How to tell if a watermelon is a girl or a boy and choose a sweet, ripe fruit

It's summer, which means that soon the largest, sweetest and juiciest berries will appear on all counters - watermelons beloved by everyone.

There are usually many different fruits on the market, varying in variety, size, growing area and even color. And the buyer is faced with a difficult task: how not to miscalculate in all this variety and choose the “same” watermelon - ripe, juicy and without nitrates? We will understand the article.

How to tell a "girl" from a "boy"

In addition to the variety, watermelons also have sex. This division has absolutely nothing to do with biology and is accepted only to simplify the choice.

How to determine which watermelon is in front of you - "girl" or "boy"? The difference is that the "watermelon" has a place where once there was a flower, flat, with a large brown spot... In the "boy" it is convex and much smaller. In size, the "male" berries are larger and more elongated, the "female" ones are smaller and flattened.

For reference. "Girls" are considered sweeter and juicier, they have much fewer seeds. According to statistics, they make up about 20% of the crop.

Criterias of choice

How do you know when the fruit is ripe? It is important to pay attention to its appearance, time and place of purchase.

Sales time

Watermelons are often on sale since the end of May. But if a ripe fruit comes across at this time, then with 100% probability it is saturated with chemicals. Producers, seeking to cash in on a seasonal product, stuff the berry with pesticides, growth stimulants and cut it without waiting for it to ripen.

Delicious, sweet and, most importantly, healthy watermelons hit the counter only in mid-August.... By this time, they have time to mature and enrich themselves with vitamins.

Place of sale

Requirements are imposed on the outlet to preserve the quality of the fruit:

• a pallet for their storage with a height of at least 20 cm from the ground;
• the presence of a canopy to protect from direct sunlight;
• distance from the road;
• availability of certificates.

Buying a watermelon near the roadway can result in severe poisoning for the buyer... The harmful substances contained in the exhaust gases settle on the berries and get inside through the peel. And it is unlikely that a roadside seller will have all the required certificates, licenses and a health book.

Appearance

Its appearance will also tell about the taste of the berry.

Tail

There is an opinion that the tail of a ripe watermelon must be dry. But if the berry is cut (and this is clearly visible on the stalk), the tail will dry out within three days. therefore when choosing, you should not be guided only by this criterionotherwise there is a risk of buying a fruit with a dry stalk and green pulp.

It can be useful:

When do watermelons ripen and how to determine their maturity

How can you test a watermelon for nitrates at home?

What to look for when buying and choosing a fruit in the garden

The size

Watermelon size depends on the variety - there are large fruits reaching 20 kg... If you are not versed in varieties, there is only one advice - take the medium size. When buying a large watermelon, there is a risk of taking fruit processed with growth stimulants. The little one can turn out to be immature.

Color and structure

The color of the flesh of a ripe watermelon should be pink... If it is scarlet, then the berry is overripe, which is also not good, or with a lot of nitrates.

The structure of the pulp must be grainyand the seeds are black or dark brown.Whites talk about immaturity or the presence of nitrates.

Contrast stripes

The stripes on the peel should be crisp, bright green... Any other options indicate immaturity or disease of the fetus. It is believed that the greater the distance between the stripes, the sweeter the berry.

Itself the peel should be firm and glossy... If you scratch it a little, it will smell like fresh grass.

Stain on the side

Since the fruit was lying on the ground with one side, then a light spot forms at the point of contact with the soilwhere the rays of the sun did not fall. If it is light and large, then the berry did not stay on the melon. A ripe watermelon has a "cheek", as this spot is also called, 5-10 cm in size and has a yellow or orange tint.

No damage

There should be no flaws on the crust: Cracks, dents, cuts or rotten areas. The pulp of watermelon is an ideal breeding ground for bacteria that get there through defects in the rind. Buying "defective" fruits, you can get poisoned or get a gastrointestinal upset.

Often sellers offer to cut the watermelon and demonstrate its ripeness. This is also not recommended, as the knife may be dirty.

Attention! Cracks should not be confused with "scars" - a dry brown spider web on the crust. It shows that there is a juicy and ripe berry in front of you.

Sound

To understand if a watermelon is ripe, you can lightly tap it with your fist. The sound should be clear and clear, because a ripe berry flesh is more grainy, friable and resonates well. An unripe or overripe watermelon will have a dull sound. You can also squeeze the fruit slowly. If you hear a slight crackle, feel free to pay for the purchase.

Smell

Unripe fruits have a strong herbaceous odor... Ripe ones have a delicate sweet aroma.

Useful Tips

When buying a watermelon, follow these tips:

1. Before cutting the berry, pour boiling water over it and rinse thoroughly under running water.
2. Do not eat watermelon until the crust - it contains the most nitrates.
3. The cut berry is not stored for a long time.
4. To test the pulp for nitrates, dissolve it in a glass of water. If the water turns bright pink, then the watermelon is nitrate.
5. If the fibers in the pulp are tinged with yellow, this indicates the presence of chemicals.
6. A good ripe fruit should be large but not heavy.

Read also:

What do the white streaks in the watermelon mean and what else should alert

Do plucked watermelons ripen at home

Conclusion

Now you know how to tell if a "female" or "male" watermelon is in front of you.

Choosing the right watermelon is not such a difficult task. Its taste can be judged by its appearance and smell. The main thing is to buy watermelons at certified retail outlets and approach the choice carefully so as not to be disappointed later.