if the fruit is ripe it will give to the second hand.
2. When cut, the watermelon should emit a characteristic smell of freshly cut grass, any change in smell should alert the buyer.

6. Sixth step

Another, common among the people, a sign of the ripeness of a watermelon is considered a dry tail. In reality, this means that the berry was plucked from the chestnut tree more than three days ago. The tail should be dry and small in size. If the cunning seller cut off the tail, you need to pay attention to the place where it grows from - a convex spot with light edges indicates a ripe specimen.

7. Seventh step

In order not to buy an overripe watermelon, you need to know how much time has passed since it was removed from the chestnut. To do this, you need to ask the seller to show documents for a batch of watermelons. The highest shelf life of minke whales is 21 days (unless it is a Kholodok variety intended for long-term storage). The watermelon has retained its sweetness - it is quite possible that its peel has been treated with some kind of chemical substance (paraffin, alabaster, or even slaked lime).

You should not succumb to the deceptive convenience of choosing and buying watermelons from sellers on streets or roadsides busy roads. The rind of watermelons tends to draw in itself, like a sponge, toxic substances from the environment; it is dangerous to consume watermelons bought on such layouts.

Therefore, it is better to buy minke whales in markets where there are specially equipped places for their storage.

Sometimes you can see how a street seller and a market seller of watermelons, at the request of the buyer, cut wedges from the watermelon to check the ripeness - but no one pays attention to the fact that the peel of the fruit is dirty, the knife is not quite clean, and it is better to keep silent about the cleanliness of the hands of the seller.

A damaged watermelon peel (cut, puncture, crack) is a wide open gate for intestinal infections. Such a watermelon, like a sponge, will absorb everything it comes into contact with - it is after the use of such specimens that massive cases of severe intestinal poisoning are noted.

8. Step eight

In order to choose a sweet watermelon with a small amount of seeds, you should turn the fruit over. It is believed that watermelons are " boys" and " girls"- this is determined by the size of the speck on the side of the watermelon opposite to the tail (the place where the ovary was attached).

If the bottom of the watermelon is flat, and the speck is wide - this is a “girl” - a folk sign claims that such an instance is sweeter and contains few seeds.

A more prominent watermelon bottom and a small speck indicate a “boy” (80% of such specimens) - it is believed that they are not so juicy and sweet.

Choosing watermelons in the market

The sale of gourds is regulated by sanitary standards, which every seller of watermelons and melons must adhere to. Basic requirements for a retail outlet of this type:

• located in a place agreed with the local SES;
• be protected from rain and sun (should be equipped with a canopy);
• located at a distance from highways and busy roads;
• gourds should be placed on pallets raised to a height of at least 200 mm. from the earth;
• for each batch of melons, a SES certificate must be issued;
• the seller must regularly undergo a medical examination and have a health book.;
• split, crushed, cracked watermelons should not be sold;

Street vendors must not sell sliced ​​watermelons- its sweet juice is an excellent breeding ground for various microorganisms. Even packaging in cling film cannot protect the berry from dust and infection.

Going for watermelon to the supermarket

A hypermarket or supermarket is the best place to buy watermelon. Melons in the warehouses of these trade establishments:

• constantly protected from the sun, dampness and toxic influences;
• are at the required (standard) height from the floor of the trading floor or warehouse;
• purchase of melons is made from regular suppliers;
• all consignments of goods have SES permits;
• sellers have the necessary medical documents.

But, despite the appearance of neatness and general order on the trading floor, you should not buy a watermelon cut into pieces:

1. the reason for dividing it into pieces is unknown;
2. no one washed the peel of the watermelon before cutting, and dirt and bacteria can easily get on the flesh;
3. the cleanliness of the hands of the staff cannot be checked;
4. a cut covered with a film is an ideal greenhouse for the propagation of bacteria on sweet juice;

If the whole watermelon is too big, and the half is just right, you should refuse to buy it. The best option would be to buy a whole, small watermelon.

Choosing Astrakhan watermelon

Astrakhan watermelons go on sale at the end of August. This variety, despite almost half a century of history, is still loved and popular. It is good for transportation and storage, sweet, with a lot of juice.

The average "correct" watermelon of this variety is distinguished by the following:

• has an ovoid or rounded shape;
• the skin is green and smooth;
• pattern - uneven jagged stripes of dark green;
• the weight of the fetus should not exceed 10 kilograms;
• scarlet pulp, juicy.

The peel of the Astrakhan watermelon is of medium thickness, elastic.

Looking for a watermelon without nitrates

To distinguish a watermelon stuffed with nitrates from a usable berry, you should consider the pulp. If:

• thick yellow fibers are visible in the thickness of the watermelon, tending to the peel through the pulp;
• on the cut, the color intensity increases towards the middle of the berry;
• the pulp is cut with cracks, which indicate too rapid growth of the fetus after fertilizing with fertilizers;
• in the pulp of the fruit there is no pronounced structure (sugar content) when cut;
• in one fruit there are both dark and light seeds;
• a tablespoon of pulp, mashed in a glass of cold water, stains the liquid in a dark pink or red color;

You can’t eat such a watermelon, it contains an excess of nitrates. If there are doubts about the safety of the fetus, it is better to eat only the middle, retreating 3 cm from the outer edge of the peel.

The watermelon season is just beginning, and the information in this article will help you choose the tastiest and sweetest berry.

How to choose a watermelon video

August is on the calendar, which means that the season of one of our most beloved and biggest berries has come - I mean watermelons! On our soda plots, store shelves and markets closer to autumn, there is always a great variety of different varieties of watermelons of various shapes, sizes and even colors. It remains for us to figure out how to choose a ripe watermelon, that is, one that will be both sweet and juicy and it is very desirable that it be without extra nitrates and other “chemistry”.

Watermelon, as the brightest representative of gourds, became widely known to the world in the 16-17th centuries, today China is the leader in the cultivation and sale of watermelons, the largest or, more precisely, the heaviest watermelon fruit from China weighed just over 90 kilograms! But the record holder among European watermelons was a watermelon from the Krasnodar Territory - weighing 64 kilograms, presented at the annual Watermelon Paradise festival in 2013!

The first thing we need to know is not even “how” to buy a watermelon correctly, but when exactly it is better and safer to do it! And you just can’t rush - since very early watermelons are most often rich not in vitamins, but in nitrates, because some farmers overdo it with the amount of growth stimulants for melons.

In Russia, the official watermelon season starts from mid-August until almost the end of September. Although melons and gourds from equatorial countries are sold on supermarket shelves almost all year round.

We figured out the introductory part, now let's decide how to choose a watermelon so as not to get upset ourselves and not upset your stomach. There are several basic tips and rules, we will now get acquainted with them.

Of course, many already have their own “signs” and skills from personal experience that will come in handy when choosing a ripe sweet watermelon, and this is good, but we only share those tips that may be useful to readers who do not have practical experience in choosing watermelons.

Choosing a watermelon by tail

I think that each of us has heard about such a method of determining the ripeness of a watermelon as a dried tail - usually this is a sign that the fruit has ripened on its own and, while still in the garden, “withered” and practically separated from its vine. So if you see a beautiful green tail, then you have an early picked fruit, which most likely did not have time to get its natural juiciness and sugar content.

It is necessary to take into account the fact that a long-cut watermelon will also have a dry tail. It is important here to be able to distinguish them, and for this we need to check it for “fragility” - if the tail breaks off easily, then the fruit is fully ripe in the garden, and if it seems to be dried and only bends when trying to break it, then the watermelon was separated from the vine before due date. We conclude that it is better not to buy watermelons whose tail is cut off at the very base - it may be an unripe berry.

What does the yellow spot on the watermelon mean?

Another way to determine the ripeness of a watermelon is the presence and size of a yellow (sometimes orange) spot on one of the fruit's barrels. These spots are a natural formation, they appear due to the lack of pigmentation in the place where the watermelon comes into contact with the soil during its vegetation and ripening.

A ripe watermelon flaunts a spot of rich color, an average size of 7 or 10 centimeters in diameter. Also, a fully ripened fruit may have medium-sized clarified spots throughout the bark. But an overly large and pale yellow spot tells us that the watermelon was harvested from the melon ahead of time.

Choosing a ripe watermelon by sound

The ripeness of watermelon can not only be seen, but also heard. It is believed that a ripe fruit is a "voiced" fruit. In order to check this sonority, you just need to knock on the watermelon and if the echo is enough, then the berry is ripe.

An unripe fruit will give us a muffled sound. If you can do it, then try another option - squeeze the watermelon on both sides with your palms, putting it to your ear, and if you hear a soft crack inside it, then the fruit is ripe and full of sugar content.

Watermelon boys and girls

Who to choose when choosing a watermelon, "boy" or "girl"? It turns out that the difference in them does exist and it is noticeable. Watermelon girls have a fairly flat "butt" with a large brown circle - they have much less bones and at the same time more sweetness. But the watermelon boys from below are more convex and with a very small circle.

The correct size of a watermelon

When choosing a good watermelon, as in many other situations, the golden mean is important. Do not look for the largest or smallest fruit - buy a medium one. Of course, large watermelons look more attractive, but they can be too watery and with less sugar, and besides, they can be grown using nitrates, which we don’t need at all.

The benefits and calories of watermelon

The pulp of watermelon is very rich in such elements necessary for our body as fructose and glucose, folic acid and thiamine, carotene and riboflavin; magnesium, potassium and calcium, phosphorus, iron, as well as natural ascorbic acid.

As for the calorie content, despite the high sugar content of watermelon pulp, only 30-38 kilocalories per 100 grams of the product. Proteins - 0.6 grams, fats - 0.2 grams, carbohydrates - 8 grams. Thanks to these qualities, watermelon is included in and in the menu of proper nutrition, and there are also watermelon fasting days for.

It is believed that watermelon has good diuretic and choleretic properties. The natural ascorbic acid in this berry is a natural antipyretic.

Most often, watermelon is eaten in a “raw” form, that is, without thermal or other processing, but there are also technologies for the production of watermelon honey and, watermelon oil is prepared from seeds, which is similar in composition to almond and.

Ways to cut a watermelon beautifully

So, if our watermelon has already been selected and bought, and even delivered to the table, then you can not only wash it and eat it, but also add a little creativity to this process, of course, you will have to spend more time and effort on this, but look, what a spectacular treat we can have!

The prices for the "material" are not very high, so we can safely practice before surprising our relatives or guests.

Of course, a special device, a portable ecotester or nitrate meter, is ideal for this, but it is very expensive and unfortunately not available to many ordinary people. And this means that we will have to use, so to speak, "folk" methods.

Let's start with a visual analysis - a natural fruit in the cut, first of all, should not “surprise” us with color - neither with too bright pulp, nor suspicious shades, and secondly, it should not have dense yellow veins, you should also be wary if the cut is too smooth without characteristic graininess.

You can also use ordinary water to check watermelon for nitrates at home - for the first method you need a small piece of watermelon and a glass of ordinary water - the pulp must be dipped in water and allowed to stand for fifteen to twenty minutes. If the fruit has an excess of nitrates, then the liquid will acquire a bright pink or red color with "suspicious" shades.

Another household way to test watermelons for nitrates will require more water, but you don’t have to cut the watermelon. A not very large fruit can be lowered into a basin of water, and if it remains afloat, then you can eat, but if the berry has gone to the bottom, then it is better not to risk it. To test large watermelons, you can draw water into the bath and conduct the same experiment. I hope our tips will help you choose a sweet watermelon. Eat healthy and for health.

Why do we love watermelons? First of all, for sugar taste and juiciness. How to find the right watermelon, ripe and sweet?

Where is the right place to choose watermelons?

Even a good watermelon can become harmful due to improper storage, transportation or trade violations. And it is worth fearing, first of all, roadside watermelon sales: here they often offer goods rejected by trade and sanitary inspectors.

The official places for the sale of melons are never located near the highways, they are always fenced, and the seller has all the necessary documents - a medical book, a trade permit, a certificate or declaration of compliance of the goods sold with the requirements of the standard, a certificate of quality issued by the organization that grew watermelons. The correct watermelon, what is it?

Never buy watermelons with damaged rinds. And in no case do not allow the seller to cut a piece from your watermelon to demonstrate its taste and quality. The fact is that bacteria multiply much faster on the sweet and sun-heated surface of a damaged or cut fruit. A small "wound" on the skin of a watermelon is enough to cause a gastrointestinal upset.

How to choose a watermelon without nitrates?

A good watermelon is not only tasty, but also healthy. To get juicy and early ripening fruits, plants are often overfed with fertilizers, mainly nitric acid salts - nitrates, which, when ingested, are converted into nitrites that are dangerous to health. Moreover, in different parts of the watermelon, nitrates accumulate unevenly, most of all they are contained in the pulp near the peel (about 3 cm thick).

How to choose the perfect watermelon and distinguish it from nitrate? Unfortunately, it is difficult to do this in appearance; it is possible to accurately determine the presence of nitrates only by a laboratory method. Having cut a watermelon, you can try to "calculate" nitrates visually.

Nitrate watermelon has intense red flesh with a slight purple tint. And the fibers that go from the core to the crust are not white, like "normal" watermelons, but yellowish.

If you rub a piece of watermelon in a glass of water, it should just become cloudy; if it turned red or turned pink - in front of you is a fetus overfed with nitrates.

Having cut the watermelon, look at the cut: the “harmful” cut surface is smooth, while the good watermelon is grainy.

How to choose a ripe watermelon?

Looks say a lot. Good, ripe watermelons have a bright and contrasting skin color, and the skin itself is hard and shiny. If the nail easily pierces it, then the watermelon is immature.

Ripe watermelon is almost always juicy and sweet. There is no need to chase the giants, but the smallest should not be chosen either. From the fruits of one variety and one batch, choose a fairly large and at the same time light - weight is the first sign of watermelon ripeness. By the way, thanks to the light pulp, a ripe watermelon floats in water, and an unripe one sinks.

Another sign of the ripeness of a watermelon is a dry tail. When the fruit ripens, the green lash that connected it to the plant dries up. Therefore, the "antennae" and the stalk of a ripe watermelon are dry. If the tail is dry, but green, then the fruit was plucked unripe, such a watermelon is unlikely to be sweet.

A light spot on the side of a good watermelon should be rich yellow or orange. The flanks of the immature are usually white.

You can also choose a watermelon by sound. If you knock on a ripe watermelon, you hear not a deaf, but a clear, sonorous sound, as if resonating from within. And putting the ripe fruit to your ear and squeezing it with your hands with all your might, you will hear a characteristic soft crack.

How to choose a watermelon girl?

Watermelons are conditionally divided into "boys" and "girls". The “boy” has a convex bottom on the opposite side of the tail, and a circle on it is small. In watermelons-“girls” the bottom is flatter, and the circle is wide. Many people think that the latter are tastier. This is debatable, everyone has different tastes. But the fact that there are fewer seeds in watermelons-“girls” and they are sweeter is absolutely certain.

The market offers a product of different varieties, dimensions, places of growth. Each time you have to decide the question - how to choose a watermelon so that it is juicy, tasty, safe for health. There are proven rules.

sale season

Watermelon is a seasonal product. It is better to buy it at a certain time.

When to buy watermelons

The most delicious, juicy specimens ripen no earlier than the second half of August. By this time, they have time to absorb the energy of the sun and useful substances from the soil.

The most delicious, juicy watermelon is late August or September.

It is useless to try to choose a quality option from early watermelons: they are not very tasty, not sweet, and are saturated with nitrates. The exception is Kuban. But even from here legal parties do not arrive before the end of June.

Market or shop

A quality product can be selected in the market or in the store. Each method has its own characteristics and advantages.

Buying on the market:

• It is better to choose gourds at the point of sale away from the highway or industrial enterprise. They absorb car exhaust, toxins from the air.
• It is useful to take a nitrate meter with you or check this indicator in the controlling structure in the market.
• It is advisable to buy from trusted sellers. Sometimes distributors come to one place for years, so they value their reputation.

The market is understood as an officially operating stationary enterprise.

Shop purchase:

• The store is concerned about its reputation.
• It is easier to choose a product, since there are almost always cut half-samples.
• Upon purchase, a check is issued. It is useful to return money for a defective product. Or make a claim in case of health problems.

There are common points. All sellers must have a quality certificate with a “wet” (color) print for a specific batch. It indicates the place, time of collection, nitrate content, and other characteristics of the crop. If there is no certificate, it is better to choose another place of purchase.

Regardless of the status of the seller, goods sold on the street must be protected from the sun and placed on special decks (at least 15 cm from the ground).

Methods and rules of choice

The question of how to choose good watermelons is simple. Just remember the rules.

Appearance of the crust

Juicy, tasty watermelon is easy to choose according to the skin conditions:

1. Coloring is uniform. The richer the green, the better.
2. In striped varieties, the stripes are bright, clearly defined, contrasting with the main background.
3. Small light spots are acceptable on the surface. They appear when the fruit is ripe, and chlorophyll has ceased to be produced.
4. The crust of a tasty, juicy berry is shiny, glossy. No matte or waxy finish.
5. Structurally rough, comparable to a piece of wood. Easily scratched, but difficult to pierce.
6. May be dotted with brownish spots. This is a "bee web" - evidence of pollination of the ovaries. These watermelons are the sweetest.
7. There should be no black dots or injection marks: these are signs of the introduction of saltpeter.

Finally, the crust is rubbed with a finger. If the aroma of freshly cut grass is felt, the berry is not ripe. It probably won't taste good.

It is better to choose a watermelon with a large distance between the strips - it is sweeter.

The size and color of the earth spot

Watermelon, although a sweet, juicy berry, grows on the ground. Lies on one side under the sun for months. A spot forms at the point of contact with the ground. Its coloration stands out from the general background. Such a site is called a "barrel" or "cheek".

It is worth choosing an instance with the following “barrel” characteristics:

• quantity - one;
• shade - thick yellow or orange;
• diameter - 6 - 11 cm.

Too large, light, unevenly colored "barrel" happens with watermelon, which did not ripen on melon.

A large lightish barrel signals: the berry ripened in an unfavorable climate. It is not so juicy, tasty.

Dry tail is a sign of ripeness

A tasty, juicy specimen is easy to choose from the tail of a watermelon. When it is ripe, the flow of moisture from the ground stops, the tail dries up. A green tail is a sign that the berry was picked unripe. Over time, it turns yellow, dries out, but there are differences:

• the tail of mature fruits is yellow-brown, easily broken;
• in immature sluggish, does not break off; may be dry but greenish;
• if the stalk is cut off, inspect the tip of the tail to establish whether it broke off on its own or was cut off.

Instances with tails cut off “under the root” should not be chosen.

How to choose a watermelon by weight and size

It's nice to put in front of your family or guests not a watermelon, but a watermelon. But often such specimens are “stuffed” with chemistry. It is dangerous for children, people with poor health.

Connoisseurs advise choosing a berry of medium size - 4 - 7 kg.

Small specimens are not particularly tasty or juicy. Such "balls" are bought for the winter, to pickle.
It is a risky business to choose a giant watermelon sold in July or early August.

Integrity and integrity of the watermelon

It is easier to choose a sweet, healthy, juicy berry according to the conditions of the peel:

• It should be solid: without dents, soft spots (more often it is rot), cracks, scratches.

Any damage to the peel is a gateway for dirt, germs, bacteria.

• The same applies to cut watermelons. Even if the halves covered with cling film are in the store.

Often the seller offers to choose a watermelon personally and cut it. It should be borne in mind that the watermelon is dirty.

How to choose a good watermelon by sound

The classic way to select a tasty, ripe, juicy specimen is to tap the crust with your knuckles.

When tapped, a juicy ripe fruit will “respond” with a sonorous, booming sound, while an unripe one will respond with a dull sound.

An overripe watermelon with an excess of moisture beginning to “wander” also responds deafly when tapped.

You can put your ear to the crust and squeeze the fruit a little: the ripe one will slightly crackle or crackle. The main thing is not to overdo it.

Another way to check ripeness. The watermelon is placed on one hand, and the other is gently tapped. If vibration from blows is felt on the holding hand, this berry is tasty, juicy.

The color and structure of the pulp

The pulp conditions are determined after cutting:

• It should be moderately red or pink, depending on the variety. But not purple-scarlet: this color distinguishes nitrate or overripe specimens.
• The texture of the tasty, juicy pulp is porous, sugary-granular. A smooth cut surface is a sign of nitrate.
• If penetrated with white or yellowish veins, the product is saturated with nitrates, pesticide residues.

The pits of ripe fruits are dark brown or black. Whites give out nitrate or immaturity.

How to choose a watermelon girl

Even a person far from botany knows: there are watermelons-boys and watermelons-girls.

They differ visually and in taste:

• The lower part ("ass") is flat, the circle is large brown. The “boys” have a convex bottom, the “ass” is small, more like a dot.
• "Girls" are slightly flattened in shape, "boys" are elongated vertically.

Many tend to choose "female" copies. They are considered tastier, sweeter, juicier.

How to Choose a Delicious October Watermelon

The watermelon season ends at the end of September. However, in October, the remains of the crop are brought. In October, it is better to choose an “immature” specimen - with a slightly yellowish side and a green tail.

Experts say that all watermelons ripen by October, and good ones by the standards of July or August turn out to be overripe in autumn.

The advantage of late watermelons is the absence of "chemistry". But they are just as juicy and delicious.

Precautionary measures

Even the “correct” watermelon should not be eaten right away:

1. First, pour boiling water over, then wash with running water. It is better to use a basin: it is easier to wash and the quality is checked along the way. If the watermelon does not sink, it means that it is ripe and sweet. It is better to throw out the drowned one or return it to the seller.
2. Nitrate is checked by immersing a piece in water. A slightly pinkish coloration of the water is acceptable. If it is strongly stained, and the flesh has turned pale, it contains an excess of nitrates.
3. There are more nitrates near the crust, so children are given a core - it is the most delicious, juicy, and safe.

Juicy watermelon is tasty, low-calorie, but you should not get carried away.

Watermelon season is a good time to cleanse the body, saturating it with minerals, vitamins, and other useful nutrients that the berry is famous for. At the same time, enjoy savoring the juicy, deliciously tasty pulp.

The main thing is to choose the "right" instance.