In the summer, many are looking forward to the onset of the watermelon season. This melon culture is very popular in our country and everyone from small to large loves watermelons. Choosing a ripe watermelon with a sweet and juicy pulp is a whole science. However, tasty fruits, with some skill, can be identified by external signs.
When is it better to buy watermelons
On the shelves of modern supermarkets, watermelons can be found even in winter. However, they cannot be compared with their "summer" counterparts either in taste or in the content of nutrients. In Russian markets and in stores, watermelons usually appear in large quantities at the beginning of July and their sale lasts until autumn. Therefore, it is not recommended to buy watermelons earlier than mid-July in order to avoid the risk of acquiring an unripe fruit containing nitrates.
Selection of ripe watermelon
In appearance and quality of the peel. In ripe watermelons, the skin should be firm, smooth and always glossy. Matte-skinned watermelons are usually unripe and unsweetened. It is also important to choose watermelons with a hard skin that is free from cracks, dents, or other damage. A watermelon grown on a melon must have an earthen spot - a place that came into contact with the soil during the growth and ripening of the fruit. This spot should be one and best of all yellow. White spots usually signal that the watermelon is not ripe.
On a dry "tail". This sign of the ripeness of a watermelon is very common. But it is worth remembering that the tail could dry out already during transportation, or it may be completely absent from the watermelon. Therefore, when choosing this delicacy, it is best to pay attention to all the signs of ripeness of the watermelon, and not just the tail.
By the sound. You can often see a light tap when choosing a watermelon. But how can you correctly decipher the sound that is heard in response. Everything is very simple here: with such a tapping, a ripe watermelon will make a rather clear and booming sound. If the watermelon is still unripe, the sound will be muffled.
