Is it possible to eat overripe watermelon and what to cook from it

Choosing a quality watermelon is a science. Sometimes the ideal-looking fruit is rotten or overripe. And if the rotten watermelon can only be thrown away, the overripe can be consumed without harm to health.

How to tell if a watermelon is overripe

Watermelon is 90% water, but it also contains:

• vitamins;
• trace elements;
• phosphorus;
• magnesium;
• calcium;
• folic acid.

If a the fruit is overripe, he not only loses useful qualities, but can also be harmful to health. You can determine the overripe fruit yourself by the following signs:

• an overripe berry has a lighter pattern and color than a ripe one;
• well pronounced shine on the crust;
• antennae and peduncle shrunken;
• when tapping on such a fruit, there will be a dull sound;
• inside its color changed almost to orange;
• the surface of the seeds becomes slimy;
• pulp with voids, and its consistency is loose and fibrous;
• if the fruit is large or medium, but light, then its pulp has deteriorated and has become too soft;
• if you rub the peel with your fingernail, a characteristic sour smell will appear.

Is it possible to eat overripe watermelon

This watermelon is not recommended for food.:

• its pulp becomes sour;
• the taste becomes unpleasant and has a specific smell;
• unfavorable microflora and bacteria develop in it;
• toxins may be released.

Important. Eating overripe berries can lead to food poisoning!

What can be cooked from overripe watermelons

If you find that you have acquired an overripe berry, do not rush to throw it away. There are several options for how this fruit can be used without harming your health..

Baking "Drunk watermelon"

It takes several hours to prepare this dessert, but do not regret the time spent. The result will pleasantly surprise you and your family.

To prepare this dessert you will need:

• watermelon - no more than 5 kg;
• sugar - 150 g;
• puff pastry - 500 g;
• dry white wine - 1.5 tbsp.;
• gelatin - 40 g;
• icing sugar - 100 g;
• lemon - 1 pc.;
• cream - 1 tbsp.

Preparation:

1. Divide the dough into two equal portions.
2. Roll out one half of the dough on the bottom of the baking dish, and cut the other half into medium squares.
3. From the resulting squares, fold the triangles and place them in the oven.
4. Place the sliced ​​watermelon pulp without seeds on the rolled dough, then place the baking dish in the oven.
5. Next, mix the wine with gelatin, lemon juice and sugar.
6. Boil the resulting mixture, but not more than 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
7. Cool the mixture after cooking.
8. Pour the finished cake in the form with the cooled mass.
9. Then place the dessert in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours.
10. Remove from the mold.

Place the whipped cream with powder on top of the cake before serving. Then garnish the baked goods with grated lemon zest and flaky triangles.

Important. Both the rolled dough and the triangles are baked at 180 ° C. In this case, the baking should be separate. Each part should bake well and acquire a golden hue.

Jam

When the pulp of the watermelon is digested, all taste and smell will disappear. Such a product can be consumed without fear.

Ingredients:

• watermelon pulp - 1 kg;
• lemon - to taste;
• sugar - 1 kg;
• vanillin - a pinch (add to taste).

Jam making:

1. Wash the watermelon, peel off crusts and white streaks.
2. Remove the seeds and cut into medium cubes.
3. Put the cubes in a deep container, cover with granulated sugar and leave for 1-2 hours so that the pulp releases all its juice.
4. Next, put the container with the watermelon on the fire and wait for the mass to boil.
5. After boiling, the jam should boil for about 30 minutes.
6. Then it must be insisted again for two hours. There should be three such approaches.
7. Before the last approach, grind the cooked mass twice in a blender, or grind it by hand through a strainer.
8. Then add vanillin, lemon juice to the jam and digest again.

Watermelon jam used as a filling for homemade desserts or as a sweet for tea... You can diversify the recipe for watermelon jam by adding ginger, mint or cinnamon to it.

Natural spices will hide the fermentation and acidity of spoiled watermelon, and the overall taste of the jam will become much more piquant and healthier.

Read also:

What do the white streaks in the watermelon mean?

Dangerous sugar: is it in watermelon?

Braga

If you have an alembic, you can make watermelon mash at home. An overripe berry is best suited for moonshine, because the fermentation process has already begun in it. It is important not to use completely moldy or rotten parts of the fruit, they will spoil the taste of homemade moonshine.

Ingredients:

• sugar - 3 kg;
• watermelon juice - 30 l;
• dry yeast - 50 g (or pressed 300 g).

Preparation:

1. Cut the watermelon in half, spoon out the pulp with a spoon, without touching the peel and the white part near the rind.
2. Grind the pulp on a sieve. Ideally, if the mesh size in the sieve is no more than 0.5 cm, it will be easier to get rid of the watermelon seeds.
3. Pour the finished watermelon juice into a fermentation container, add sugar, diluted yeast and mix everything.
4. Install a water seal on the neck (if you don't have one, a rubber glove with a small hole on the finger will do).
5. Place the wort in a dark room with a temperature of 18-27 ° C.
6. When the odor trap stops bubbling (and if you use a glove, then as soon as it falls), a bitter taste will appear in the mash, the wort will brighten and the foam will settle in it.
7. Pour the foam into a special vessel for distilling liquid - a distillation cube.

Note. The fermentation process lasts from 3 to 7 days.

Steps of distillation of mash:

1. In the first stage, the most important product is selected until the strength of the mash is below 30 °.
2. The second step is to dilute the moonshine with plain water to obtain a strength of 18-20 °. After that, its product is distilled again. It is not recommended to use the first 200 ml of moonshine obtained, it is better to get rid of this volume.
3. In the third stage, they are waiting for the fortress of the mash to fall below 40 °.
4. The fourth stage is final. Moonshine is diluted with water, lowering the degree to 40-45. Then the product is kept in a cool dark place for 2-3 days.

How to choose the right watermelon when buying so that you don't get overripe

There are some signsby which choose sweet and juicy watermelon:

1. The color of the spot on the side of the watermelon... A ripe and good watermelon has a bright yellow spot, about the size of a palm. In an overripe fruit, this spot will be whitish and soft.
2. Peel... It should be smooth and shiny, it is impossible to pierce it with a finger. The skin of a bad watermelon will be dull and can be easily damaged even with a fingernail.
3. Tap sound... If you hold the watermelon in the air with one hand and slap it hard with the other, vibration should appear. There will be no vibration from an overripe fruit.
4. Fruit tail... A ripe watermelon is distinguished by the presence of a dry tail. This means that the fruit has ripened on its own in the garden.
5. Product documents... Ask the seller to show the documents for the batch of watermelons. The shelf life of the berries is no more than 21 days. This way you can make sure that the watermelons have not matured while they were lying on the counter.

Conclusion

In order not to be upset by the purchase, it is enough to remember the signs of a ripe watermelon. But if you still bought an overripe fruit, do not rush to get upset. He also has a use.Watermelon in the form of jam or dessert will be just as tasty. The main thing is to subject the watermelon to heat treatment!