Watermelon is a symbol of summer. Juicy fruits perfectly quench your thirst, and it is during this season that they are easy to find.
Saving watermelons for several months, not spoiled, retaining all the useful things that are in them, not losing their taste is not easy.
But knowing all the features of storing these giant berries, you can treat yourself and your loved ones with the usual treat for the summer table during the winter holidays.
What watermelons can be stored for a long time?
Before deciding how to store watermelons at home, you need to choose the right ones.
The fruit should be medium in size, whole and strong: without cracks, cuts, dents, traces of bumps and sunburn, and its surface is smooth and even. The thicker the peel of the watermelon, the better. It reliably protects the pulp from external influences.
If watermelon is for purchase, it is important to know its grade and harvest time. Later varieties are preferable, for example, Kholodok, Peasant, Lezhky. And it is better to get berries at the end of September. By autumn, the fruits ripen on their own, without the help of chemicals, which means they have less nitrates.
If you plan to preserve watermelons grown independently, you need to carefully collect them, gloves, without damaging the surface of the berries. You need to put it on a clean soft cloth or another surface that allows you to "breathe", and so that the fruits do not touch each other.
Properly selected watermelons in their entirety, subject to favorable conditions, can be stored for 1 to 5 months.
Where to store watermelons?
To save watermelons at home, you need to take care of where to place them. Both in the apartment and in the private house there is an opportunity to keep a summer delicacy until the winter. The main thing - in the location of the fruit should be:
Good air circulation
Constant temperature not higher than 6 and not lower than 1 degree of heat
Humidity within 60-80% Immunity from light
In the apartment for storing berries suitable:bathroom, pantry, a room where there is no lighting and it is always cool, a mezzanine, a balcony or a loggia, if there is no temperature below zero.
In the case of a private house storage of watermelons is possible in more places, since you can not be limited to the residential part of the house. Necessary conditions can be created in the attic, in the garage, in the basement, in the summer kitchen or on the veranda.
What are the ways to store watermelons?
Fans of these juicy giant berries have come up with many ways with which there is a chance to hold watermelons until spring. Here are a few of them:
1. Hang in a grid the fruits wrapped in natural fabric or non-woven fabric
2. Spread the surface of the berries with a thick clay solution, paraffin or wax layer 1 cm thick. Such a shell will protect the fetus from external excess moisture, that is, prevent the formation of mold, and preserve its juiciness.
3. Place the watermelons with the stalk down in boxes with sand, wood ash or dry grain. Thus, the conditions of the soil in which the berries are grown are simulated.
4. Surround the fruits on all sides with straw, the space between the watermelons should also be filled. Straw will prevent fruit from contacting a hard surface and protect the peel from damage, plus it will collect excess moisture.
5. Lay the berries on the sphagnum bog moss, after drying it. It perfectly absorbs excess moisture, does not damage the surface of the fruit and has a disinfecting effect, preventing all kinds of fungi and bacteria from developing.
What else do you need to know to save watermelons?
Choosing a convenient option how to store watermelons at home, providing the necessary temperature and humidity level, you need to know a number of nuances.
Throughout the entire shelf life, watermelons need to be periodically turned over.
• These huge berries often have significant weight, plus the pulp has a delicate texture. The fetus, which has lain in one position for several months, is likely to begin some kind of deformation, which will negatively affect the safety of the watermelon.
• It is important to minimize all fruit contact with any hard surfaces, including with each other.
• Watermelon, placed in a large closed metal container (pan, bucket, covered with a lid), and left in the dark, do not need to be refrigerated. This storage method is similar to the berry in the cellar. Do not store watermelons closely with other vegetables, especially potatoes. If possible, it is recommended to allocate a separate room. Absolute darkness is no less important than temperature and humidity when storing watermelons
• Before placing the fruits in a prepared place, wash and dry them. So less likely to multiply harmful microorganisms on the surface of the berries.
• Watermelons left in storage should be checked regularly so that one accidentally spoiled fruit does not harm the others.
Keeping watermelons at home for a long time is a troublesome job. But the effort and time are worth it. In the cold winter season, by the way, hello from the summer will come in the form of a fresh juicy sweet piece of ripe watermelon.
