Today, August 3, is Watermelon Day. The beginning of the season is just around the corner, and this traditional August berry will soon be on the tables of many Ukrainian homes. Watermelons come in different varieties – large and small, sweet and not so sweet, “boys” and “girls.” And today, UNN will tell you how to choose the right watermelon to enjoy it to the fullest.
Beneficial properties of watermelon
Watermelon pulp contains carotenoid – lycopene, a pigment that gives tomatoes and watermelons their red color. It has powerful properties: antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. This pigment can prevent blood clot formation and cancer.
In addition, watermelon is beneficial for eye and skin health. It should be eaten by people who suffer from unstable blood pressure – daily consumption of watermelon can normalize and lower it.
How to check watermelon for nitrates
Nitrates themselves are not a threat to human health. The source of nitrates for humans is plant food, meat, and water. The permissible norm of nitrates for a person weighing 60 kg is 300 mg, for 1 kg of watermelon – 60 grams.
To find out if nitrates exceed the permissible norm, you should pay attention to the cut. A good watermelon has a grainy and uneven cut, while a watermelon with nitrates has a smooth one. If you hold a watermelon with a cut to the light and it glows purple, it indicates that nitrates exceed the norm. A watermelon with nitrates has yellow veins, and it will quickly sink if you put it in water.
How to choose a watermelon
Given favorable summer weather, watermelons can be bought in mid-August. In general, the watermelon season begins in late summer-early autumn. In early August, early varieties of watermelons, as well as those grown in greenhouses, usually appear in markets. They are not very sweet and are often saturated with nitrates.
Also, don't believe the tales that the taste of watermelon depends on its size. This is not true. Both small ones - up to 5 kg - and large ones - from 10 kg - will be sweet. But practice shows that a large watermelon has a lot of liquid, so it is juicier. What color is a ripe watermelon?
The color of the watermelon should be rich and contrasting. The stripes of the watermelon should not be blurred, but clear. The darker the stripes on the watermelon, the better, it will then be ripe and juicy.
Usually, few people pay attention to the watermelon's tail, but in fact, this is a very important point. The tail allows you to determine the quality of the watermelon. If the tail is cut off, boldly go to another seller, because this indicates an attempt to hide the quality of the fruit.
A very dry tail indicates that the watermelon was picked a long time ago and traveled for a long time. Most often, this means that the watermelon is already ripe. A wet tail indicates that the fruit is not yet ripe. The color of the tail of an unsweet watermelon is green or dark green.
Why tap a watermelon
The rind of the watermelon should be firm. A ripe fruit cannot be picked with a fingernail. If the rind is brownish and moist, the watermelon is definitely not tasty. You can place the watermelon on your palm and slap or tap it. It should resonate with the other hand. The sound itself should be clear. If the sound is dull or flat, then the watermelon is overripe.
All watermelons, as they ripen, lie on the ground, and a spot appears in this place that differs from the rest of the coloring. The color of the spot on a ripe watermelon should be rich yellow or dark orange. But light yellow or white spots are usually found on watermelons that are not yet ripe. They are usually not sweet.
Watermelons should not be yellow or white. A ripe watermelon's flesh should be uniform. And veins usually indicate that the watermelon is not of the best quality.
Boy or girl
Incredible but true: all watermelons are divided into "boys" and "girls." "Girls" have fewer seeds and are sweeter. "Boys" have a more convex bottom and a small circle, while "girls" have a flatter bottom and a wide circle.
Desserts that will save you from the heat: quick and tasty24.07.25, 17:54 • [views_11338]
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