The end of summer and the beginning of autumn are a great time when we begin to eat plenty of melons and gourds. Melon is the leader among them, according to consumers (as well as watermelons).

Pleasant sweetness, juiciness, a whole group of useful properties, satiety - all these are signs of a good melon. And how to choose the right ripe melon that will delight us with its taste and will be extremely beneficial? This will be discussed in our article.

Choosing the best melon on the counter

We start choosing a delicious melon with its appearance. It should be intact, of a beautiful natural shade (depending on the variety), without dents from blows, rotted areas, cuts and other damage. Pay attention to the smell emanating from the melon: it should be spicy, honey, with notes of vanilla, sometimes pears, pineapple. If there is no smell or a weak one, similar to the aroma of greenery, then the melon, respectively, is green, and the desired sweetness will not be in it. The stalk of a ripe melon is dry.

We take the melon in our hands and feel it: it should spring. This means the ripeness of the fruit. A hard surface in unripe melons, soft, on which marks remain - overripe, has lost its taste and useful properties. When you pat a ripe melon, you will hear a dull sound. If it “sounds” loud, then it would have to be more mature.

Let's summarize the main signs of a ripe delicious melon:

• She has a pleasant honey smell - you will not confuse it with anything. A good sign if you walk up to a tray of melons and smell them distinctly.
• Elastic - when you press your finger on the surface of the fetus, you feel how it is springy.
• The surface is without greening, dents - most varieties have a yellow rind.
• On impact, a dull sound, not a ringing or "sinking" sound.

When setting the task of how to choose a good melon, take into account: it must be safe and sound! Spots, dents, cracks are places that are beneficial for the spread of bacteria. By purchasing melons with such surface defects, you run the risk of falling ill with gastrointestinal diseases.

For the same reason, buying melon halves that have been cut in advance for the convenience of sale is also dangerous. Use the same principle to avoid tasting a slice of melon that a helpful vendor in the market might offer you. Disease-causing bacteria accumulate both on the tasting fruit and on the knife.

Choosing the sweetest melon variety

Intending to buy a melon, we are looking for the sweetest, because it will be the most delicious for us. The taste of this fruit depends not only on the degree of ripening, but also on the variety. So, how to choose a sweet melon in principle, we will orient ourselves a little in varieties.

The sweetest, and the most common, we have melons:

The variety you like can be planted in your garden. By creating suitable conditions and caring for it, you will get your own crop of this crop.

To taste the self-grown melons at their best time, they should be removed from the bush in time. How is melon ripeness determined before picking?

• The peduncle is dry or very sluggish.
• The fruits are no longer growing.
• Peel color characteristic of the variety (remember that the side warmed by the sun ripens first).
• Obvious pleasant aroma (in some varieties it happens if the skin is lightly rubbed).

When cutting a melon from a garden, do not be confused if it contains some greenish areas. The fruit cannot ripen evenly at the same time, but the taste does not suffer from this.

Is it worth buying an unripe melon?

There is a tradition among the people: to buy several melons at once, moreover, with greenery. They do this with the aim that the fruit, after lying on the balcony for several days, for example, will ripen and there will be no need to go to the store again. It would be more rational for a start to figure out: does the plucked melon ripen? The situation is as follows.

As the practice of melon breeders says, a melon, which is quite a bit unripe, may well reach the desired condition at home in a warm place.

This applies only to those cases when the melon is not quite ripe. However, such a fruit will taste slightly different from those that have ripened in the garden.

The ripening of the plucked melon is influenced by the variety, growing conditions and subsequent storage and other factors. Merchants use this property of the melon so that it does not reach the buyer overripe, hopelessly losing its wonderful taste.

Great place to buy melon

Storage and transportation conditions are important when it comes to melons. The best conditions are created in shops, supermarkets, trading floors - places of licensed food trade. Your best insurance in such cases is a sanitary inspection of trading places and conditions of sale of goods.

It is strictly forbidden to buy melons from street vendors along the roads! Exhaust gases, dust settle on the product, harmful substances are absorbed into the fruits through microcracks on the peel. These melons become unusable very soon, even if they were of excellent quality initially.

In conclusion, don't be afraid to overeat melons. This delicacy is a storehouse of necessary vitamins and minerals. Approach the choice of the fruit responsibly and prepared, then it will not disappoint you.

How to choose a ripe, nitrate-free melon - video

There are many varieties of melon. Some varieties differ little from each other, others have a specific shape and special taste. The most common types are honey, silver and pineapple melons. The first variety is round or oval in shape with a smooth skin and a sweet taste. The second option is more often called Armenian cucumber. This melon variety has an oblong shape and a slightly rough skin. The third type of melon is distinguished by a peculiar flattened shape and an unusual bright color of the skin.

When choosing a melon of any kind, you must follow the general rules. Before buying a melon, it is better to determine in advance what kind of melon you plan to purchase. Each variety has its own flavor nuances. Some melons are sweeter, others have a less pronounced aroma and characteristic taste.

Melons can be:

• elongated;
• oval;
• round;
• rounded flattened;
• resembling squash;
• pear-shaped.

Skin color can be from bright yellow to gray. On the surface of the melon, small scars are permissible, resembling numerous microscopic cracks or growths resembling scales. The rind can be completely smooth or even shiny.

How to choose a melon

The main purpose of buying a melon is to acquire a sweet and ripe fruit. In order not to be mistaken with the choice, you need to carefully compare and inspect the options available for sale. Melon aroma is one of the main criteria for its evaluation.

The color of the flesh is not always indicative of melon maturity. Each variety has its own nuances and evaluation criteria. The only common factor in melon immaturity is the presence of a green layer between the skin and flesh. However, it is not possible to see such a nuance during the purchase without cutting a melon.

What kind of melon can you buy:

• the melon should have a characteristic aroma (without the presence of damp, mold or grass odors);
• there should be no mechanical damage, cracks or stains on the melon surface;
• the melon should be elastic, but not squeezed when pressed;
• sweet or honey aroma from the melon rind - a guarantee of its sweetness and ripeness;
• when tapping on the surface of the melon, a dull sound should occur;
• the stalk of the melon should be thick and dry;
• in ripe melon, the seeds are easily separated from the pulp;
• the color of the melon peel should be as uniform as possible (any spots are signs of low-quality melon);
• there should be no green spots or veins on the melon surface.

What kind of melon is not worth buying:

• if the melon smells of grass, then you should not buy it (such a melon is not ripe);
• melon without aroma can only be when using a significant dose of chemicals to accelerate its growth;
• if the melon is squeezed or there are dents on its surface, then the fruit is overripe or spoiled;
• a green stalk is a sign of the immaturity of the melon;
• if cut melon seeds are poorly separated from the pulp, then the fruit is unripe;
• the use of nitrates in melon cultivation is indicated by dark brown or green veins, brown and empty seeds, and the absence of any odor from the rind;
• brown spots and depressions may indicate the beginning of the melon decay process;
• green spots or streaks on the surface of the melon indicate its immaturity.

When buying a melon, you need to pay attention to the place of sale.... If the fruits lie open on the territory near the highways, then you should refuse to purchase them. The fact is that all pumpkin vegetables absorb dust almost instantly. Eating them can cause digestive upset. When buying a melon, be sure to hold the fruit in your hands. If the weight of the melon clearly does not correspond to its size (too light or heavy), then it is better to refuse to purchase it.

Melon is loved by many. Therefore, it can very often be found growing in vegetable gardens or on the counter of a store. To enjoy the taste of the fruits of this melon culture, you need to know how to choose a melon. This article will tell you how to determine the ripeness of this berry.

How to determine the ripeness of a melon to harvest? Today, there are several indicators by which it is possible to determine the ripeness of the crop of a given crop. These parameters include:

• smell;
• sound;
• appearance.

When choosing a sweet melon, you must first pay attention to its melon smell. WITH ripe berry has a pleasant aroma, which to a certain extent resembles pineapple. Some varieties have a pear or honey scent. You can also smell vanilla. Allowance must always be made here for the variety. This is due to the fact that some varieties have their own characteristics of the fruit. Therefore, one should evaluate not only the copy you like, but also its neighbors. This approach will allow you to understand the approximate ripeness of the entire crop.

If the smell is not felt when picking up the berry, you can twirl the melon in your hands and sniff it more carefully. Some varieties of this culture have a very subtle and implicit aroma.

At the same time, it should be noted that unripe fruits do not have any smell. Some melons, which are just starting to ripen, exude a green scent. If you find such a smell, it is clearly not worth choosing such a fruit. Unripe specimens can be salted. However, in order for salted melon to be tasty, you need to know the special recipe for salting it.

You need to know that when the air temperature rises, the chance to choose a ripe fruit increases significantly. Under these conditions, the sweet melon begins to smell more distinctly.

However, you should not rely only on the sense of smell, since not every person has a good sense of smell. This is why there are different ways to assess ripeness.

Sound

After the fragrant fruit has been identified, you need to evaluate it by sound. But for this you need to know how to check the melon for this indicator. To do this, it is recommended to gently slap the specimen you like on the surface. Ripe melons will sound dull when performing such manipulations. If the fruit is unripe, the resulting sound will be sonorous.

Peel

The third parameter that you need to rely on in order for the selected melon to be ripe is the appearance. Ripe melon of different varieties can have different colors:

• bright yellow;
• yellow;
• light yellow;
• Orange;
• with green stripes, etc.

Therefore, you first need to evaluate the appearance of the entire crop. It should be about the same. After that, you need to look at the condition of the peel.

If you take a ripe fruit in your hands, then it will have a noticeable weight. However, it all depends on the variety. After all, some varieties form melons weighing up to 1 kg, others - about 2-3 kg.

You need to choose only those copies that will be intact and without traces of mechanical injury. If it is planned that the purchase will lie in the refrigerator for several days before it is eaten, then only whole melons should be bought. In this case, the purchase of halves is not recommended. They will deteriorate very quickly, even if left in the refrigerator.

The fact that the selected specimen is immature is indicated by the following points:

• spots that have an uneven color;
• hardness. Ripeness is indicated by the softness of the peel. With light pressure, slight depressions can appear on it, which are almost immediately smoothed out. If they remain, then the berry is overripe;
• pronounced longitudinal veins. They talk about excessive nitrate content.

To check maturity, you can gently pry the skin off with your fingernail. If the skin separates well, then the selected copy can be safely bought. This selection method is one of the most proven. In appearance, it is easy to understand which melon is ripe, and which should still lie down and mature. However, other methods of assessment (by smell and sound) should not be neglected.

Place of purchase and license

The final step in choosing the right melon is determining where to buy. After ripening, this berry can be purchased at the market or in the store. In both cases, the seller must have a license to sell this product, as well as a quality certificate for the product. It is not worth buying fruits along highways and roads. The products will be very dusty here.

Now you know how to choose a ripe melon. In choosing, the main thing is not to rush and know all the features of the purchased variety.

Video "How to choose a ripe melon"

In this video, you will learn how to choose a ripe and sweet melon.

The melon is wonderful, especially when chilled in the midday heat of summer. But sometimes having chosen, bought and tasted this fruit, a slight disappointment comes: tasteless, unsweetened, there is no aroma. But do not be upset, in order to avoid such unhappy purchases, you just need to know how to choose a melon. There are secrets and subtleties in this simple matter, let's talk about them.

How to choose the right melon

Melon is one of the oldest cultures known to the world. Hundreds of centuries BC in India, Central Asia or Iran, wild melon was domesticated. Until now, scientists do not know either the exact region, much less the exact time of its appearance, history mentions that in ancient Egypt, the fruit was loved and grown. Many years have passed, during the period of the plant's existence, methods, tips, even rules by which you can learn to choose the right, good fruit have been formed.

First of all, you should understand for yourself which melon you prefer, because there are many varieties, they are distinguished by taste, smell, consistency and juiciness. For the purchase of fruit, it is better to go to the market or to the store. Pay attention to where the fruits are stored, if this is a market, then they should be in the shade under a canopy or in a covered room. Do not buy fruits along highways and roads - they absorb car smog, radionuclides and heavy metals. As a rule, sellers in such places do not have documents from SES. So, how do you need to choose this melon culture correctly?

How to choose a ripe melon

The purchase period is an important point. We all begin to bring our beloved melons from Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan in June, they are savory at this time of the year. But already in late summer - early autumn, the long-awaited melon season begins. Therefore, it is better to feast on sweet fruits at this time. Everything that is on the shelves ahead of this time is, at best, brought from far abroad, and at worst, the ripening process was accelerated and, of course, not with the most useful drugs or means.

We all know and love the most common varieties - these are Kolkhoznets and Torpedo - two varieties that are unlike each other, both externally and in taste and smell.

The collective farmer is round, sometimes slightly elongated to the shape of an oval, the skin is bright yellow, cracks characteristic of melons are clearly visible on the surface. Sweet to taste, incredibly aromatic. The pulp is tender, juicy, one might even say watery, melts in the mouth. The torpedo is more elongated, in appearance it looks like a self-propelled combat projectile (which is clear from the name of the variety). The color is pale yellow, sometimes greenish. Her skin is also covered with cracks, even more intensely than that of the Kolkhoz Woman. It tastes honey-sweet, but less aromatic. The pulp is cartilaginous in consistency, when ripe when not sucking. Most often, we buy these very varieties, although they are not the only representatives of their kind on the markets today. Melons are brought to Russia from the Mediterranean, Morocco and even from Southeast Asia.

How to choose a melon by appearance

When choosing, you need to pay attention to its integrity. There should be no dents, which indicate that the fruit is injured and the decay process may have begun. Deep cracks are also a bad sign, as this is an access for microorganisms (possibly pathogens). The pulp is a favorable environment for their development.

You should also pay attention to the skin. Run your fingers over the surface of the fetus or run your fingernail away from you. Keeping your hands or nails clean is good. If a plaque is felt on the hands, and something white has formed on the nail plate, such a melon is most likely treated with a special wax-based composition for longer storage.

On the surface of the fruit, on its skin, there should be no spots or irregularities in color. Gray or brown dots indicate that the melon is affected by the disease, it is better not to eat it. Green or greenish-yellow spots on the skin indicate an unripe fruit.

How to choose a melon by smell

The smell in the choice of ripe melons and gourds is very important. The aromas are different, often it is a pleasant melon scent with notes of pineapple, pear or even vanilla. It already depends on the variety and individual perception. An unripe green melon either does not smell at all, or has a barely noticeable trail of cut grass. A good melon aroma speaks of ripeness.

When choosing a product, it is best to smell a couple of fruits, this will give a more complete picture. If everyone exudes a pleasant aroma, then you need to take it, there is nothing to think about, but if the fruits smell after one, then the whole crop is not yet fully ripe, most likely the melon culture will not be very sweet. Ripe melon smells bright and rich, it is like a pleasant incense - the aroma is heard even from a distance.

How to choose a melon by sound

Like watermelons, melon can also be selected by sound. The main thing here is not to confuse anything. To determine the ripeness of a melon culture, you need to lightly hit the surface with your palm, first placing it separately from everyone or on your free hand. The sound should be muffled (in a watermelon, on the contrary, voiced), but if the fruit produced high voiced frequencies, then it is still green, unsweetened.

How to choose a melon by the tail

Pay attention to the "tail" of the fruit, it should be completely dry, plump, easily torn off if desired. A dry tail is a sign that the fruit was ripe and ripe. There is an opinion that a large thick "tail", like the "nose" (located on the opposite side, the place where the flower was) is a sign of a girl's fetus, and they are sweeter. By pressing on the "nose" you can also understand whether a ripe specimen is in front of you or not. If the place of the flower is solid, then the melon culture is green, if it is a little soft, then the fruit is perfectly ripe. If the place is too soft, it seems that the finger will now push through the skin - this indicates an overripe fruit that is unusable.

All these tips will help in choosing a ripe, juicy, tasty melon. But you should not be guided by one thing, the technique works if you take into account all the parameters when choosing. Eat melons, because their season is so short, and there are so many nutrients in them!

Juicy, aromatic, ripe and sweet melon is a favorite delicacy of many people.

It is saturated with magnesium, potassium, iron, vitamins C and R. Melon perfectly quenches thirst, lowers blood cholesterol and is a sedative. But it often happens that a beautiful-looking melon turns out to be actually tasteless inside. Let's find out with you in this article how to choose it.

How to choose the right place to buy a melon?

First of all, you need to determine the place where you will buy it. It is best if it is a supermarket, official market or store. Here, the goods are stored in the right conditions, and as a result, the risk of poisoning with a spoiled product is significantly reduced.

It is very dangerous to buy melons sold on the highway or along highways, because the fruits well absorb all toxic substances and harmful heavy metals. In accordance with the requirements of sanitary rules, melons should not lie on the ground, but on a special pallet.

The melon does not have a very dense skin, so the product you choose should be whole, without spots, dents or cracks. You should never take cut melons and do not allow the seller to cut them in front of you, because melon pulp becomes an ideal breeding ground for bacteria in it, due to its high sugar content.

How to choose a ripe and sweet melon?

By sound and color

This, of course, is not a watermelon, and you should not click on it and knock on it - damage the thin peel. It is enough to lightly slap the fruit with your hand. If a dull sound is heard, the fruit is ripe, but if it is sonorous, a little crunchy, like a ripe watermelon, it is not. But the color of the peel will tell us eloquently about whether the fruit was damaged during transportation or storage. Only one small round spot is allowed, slightly lighter than the main color of the melon. At this point, the fruit lay on the ground and, naturally, the peel did not receive its portion of the sun. But if the whole melon is covered with dark, slightly concave spots, it is most likely spoiled. Bacteria easily penetrate through the thin skin and quickly spoil the pulp.

By elasticity.

Take it with both hands and squeeze lightly. A good melon should bounce slightly like a handball. If the fruit feels like a hard watermelon, it is underripe.

And if a fingerprint remains on the peel after pressing, the melon is overripe or has been waiting for its buyer for too long. A "collective farm woman" should have a smooth skin, and a "torpedo" rough, with furrows. Scrape the skin lightly. With a ripe fruit, you will be able to do this without difficulty, but an immature one will have a slightly glossy skin.

What is the correct way to eat and store a melon?

At first glance, it seems that what could be easier - cut the melon, remove the seeds and eat in peace, enjoying the delicious taste and aromatic aroma. But here, it turns out, there are important nuances:

1. Before use, be sure to thoroughly wash the melon under warm water and soap. Because it is in the skin of the melon and on its entire surface that toxins are present.

2. Never store cut and half-eaten melon warm, at room temperature. Don't eat all the melon at once - put it in the refrigerator immediately.

3. It is undesirable to use melon in combination with cold water, fermented milk products, milk, alcohol, and because you risk getting an upset stomach, but there is no scientific evidence for this fact.

4. Melon is a very heavy product and therefore it is best to eat it in between meals, but not after meals and not on an empty stomach.

If you want to buy a good quality melon, then it is better to do it in season, that is, in late August or early September. Melons of later ripening periods are most useful because they are not grown under film coverings and use less pesticides and mineral fertilizers.

Bon Appetit!!