Choosing a ripe watermelon is not so easy. There is no single sign by which one could accurately select this ripe berry. The ripeness of a watermelon is determined by a set of indicators, and even then some of them do not work for certain varieties.
It is believed that girl watermelons are more sugary and tasty. They are about 2 times sweeter than boy watermelons. A distinctive feature of a girl watermelon is a pronounced growth with a depression on the side opposite the stalk. By the way, if you squeeze a ripe watermelon-girl with your palms, you will hear a crackling or crunching noise.
The ripeness of watermelons is also determined by the season. In central Russia, almost all of them are ripe, starting in the second half of August. But, for example, Iranian watermelons ripen at the end of May.
Common varieties of watermelons in central Russia
The following varieties are common in this area:
- classic seedless (popular name – black watermelon) – the most delicious of all examined;
- hybrid or yellow - has a not quite watermelon taste, it gives off the taste of mango and melon, quite juicy and tasty;
- orange – the flesh is dense, watery, not very sweet (possibly unripe);
- mini watermelon – sugary with the taste of ripe plums, it has an unusual, slightly sugary taste.
Watermelon prices depend on the variety and season. In mid-August, 1 kg of watermelon can be bought for 25-40 rubles.
A set of signs of watermelon ripeness
- The first thing you need to pay attention to when choosing a watermelon is its appearance. Ripe watermelon has bright, rich colors. If you scratch its skin with your fingernail, then nothing should accumulate under it. The nail should simply glide over the surface of the berry.
- The stalk should be fairly dry, and the weight of a ripe watermelon should be less than the weight of an unripe one of the same size.
- When you hit a ripe watermelon with your knuckles, a ringing sound should be heard, and when you hit it with your palm, it should vibrate. By the way, these 2 signs sometimes do not work: it may happen that even with a dull sound and in the absence of vibration, the watermelon turns out to be ripe and tasty.
- There must be a bright yellowish spot on the surface of a ripe watermelon. If the color of the spot is whitish, then the watermelon is clearly not ripe.
Also on the surface of a ripe watermelon there is a deep line in the form of a mesh web.
Testing for nitrates
The absence of nitrates in watermelon is indicated by the following external indicators:
- granular cut surface;
- there should be no glossy film;
- lack of bright yellow veins;
- lack of purple tint, etc.
The following experience is the most objective. Crush the watermelon pulp in a glass of clean water; cloudiness indicates the absence of nitrates. If the water turns coloured, this is a sign of the presence of nitrates in the watermelon.
P.s.: the yellow watermelon has the most bees and wasps.
