How to find out whether a tasty watermelon. How to choose a ripe watermelon. Video and photo. Pay attention to the "bee spider".

Watermelon attracts not only taste. It is rich in easily digestible sugars, mainly fructose, microelements (magnesium, potassium, etc.), pectin substances. AT watermelon  plenty of folic acid - 150 g of fruit is enough to satisfy daily needs  in this vitamin. Distinctive property watermelon  its low calorie content is: 100 g of the edible part of the fruit contains only 27 kilocalories. The flesh of a unique berry quenches thirst well. In case of heat, we lose not only water but also a number of trace elements with sweat, therefore it is valuable that watermelonUnlike many beverages, it compensates for our losses in both liquid and microelements and increases the body’s resistance to hot weather. Availability in watermelon  a large amount of fiber helps the intestines to work properly, improves digestion. Cellulose in watermelon  gentle, so it works very delicately. And one more useful substance provides us watermelon. We are talking about lycopene - a natural antioxidant, a representative of a large group of substances, which are mainly contained in products of plant origin and are known for their antitumor activity. Good watermelon  - valuable diet productwhich can be recommended to people of any age. It is a diuretic and choleretic agent, has a healing effect in diseases of the liver, gallbladder, kidneys and urinary tract. Gentle fiber and low acidity allows you to use watermelons  those who suffer from gastritis (inflammation of the mucous membrane of the stomach), gastroduodenitis (inflammation of the mucous membrane of the stomach and duodenum).

Where do bad watermelons come from

Recent relationship to watermelonu changed a bit. This caution, I must say, not unreasonable. To make watermelon  hazardous storage conditions and trade rules can be dangerous for health. Experts say that roadside should be the first to be wary watermelon  collapses where substandard or rejected goods are traded by trade and sanitary inspectors. According to the rules, roadside trade in melon crops is generally prohibited, and goods from such points should be withdrawn. A few hours is enough to watermelons  absorbed heavy metals contained in exhaust fumes. According to the rules, the place of trade should be fenced, be under a canopy. Watermelons should be laid out on stalls and not dumped in a pile on the ground. In carelessly scribbled watermelons  through microcracks can penetrate dirt and pathogens. The seller must have permission of the sanitary-epidemiological station (SES) for trade and medical book. Finally, a certificate of conformity of the goods sold to the requirements of the standard is required. After reviewing the certificate, you can verify the origin watermelon. In addition, the certificate controls the content of mineral fertilizers, the amount of radiation, heavy metals, etc. If a photocopy is made from the certificate, then you should pay attention to the printing, which should be color. If the seal is black, the certificate is fake.

No windows, no doors. The upper room of nitrates is full

Watermelon, like all melons, is a very grateful plant. Under certain conditions, in one season you can manage to harvest more than one crop of these berries. But the "intensive" farming, the desire to achieve a quick harvest, the largest possible fruits, as well as violations of the rules of transportation, storage and trade make the diet product a source of trouble. To watermelon  ripened faster and gained weight, the skilled craftsmen overfeed it with fertilizers, mainly nitric nitrates (nitric acid salts: sodium nitrate, potassium, ammonium, calcium). The introduction of nitrates into the soil is accompanied by their accumulation in the plant pulp. The accumulation of nitrates and contribute to the lack of sun and plenty of moisture. Nitrates themselves are slightly toxic, but they are precursors of N-nitroso compounds with the ability to cause cancer and nitrites. The transformation of nitrates into nitrites occurs in the gastrointestinal tract with the participation of microflora. Another number of them enters the body in finished form: some nitrates are already in watermelon  converted to nitrite, aided by high humidity. With an increase in shelf life the content of nitrites in watermelon  increases several times. Nitrites, unlike nitrates, are toxic compounds. They violate the transport function of the blood, affecting hemoglobin - a carrier of oxygen to tissues. Hypoxia occurs - oxygen starvation of tissues, which is especially hard tolerated by children, as well as those who suffer from diseases of the cardiovascular, respiratory, excretory systems.

Clean watermelon - the guarantee of health

Often the cause of unpleasant consequences from eating watermelonswe are ourselves. On the peel watermelon  soil particles, dust, and various microorganisms remain, so an incompetently washed fruit can cause an intestinal infection. Should not buy watermelons  with a damaged crust or already cut. Bacteria multiply rapidly on the sweet surface of the damaged fetus in the presence of air (even a small wound is sufficient), and by eating such watermelon  gastrointestinal disorders may occur. In addition, often watermelon  It is not eaten immediately and kept cut at room temperature. Under these conditions, microorganisms also begin to multiply on the surface of the fetus.

Troubles from watermelon

Unfortunately, today no one can guarantee the good quality watermelon  100 percent, except when you personally raised it. Since the consequences of eating a poor-quality product are very serious, you should not offer it to children under 2 years of age. The younger the child, the less protected his body from the adverse effects - microbes, nitrates, toxins, the harder the consequences can be. Older children watermelon  It is desirable to offer in the period of its natural ripening - at the end of August, in the autumn. By this date watermelons  already ripen without fertilizers, and their taste in this period is much higher. For a child of 2-3 years, 80-100 g are enough. watermelon, for a child of 3-6 years old - 100-150 g. Poor-quality watermelon may cause gastrointestinal upset. The time of their appearance varies from 1-2 hours to 1-2 days after consuming the product. The smaller the child’s age, the earlier they can occur. External manifestations of disorders: weakness, lethargy, headache, fever, paroxysmal abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, upset stool, which can lead to dehydration. Depending on the amount of harmful agent ingested, on age and individual resistance, the disease can occur in different forms. In mild form, weakness, lethargy, nausea, 1-2-fold vomiting and (or) 1-2-fold diluted stools are observed. Severe disorders in the work of organs and systems are accompanied by pronounced weakness, headache, high fever, repeated vomiting and diluted stool, leading to dehydration. Before the arrival of the doctor, the child must be helped. The main goal is to give the kid as much water as possible and thereby reduce the manifestations of the disease. Frequent fractional drinking is required. When vomiting a child, they drink a teaspoon and even a pipette. In drinking it is better to add REGIDRON, GASTROLIT, ENTERODEUSIS - specialized formulations to restore the loss of not only liquids, but also salts. Drugs are used that can attract harmful substances to themselves and remove them from the body (sorbents) - SMEKTA, ENTEROSGEL, POLYHEPAM. For pain in the abdomen, it is necessary to give means to relieve intestinal spasm - BUT-silo, papaverin, but in no case are not painkillers (analgesics), such as analgin. It should be remembered that, under the mask of poisoning, surgical pathology can often lurk, for example appendicitis - inflammation of the appendix. Taking analgesics can mask the signs of appendicitis, while the pathological process will gradually develop. A late diagnosis threatens with severe complications and can be costly for the health of the child. A pediatrician, after a qualified examination, will prescribe the necessary therapy. In severe cases of illness, the child may require systematic medical observation and assistance in the hospital.

Tips for watermelons

So how? You have not stopped loving watermelons? Well, right. And to avoid the hassles caused by their use, listen to the advice of a specialist.

1. Before you cut watermelondo not forget to wash it thoroughly warm water  with soap.
2. Cut watermelon  store only in the refrigerator.
3. In different parts of the plant, nitrates accumulate unevenly. Studies show that in watermelons  the most poisonous flesh at the peel is about 3 cm thick, so the child is better to offer the part that is closer to the core.
4. While enjoying your favorite product, know the measure. Measure the amount watermelon  and the age of the child.

Watermelon - a valuable and tasty product that can deliver real pleasure. But only if it is properly grown, properly stored, properly sold and properly eaten.

How to store watermelon

Watermelons can be stored fresh for a long time. With proper storage, it can decorate the table not only on New Year, but even on March 8. To do this, buy in the fall watermelon  weighing no more than 4 kg with a dry tail. It is desirable that the yellow spot on the side was as small as possible. Wash, dry, place watermelon  in a grid and hang in a dark cool place, better in the cellar, at a temperature not higher than +5 C so that it does not touch anything. You can, of course, get along with a dark closet in the apartment, but in this case watermelon  can survive only until the end of the year.

How to choose watermelon. Learning to choose watermelons!

1. To watermelon  brought joy and pleasure, we must remember: the best time to buy watermelon  in Russia it is the end of summer and autumn.
2. Watermelon should be purchased in places specifically designed for trade, in stores, and not in spontaneous markets.
3. Of watermelons  one variety and one lot is better to choose watermelon  large but not gigantic. The larger and lighter watermelonso he is more ripe. When choosing watermelons  should be avoided too small and too large.
4. Dry tail - a sign of ripeness. Matured watermelon  first of all, it "disconnects" from the melon blossom - its tail dries up. Then, the pigment chlorophyll that is no longer needed for it, which captures the sunlight and ensures the breathing and development of plants, ceases to be produced, and light spots appear under the action of light. This is a sure sign that watermelon ripe.
5. The bright spot on the side, which lay down watermelonshould be as yellow as possible, even orange.
6. Striped peel should be as contrast as possible.
7. Ripe watermelon  necessarily covered with a hard shiny crust, which is difficult to pierce with the nail, and all because, "breaking" with the gourd, watermelon  no longer able to absorb moisture and its crust hardens. But if the nail easily pierces watermelonnuyu skin - it means the fruit is raw, immature. You can still rub the peel and smell: the smell of freshly cut grass also speaks of poor condition.
8. Ripe watermelon  always springs under impact and sometimes resonates when tapping. If you knock on it, you hear not a deaf, but a clear, sonorous sound.
9. Can attach watermelon  to his ear and squeeze his hands with all his might. In a ripe berry, the peel will bend a little and crackle.
10. . To check watermelon  on ripeness, it is thrown into the water, pops up - it means ripe.
11. Watermelon - bisexual berries. In the "male" individual, the bottom of the berry is convex, and the circle on it is small. The "girls" bottom is flatter, and the circle is wide. "Girls" are considered tastier: they have less bones, and more sugar.

SOS signals. Nitrate watermelon.

If a watermelon  "overfed" with nitrates, he signals to us about it, showing the following signs:

• intense red flesh with a slight purple tinge;
• fibers that go from the core to the crust are not white, as expected, but with all shades of yellow;
• at the "wrong" watermelonand the cut surface is smooth, glossy, and in the "right" watermelon  it sparkles in grains;
• Pound a slice of watermelon pulp in a glass of water. If a watermelon  good, the water just dims. If a watermelon "harmful", the water will turn red or pink.

In the early products of nitrates usually contains more than at the end of summer or autumn. Although it depends not only on the season, but also on irrigation and on growing conditions. Permissible rate of nitrates in watermelons  - 60 mg per 1 kg.

Greetings to you, dear readers!
  Soon, in every self-respecting market and in every more or less large store berries will be sold, signifying the end of summer - watermelons. Unlike strawberries or raspberries, the ripeness of which is easy to identify by color, the green "whale" loves mystery and does not change color in any circumstances. How to choose a ripe watermelon and not give money for an immature "carcass"? And how to avoid seasonal poisoning by this fruit?

When can I buy a watermelon?

About 30 years ago, life was simpler for customers: the season of melon crops began, and mountains of striped carcasses grew up on the markets. Now it's harder: you can choose a sweet watermelon even in the middle of winter, supermarkets are happy to give us this opportunity ... Unless, of course, we are embarrassed by greenhouse berries, which are probably filled with preservatives.

If you want exactly ripe fruit with open groundGrowing up in the most natural conditions, have patience: the "watermelon months" are the second half of August, September, the first half of October.

Important! The first "swallows" may appear on the markets in July. But how to choose good watermelon of them, knowing that the maturation of each of them was probably accelerated by chemical means? That's right, to calm my “want” and wait for the season. It's worth it!

The main signs of ripe watermelon

1. Yellow, sometimes - even orange "cheek", that is, a speck on the side. The smaller and brighter the speck, the sweeter the berry will be. But the whitish spot - a signal of immaturity.
2. Contrast stripes. The more intense the color of dark stripes against the light background, the better the flesh under the skin.
3. Hard skin. How to choose a watermelon? Lightly poke it with your fingernail: if you can't make a deep “puncture”, feel free to choose this berry.
4. Deaf sound when struck with knuckles. Our great-grandfathers also took away this method of the “whales” (they are used by their grandmothers even now, choosing in their garden ripe watermelon  for grandchildren). However, there is one important "but": deaf and overripe berries. So if you get a “sonorous” watermelon, look at it well - are there any rotten parts?

If you are still unlucky (before choosing a watermelon, you did not read this article) and, having cut the whales at home, you saw white or barely pink flesh - do not expect it to lie on the window and ripen. So it turns out only with tomatoes. It is better to find a recipe for pickled watermelons - an unripe “individual” will suit him best.

Important! Some buyers choose a watermelon with a dry tail. But unfortunately, this sign does not have anything to do with the ripeness of a berry: pick even a green fruit, hold it on the counter for 3-4 days, and the tail will dry.

What does a girl look like?

In the people it is believed that this berry has “sexual characteristics”, which divide all watermelons into boys (there are about 80% of them in each lot) and girls. The latter have the glory of especially sweet.

But how to choose a watermelon girl in the general heap? It's simple: look at the "ass" of this berry, that is, the end opposite to the tail. If the "ass" is slightly concave inward, and there is a small dry speck on it (very tiny), there is a boy in front of you. If the watermelon at the end is flat, flat, but with a wide, noticeable spot - you are holding the girl in your hands.

Which of these fruits is sweeter? Many buyers believe that it is really a girl, but the sellers treat this as a superstition ... The easiest way is to buy two different sex melons and check it personally!

Do not let nitrate watermelon on your table!

It is bad when this berry is green - but in this case, it is possible to start it up for conservation, but it is easy to get poisoned with the “Periodic Table”. But how to choose a tasty watermelon, ripe and not spoiled by nitrates and other chemists? Focus on the skin, especially early fruit! For example, if the fetus was pumped with a syringe, there will be specks on it with characteristic puncture holes.

Approach the layouts on which the cut watermelons are laid out. Their flesh will tell a lot. Refrain from buying if:

• the pulp is colored unevenly (say, near the skin is pink, in the center of the alai),
• all the flesh just "burns" with a bright color - it is red, down to a purple or violet hue,
• it contains hard yellowish fibers,
• there are cracks inside
• half of the pits are white, immature, and half are black,
• there is no “sandiness” characteristic of the ripe fruit, the granularity - the pulp is too smooth.

Important! Did your children furtively spoon out the middle of the whale you bought? Do not rush them to scold. It is believed that most of the nitrates "sit" under the skin itself, and the middle of the fruit is as clean as possible - that is, the kids got the best from the watermelon.

Overripe watermelon is also evil

Signs of not yet rotten, but already dangerous "overexposed" fetus:

• a thud when struck
• unpleasant smell on the cut,
• oily, matte peel.

How is the choice in the market different from a supermarket visit?

Supermarket

How to choose a watermelon here? You can (and it is very desirable) to ask for documents about this party. Most of all you are interested in the collection time of the party. The fact is that these sweet berries can be stored not infinitely, but only from 2 to 3 weeks (they can last even longer, but already with the use of the achievements of chemical science - you are unlikely to be interested).

In addition, they often sell fruit in pieces here, wrapped in plastic wrap. It is economically advantageous (besides, it is easier for a buyer girl to bring home a couple of kilograms, and not a ten-kilogram monster). But before you choose a watermelon "slices", think:

• why it was cut (maybe cut off the rotten side),
• it was unlikely that he was washed, and the knife could not be clean - that’s the bacteria on each piece,
• the film creates a greenhouse effect, so if the ripe fruit lies in it on the counter for not an hour, but a day, it will actively deteriorate.

Market

Theoretically, the goods must also have documents for the sellers here, however, most of them will surely answer: “I don’t know, I’m a hired person, wait for the owner - he will drive up by eight o'clock in the evening”. Therefore, buying here is almost a lottery.

The danger lies not only in the bed of goods. First, the proximity of the roads and the constant sunshine guarantee the fruits not better conditions  storage. Secondly, a small cut is often made in the "carcasses" in order to demonstrate the ripeness of the party - but the danger of the cuts was already discussed above. Moreover, do not take the "whale", which fell and cracked.

Important! Wherever you buy your favorite treat, wash it before serving, preferably with soap.

Instead of an epilog ...

In general, the choice of this berry is a whole science. However, the benefits of it are enormous! Ripe watermelon is bought not only for desserts, but also for medicinal purposes - for example, for cleaning the kidneys, intestines or the liver. Some girls seriously hope for a watermelon diet and are ready to buy sweet "minke whales" almost tons. However, doctors say: even such a useful and juicy berries have contraindications. These include the presence of stones in the kidneys, as well as colitis. Well, if you do not suffer from such diseases, feel free to feast on red watermelon flesh - for that it is summer! Moreover, you already know how to choose a watermelon by ripeness and purity of nitrates!

Thanks for attention! Yours faithfully, Vera Balatskaya.