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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ripe watermelon do not hide "cheeks"

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

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

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

The size of the spot also requires attention. Be aware that a large spot indicates that the watermelon has been ripening for a long time in not too warm conditions. Because of this, the fruit loses its taste and becomes less juicy.

When buying a watermelon in the market or from the back of a car on the side of the road, pay special attention to this characteristic.

Watermelon should never have the following flaws:

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

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

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

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

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

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

The color and structure of the pulp

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

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

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

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

sale season

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

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

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

Here A few key features of a delicious watermelon:

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

Signs indicating immaturity or disease of the fetus:

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

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

"Sex" of watermelon

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

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

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

Is a dry tail a sign of ripeness?

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

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

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

All characteristics listed above are general.

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

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

Market or shop?

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

Watermelon on the market

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

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

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

Watermelon in the store

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

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

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

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

In the summer, many are concerned about the question of how to choose ripe, sweet, juicy watermelons and melons. reveals all the secrets of this season's fruit selection.

Always remember that Russian watermelons and melons appear on sale not earlier than the beginning of August, or even closer to its end. You should not rush and go shopping as soon as the first counters appeared: in August there are many other healthy fruits, and the watermelon-melon season lasts until the end of September.

Watermelon and melon must be absolutely whole, without dents, holes, cracks and cuts. Any crack is a way for bacteria to enter the pulp, and a sweet, moist environment is the best place for them to breed.

Do not buy half a watermelon or any other piece for fear that you will not eat the whole fruit. A cut and wrapped piece can contain a large amount of bacteria, which will turn you into five minutes of pleasure and a couple of days of poisoning.

Watermelons and melons should be sold in the shade, under a canopy. The shade protects from heating and prevents premature fermentation. Watermelon and melon should lie not on the ground, but on a wooden deck. Remember that you cannot buy watermelons and melons near the road! Just a few hours - and the fruit absorbs a huge amount of exhaust gases, which contain a critical amount of heavy metals for human health.

When choosing a watermelon or melon, look at their color. A ripe watermelon will be shiny, bright green, with contrasting stripes. The more contrasting the stripes, the riper the watermelon. The color of a ripe melon is bright yellow or orange.
You can also determine the ripeness of a watermelon by scratching its peel. If the top thin layer is easily scraped off and the white subcutaneous part remains intact, the watermelon is good and ripe. If the nail falls inward, the watermelon is not ripe.

The skin of a ripe watermelon should be firm. If, when pressing on a watermelon with your fingers, the peel sags, you should not take such a watermelon, because it was picked unripe and it ripened already along the way. So it will taste sour. A ripe melon will also be hard. If it is soft, it is overripe and can be hazardous to health.

The stalk of a ripe watermelon should be completely dry. This is one of the signs that the watermelon fell off on its own, having managed to fully ripen. The color of the tail is brown-beige. A green stalk indicates that the berry was picked too early. Although, experts say, a dry stalk may turn out to be a fiction: a watermelon could have been picked a long time ago, and the stalk did not dry out in the garden.

The size of the watermelon also matters. Too large a fruit indicates an overabundance of various fertilizers in it. Too small - that the berry did not receive enough nutrients, which means it did not ripen. A ripe watermelon should not be too heavy, the normal weight of a fairly large watermelon is 5-7 kilograms. A white spot on the crust of a watermelon must be present: a watermelon lay on this side while it ripened in the garden. The yellower the spot, the riper the watermelon.

The main criterion when choosing a melon is its aroma. The sweeter the uncut, crack-free melon smells, the riper it is. Watermelon and melon can also be selected by sound. Tap the fetus with the palm of your hand or your knuckles. If the sound is sonorous, the watermelon is still unripe. If the watermelon "sounds" dull, feel free to take it: it is ripe. The same goes for melons.

You can check the ripeness of a watermelon or melon after you have cut the fruit. Watermelon, which is rich in nitrates, has a very dark flesh, while the fibers of the pulp are not white, but yellow. But the sugary pulp is a sign that the watermelon has ripened on its own, without the help of chemical fertilizers. A "chemical" melon has hard, dirty-colored fibers between the seeds, while in a good fruit they should be light and soft.

The sweetest fruits in both watermelon and melon are female fruits. The circle, located on the opposite side of the stalk, is the mark of the flower. A large wide and flat circle is a “girl”, a small convex circle is a “boy”.

The last rule concerns the storage of purchased watermelons and melons. Do not forget to thoroughly wash the fruit or berry with hot water and rub the skin with a brush. Uncut fruit can be stored in the refrigerator for two weeks. But if you have already cut a watermelon or melon, try to eat them within a day.

Who doesn't love watermelons? But how to choose a ripe and sweet watermelon? Most people are obsessed with this delicious and refreshing berry. Sometimes we think that if you are not an experienced connoisseur, buying a juicy, tasty, fully ripe and sweet watermelon is blind luck. However, choosing the perfect watermelon is not so difficult, it is enough to know a few of its signs.

The first rule for how to choose a ripe and sweet watermelon is it should be firm, with a smooth skin without any major cuts or dents. Lumps and bumps may mean that the watermelon has not received enough water or sunlight, resulting in a dry fruit with a white coating.

Ripe and sweet watermelon heavy

Next, take a watermelon and weigh it with your hands. Harder is always better. Since a good fruit is 92% water, its heaviness indicates that it is good and ripe. If you compare the weight of one watermelon with the weight of another of the same size, then heavier is better.

Ripe watermelon has a yellow circle

Now twist the watermelon. It should have a creamy yellow spot. where it lay on the ground and ripened in the sun. And the darker this stain, the better the watermelon will taste. A white spot or its absence at all means that the fruit was plucked before it had time to fully ripen.

Avoid shiny

One thing to always keep in mind when choosing a ripe and sweet watermelon is avoid fruits with shiny skins. This usually means they are not ripe. The ideal watermelon will have a dull-looking skin.

Not too soft

To select a ripe and sweet watermelon, place your thumb on the opposite end from the stem and press gently. The skin should soften a little., but if it slips too easily, put it back; your watermelon is overripe and will have a dry consistency.

ringing sound

Lay the watermelon on a flat surface and give it a good tap. When you click on it you should hear a ringing sound like tenor, not bass. It may seem silly, but this is not grandma's advice; a dull, deep sound indicates that the watermelon is beginning to separate internally - a sign of overripeness.

However, be careful not to sound too high, as this may indicate that the watermelon is not ripe.

Good day))

Do you love watermelons? I just adore them so much)) especially since this berry is not only very tasty,.

For those who are just as indifferent to them, today I will tell you how to choose a watermelon so that when you bring it home and cut it, you will not be disappointed.

I always feel sorry for not so much the money spent on the purchase as upsetting the distressed faces of my family at the sight of a clearly not tasty watermelon on which such “tasty” hopes were placed.

In addition, it is no secret to anyone that for the speedy evocation, many sellers pour watermelons with not at all useful chemistry. Therefore, I propose to learn how to choose the right watermelon when buying a tasty, ripe and sweet and, of course, safe.

I have accumulated a lot of “folk signs” and advice from experts to distinguish a good watermelon from a bad one, I won’t say that thanks to them the purchase turns out to be uniquely successful every time, but frankly tasteless watermelons have not been purchased for a long time, the main thing is constant training 😉

It is clear that a good watermelon is a watermelon that has ripened naturally, but often sellers of melon gifts, trying to open the watermelon season as early as possible, “pump” watermelons with potassium-sodium nitrate.

And on the eve of harvesting, in order to even out the ripening of fruits, they are watered with nitrates, and if such a watermelon lies in the sun for more than 6 hours, then nitrates will turn into nitrites, which at best threatens us with poisoning, and at worst - favors the development of cancer.

In addition, nitrates can have a prolonged effect: the first days you can eat watermelon without consequences for the body, but later signs of intoxication will appear.

How to choose a watermelon without nitrates

According to experts, if nitrates are within the normal range, then they are even beneficial for the body: gastric juice helps them transform into nitrous oxide, which expands microvessels and nourishes the heart.

But as always, everything is good in moderation, and the sellers, in their desire to get a crop faster, just don’t know this measure.

Therefore, in order not to buy nitrate watermelon, we look to:

• the watermelon cut was not glossy, but shone with sugar grains;
• the core should not be wrinkled and faded, if voids are visible in it, this may indicate that the watermelon tissue is destroyed due to oversaturation with nitrates;
• next, the bones. In a ripe watermelon, they are necessarily black.

and if the watermelon has red flesh but unripe pits, keep in mind that this watermelon has been pumped with saltpeter;

• watermelon has a specific bitter taste, which gives saltpeter;
• with an excess of nitrates, the watermelon will have a yellowish vein color;
• watermelon saturated with chemistry rots faster, so look at the cut counterparts lying nearby, if they have darkened flesh, it’s better to go to another seller.
• another test for nitrates that can be done already at home is to crush the watermelon pulp in a glass of water if it turns pink, then nitrates are present there in excess, and if the watermelon does not contain nitrates, the liquid will simply become cloudy.

How to choose a watermelon good in appearance

Now let's figure out how to choose a watermelon not only with a lack of chemistry, but simply ripe and tasty.

It must be borne in mind that the signs of watermelon maturity are different for each variety:

Striped species - Astrakhan, Melitopol will be the riper, the more visible the difference between light and dark stripes near the tail.

The Volga variety of watermelon has a light green color and will be the sweeter the lighter.

Uzbek watermelons of the Khaitkara variety, on the contrary, when ripe, become almost black.

But regardless of the variety, any healthy watermelon has a shiny rind, and if you run your fingernail over it, the top layer of the skin of a ripe watermelon can be easily removed.

To know how to choose the right watermelon when buying, pay attention to the barrel in which it lay on the ground. This patch should not be too large and should be pale yellow to dark orange in color, but in no case should it be striped, a striped barrel is an indicator that the watermelon is picked too early.

Do you know that there are also “girls” and “boys” among watermelons? And that, as usual, a watermelon "girl" is much sweeter than a "boy")) Accordingly, our task is to determine who is who.

Watermelon "girl" how to distinguish

The sex of a watermelon is determined by the “butt”, if it is just a small dot - this is a “boy”. And in order to choose a watermelon “girl”, we are looking for a wide circle, if you find it, then this is a “girl”, take it))

How to choose a watermelon by tail

When choosing on this basis, see that the tail is no longer green, but not too dry. A dry tail indicates that the watermelon has been stored for too long. When choosing, it turns out that it is not so much the tail itself that is important, but its transition from the watermelon. This transition should look like a dry button.

How to choose a watermelon by sound

I must say that "audio diagnostics" is not the easiest way. Firstly, the method requires good hearing and skill development under the guidance of an experienced mentor.

Secondly, here it will be difficult for you to do without "brute male power"))

In order to choose a good-looking watermelon, squeeze it from two "tops", a delicious watermelon will give a slight crackle. If, when compressed, the watermelon does not crack, although it looks quite ripe, then chemistry helped it to ripen.

If there is no one to squeeze the watermelon, then just tap on it, a good ripe watermelon will resonate when patted and will answer you with a clear and sonorous sound.

Keep in mind that if it has a thick rind then the sound will be higher, berries with a thin rind will sound lower.

When tapping on a nitrate watermelon, it feels like you are tapping on a half-mast ball.

And one more way for those who have a well-developed intuition, you can buy watermelons focusing on it, in which case, as experts say, you should just like the watermelon, take the one that “looks at you”.

But to choose a watermelon only in size is unlikely to succeed. The opinions of watermelon experts in this case do not coincide: some believe that a larger watermelon will be sweeter because it has received a lot of sun and heat, others do not agree with it because they believe that too large sizes indicate an overabundance of chemistry.

The truth is apparently, as usual, somewhere nearby, or rather in the middle - a good watermelon should be large and at the same time light, but not so large as to stand out much in size among its fellows.

By the way, the largest watermelon record holder grew up in the state of Arkansas (USA) and weighed 118 kilograms.

When you bring a watermelon home, before cutting it, be sure to wash it with soap under hot running water, because it is not known how dirty hands the sellers and buyers who tried on it before you touch watermelons.

Tasty watermelons and the pleasure of eating them 🙂

Watermelon - everyone's favorite treat since childhood. It is not only tasty, but also useful. But some people still do not know how to choose it. Sometimes we come across a tasty and juicy watermelon, and other times it has no taste at all. If you have the same problem, please read this article. She will definitely help you.

We have all seen how watermelons lie on the ground in the markets. But it's better not to buy them here. Buy this item in store. Yes, both to the store and to the market, watermelons are delivered from the same places, but sanitary standards are observed in the second place. Watermelons must be bought in rooms where shelves and special trays are equipped for storing such products.

If you think that watermelon from the earth is not dangerous to human health, you are deeply mistaken. Yes, dust will not get inside through a thick peel, but it costs nothing for microorganisms to get there through microcracks.

Each fruit ripens at a specific time. And watermelons are no exception. It belongs to gourds, it is a heat-loving species. Even in hot countries, they ripen not earlier than the second half of summer, and in our climate at an even later time. Therefore, a good watermelon can be bought no earlier than mid-August..

No need to listen to sellers' stories that this is an early variety. In fact, they are grown in greenhouses on fertilizers. Even if it turns out to be sweet, its nitrate filling will be plentiful.

There are a few more things that you should pay attention to when buying a watermelon, and today we will talk about them:

• Color. If the stripes are bright and contrasting, then the watermelon is ripe and tasty. The crust should be shiny and strong. It cannot be pierced with a fingernail, but it is easy to scratch.
• Integrity. Watermelon should be ripe, whole, not have any cracks or dents. Bacteria that love to feed on watermelon pulp can get into the watermelon through cracks. This watermelon can be poisonous.
• The size. The bigger the watermelon, the riper it is. Although only representatives of certain varieties weigh more than 10 kg. But even with them, only those fruits that are well ripe and filled with liquid reach such sizes. If you want to choose a really tasty watermelon, choose a larger fruit. It will be really juicy and tasty.
• Tail. If the watermelon is ripe, then its tail will be completely dry. Any fruit, moderately saturated with moisture and nutrients, ceases to be fed from the bush. The same thing happens with watermelon. The tail may be broken due to the fact that it is dry. Such a watermelon will be ripe and tasty. It happens that sellers deliberately cut it off in order to mislead the buyer and sell the goods. Distinguishing a broken tail from a cut one is quite simple. If the tail is cut off, it will clearly show an even cut.
• cheek color. A cheek is a speck on a watermelon that remains without color, it appears in the place where it lay. If the watermelon is unripe, then it will be white, if, on the contrary, it is a ripe fruit, the cheek will be yellowish or orange.
• Floor. Watermelons are divided into boys and girls. Watermelon girls are considered sweeter. To determine the gender of a watermelon, you need to look at its bottom. In boys, it is convex with small circles, while in girls it is flat and with larger circles.

Almost everyone knows that when you choose a watermelon, you need to knock on it, but not everyone can explain why this is done and what the sound should be. If the fruit is ripe, the sound will be clear and sonorous. If the watermelon is still green, it will be deaf. You can also put a watermelon to your ear and squeeze it slightly, if the fruit is ripe, it will crackle.

Do not forget to ask about the documents for the goods! You have the right to ask any seller for an appropriate document, which should guarantee that the watermelon sold can be consumed by people without fear for their health. This document should contain information: in which country the fruit was grown, harvest time, nitrate content and other characteristics. If the seller will show you a photocopy of the document, pay attention to the seal. It should be in color, not black and white.

When you bought a watermelon and brought it home, you need to check it for nitrates. Cut it open and study. If the flesh is very red with a lilac tint and yellow fibers are observed in it, the watermelon is nitrates. Also pay attention to its cut. It should have a grainy surface, and not have a smooth gloss. Nitrates are concentrated closer to the crust, so it is better for children to leave the middle. Plus, she's the sweetest.

Useful video!