What to do if the melon is not ripe: storage rules for ripening fruits and tips for choosing
Melon is a juicy, aromatic and healthy dessert. It cleanses the intestines, removes toxins and toxins. Another of its advantages is the anti-aging effect. The melons include: potassium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, vitamins C, A, group B. But most importantly, this sweet fruit can be consumed without harm to the figure - its calorie content is only 38 kcal per 100 g of product.
But how to choose a fragrant and sweet melon so that it gives pleasure and brings maximum benefit? And what if the purchased fruit turned out to be slightly underripe? How to choose the right ripe melon and how to ripen the melon culture, read on.
The content of the article
Choosing ripe
There are several signs by which the degree of melon ripeness is determined:
- Aroma. Ripe melon has sweet and cuddly smell... When choosing it in the market or in a store, pay attention to the aroma first.
- Skin. When pressed on the peel, it resiliently bounces and easily regains its shape; its color should be bright (depending on the variety) with a pattern similar to cracks and cuts.
- Severity. The weight of a ripe fruit is much greater than that of an unripe one. First, choose a green melon that is about the same size when ripe. Hold both in your hands - everything will become clear.
- Spout and tail. The first should be soft and the second thick and dry.
- Sound. If you knock on a ripe fruit, it will be deaf.
Note! Overripe melon skin will be overly soft. If the skin is too hard, the fruit is unripe.
Will it be possible to mature at home
Can melon ripen at home? Yes, it ripens not only in the garden. It is enough to place the fruit in a dark, warm or cool (depending on the variety), dry place. The early varieties ripen faster - warmth suits them, the later ones, on the contrary, coolness. The optimal storage temperature is 0 ° C.
The shelf life of sweet melons can be long if it was prepared in advance for this: cut off at the right time (not green and not quite ripe), warmed up in the beds. Long-term storage rooms should be dry, dark and cool.
If you bought a melon, and later on closer examination found that the fruit is greenish - do not be upset. He may well be in time after lying at home. The main condition for successful ripening is not to cut the melon. If cut, it cannot be stored and matured for a long time.
How much will lie
A melon plucked before the time (very green) ripens poorly or remains unripe. At the same time, her taste deteriorates. The gardeners noticed that the fruit, covered with a pronounced mesh, ripens better.
The variety also affects the storage duration. Early varieties are stored after being removed from the garden for only a week. Medium early and a small number of early varieties can last up to 21 days.
What to do if the melon is not ripe
What if the melon is not ripe? Probably, it was taken from the green garden, and therefore does not keep up. Experienced housewives advise not to be upset and use the fruits for culinary purposes... For example, weld jam.
Its recipe is simple. The melon is washed, peeled, cut into cubes. You will need 1.2 kg of sugar per kilogram of raw materials. Half of its volume is poured into cubes overnight, or for 12 hours, so that the pulp gives juice. Then add the remaining sugar and let it boil for 8-10 minutes. Then the syrup is left to cool thoroughly (for 7-8 hours) and boiled again, already until tender.It turns out a delicious, aromatic jam.
If you add lemon or orange zest, it tastes even better. You can also add a cinnamon stick per kilogram of raw materials or ginger. The taste is spicy. If you twist the pulp and boil it with the addition of sugar, you get a delicious puree.
Choosing the optimal conditions for ripening
It is best to send sweet fruits of late varieties for ripening. During ripening, these varieties just pick up the sweetness and benefits. But early varieties can also ripen at home, although their taste will deteriorate slightly. For ripening, choose a darkened, well-ventilated, warm and dry place.
In order for the melon to ripen at home, do the following. If, after a few days, ripening does not occur, experienced gardeners are advised to put a ripe apple next to it (it accelerates ripening).
If the variety is late, then it ripens longer and it needs to lie not for a couple of days, but for two or three weeks, or even a month. What can be done to make such a fruit come? It is better to ripen late varieties in cool, dry and dark rooms so that they do not deteriorate in the heat.
be careful! It is better to refrain from melon for patients with diabetes mellitus. Ulcer and gastritis - also a reason to reduce the use of melons to a minimum. It is not recommended for nursing mothers to eat more than one or two pieces, otherwise the baby may have a stool disorder.
We keep to mature
Will the green melon mature at home? To make it "reach", use the recommendations of the previous chapter... There are a few more things to consider when storing the product. It is advisable to lay the fruits after removal or acquisition so that they do not come into contact with each other.
This method of ripening proved to be excellent, as hanging a melon in a net or bag in a room with appropriate conditions (dark, cool, dry). The tails are not cut off or cut off - in this place, rotting can begin.
Rules for choosing a ripe delicacy
For long-term storage, only good ones are selected, without dents, cracks, scratches and traces of rotting melons. The damaged skin of the fruit allows pathogenic microflora to penetrate. Instead of enjoying exquisite taste, you can end up in a hospital bed.
Before August, you should hardly expect to buy a really ripe and tasty fruit. By purchasing it before the deadline, you can run into a product of dubious quality. The rules for choosing a fragrant dessert, common to all melons, were discussed in the first chapter. But there are some nuances for certain varieties:
- grade Collective farmer should be fragrant: even an uncut melon has a rather strong honey-vanilla or pear smell, its color is bright yellow;
- melon Torpedo they also choose by smell, they also pay attention to the rough "mesh" on the peel - the more grooves, the sweeter the fruit;
- ripe Ethiopian yellow-orange, pronounced smell, with a hint of pineapple.
It's important to know! It is better not to buy an odorless melon - it is either completely green, or when it was grown, it was too much with nitrogenous fertilizers.
To avoid disappointment
The first rule to follow when buying a melon is choosing the right place of purchase. Supermarkets and specialty markets are fine. Here the storage conditions are appropriate, since these places are controlled by the sanitary authorities.
Do not hesitate to ask for a product certificate. Conscientious entrepreneurs have it, and it is better to bypass the unscrupulous ones. Buying melons off the road is risky. Fruits that are kept in such conditions for a long time are saturated with toxins, heavy metals, and they are stored without observing sanitary standards, which will inevitably affect the taste and usefulness of the product.
The cut fruit is also not worth buying - it is not known how long she spent on the counter in this form.
In the table we will consider the signs, having found which it is better to refuse to purchase.
| Sign | What is the minus | Why is it better not to use |
| The skin shines, leaves a greasy mark on the hands. | The fruit was grown using waxes that protect the melons from spoilage. | The benefits of waxes for the body are very doubtful, and the taste of the product deteriorates. |
| Excessively dirty rind. | Most likely, the harvest took place in the rain. | The taste of such a fruit is unimportant, the pulp is watery. |
| Skin too clean. | Before getting on the counter, the melon was washed. | The fruit, washed before transportation or sale, looks beautiful, but this procedure deprives it of its natural bactericidal protection. |
| Brown spots on the skin. | Such spots are the first sign of decay. | There is little use in rotten foods; there is a chance of getting poisoned or infected.
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Is an unripe fruit harmful
The maximum amount of nutrients is concentrated in the ripe product. Therefore, an unripe, as well as an overripe delicacy will not bring any benefit. Plus, eating the green fruit can lead to digestive problems. Especially if a person has gastrointestinal diseases, such as gastritis, stomach ulcer. In this category of people, unripe fruits can provoke an exacerbation of the disease.
Even healthy people may experience bloating or upset stools.
On Internet forums, melon lovers often mention dishes made from unripe melons. Melon jam, candied fruit or pickled melons are especially popular. We advise you to treat such recipes with caution.
On a note. In order for the melon to bring maximum benefit and not harm, you need to follow some rules. It is better to eat it not on an empty stomach, but between meals. Drinking water is not recommended. It is undesirable to eat dairy or fermented milk products after or before the melon - you can get an upset stomach.
Conclusion
Melon is a fragrant, low-calorie, healthy dessert. In order for it to bring pleasure and maximum benefit, you need to be able to choose it and use it correctly. If you made the wrong choice or bought a treat for future use, an unripe fruit can easily "reach" at home. Now you know how to save it and help it to mature.
Before eating, it is necessary to take into account the presence of diseases in which the melon can harm. Pregnant and lactating mothers, allergy sufferers also need to be careful with a fragrant dessert. But healthy people can enjoy them to their fullest.