What's the best thing to eat in summer? It must be watermelon! When I get home after work every day, I turn on the air conditioner, chase the drama, and eat iced watermelon, not to mention how enjoyable it is, if I can have some wheat juice again, it will be a fairy-like day.
The price of watermelons has plunged this year, and when I went to the market yesterday, the Kirin watermelons have dropped to 8 cents a pound. Compared with previous years, it is more than half cheaper, and every time I go to buy watermelon, I will always hear the stall owner swear to shout the phrase "no sweet, no money", and most people often choose to believe it. However, when I bought it home, I found that it was not delicious after cutting it, and I even bought raw melon eggs.
I have a relative who has been growing watermelons in Beijing for many years and is a veritable and experienced melon farmer. He once taught me some tips for picking watermelons, and today I will share them with you. Just keep in mind the following 4 points to ensure that the watermelons you choose every time are accurate, all of them are sweet and delicious, juicy and delicious, so let's learn them quickly.
- Observe the appearance
Shape: The shape of the watermelon should be natural, regular, and rounded. A good quality watermelon has a well-proportioned shape and no obvious bumps or misshapen parts. If the shape of the watermelon is irregular, it may be affected by external factors during the growth process, and its internal ripeness and taste may not be uniform.
Texture: The texture on the surface of the watermelon is one of the important indicators to judge its ripeness. The ripe watermelon has a clear and neat pattern, with dark green stripes that are darker in color and have a large spacing between the stripes. A wider spacing indicates that the watermelon has received sufficient nutrients and space during the growth process, and tends to have a sweeter taste. Conversely, if the texture is blurred, the color is light and the spacing is narrow, the watermelon may not be ripe enough.
Skin: The smooth skin is a sign of the freshness of the watermelon. Carefully inspect the watermelon skin to make sure there are no visible dents, breakages, abrasions, or spots. Watermelons with broken skin are susceptible to bacterial contamination, which affects quality and taste. At the same time, spots on the epidermis can be a sign of pests and diseases, which can also affect the quality of watermelon.
2. Look at the melon navel and guati
Melon navel: The melon navel is the trace left after the watermelon flower withers. Watermelons with smaller navels and deeper depressions usually indicate that they have absorbed enough nutrients during growth, are better ripe, and have a sweeter taste. Watermelons with larger and shallower navels may not be ripe enough and have a relatively light taste.
Guati: Guati is the part of the watermelon that connects with the melon vine. The fresh, curved guati is a symbol of the freshness of watermelon. Fresh guati is well hydrated and emerald green in color. If the melon is dry, yellow, or even black, it means that the watermelon has been picked for some time, and the moisture and freshness may have decreased, and the taste may also be affected.
3. Listen to sounds
Gently flick the watermelon with your fingers: this is a common and effective method of picking. Hold the watermelon in your hand and gently flick the surface of the watermelon with your fingers. If it makes a dull sound of "bang bang" and is accompanied by a certain echo, it usually means that the watermelon is ripe, and the flesh inside is full and juicy, and the taste is good. This sound means that the flesh of the watermelon is relatively loose, which is typical of the sound of ripe watermelon. If it makes a crisp sound of "dangdang", like knocking on a hard object, it is likely that the watermelon is not ripe enough, the flesh is hard, and the sweetness may not be enough. And if it makes a "poof" sound, it may indicate that the watermelon is overripe, and there may be a risk of spoilage inside, and the taste will deteriorate.
4. Feel the weight
When faced with two watermelons of similar size, a choice can be made by feeling their weight. Watermelons that are ripe and well hydrated will be relatively heavy. Because during the ripening process of watermelon, the flesh will gradually be enriched and the moisture content will increase. So, heavier watermelons tend to mean fuller, juicier flesh inside, and sweeter textures. Conversely, lighter watermelons may lose more moisture or be less ripe and may not taste as good as they should.
In addition to the above simple ways to choose watermelons, you can also ask the boss when buying watermelons, ask where the watermelon is produced, and then ask what variety it is, because there are some local local specialty watermelon varieties that don't need to be picked at all, all of them are sweet.
Black Beauty Watermelon: The plant grows strongly, has strong resistance, good yield, is not easy to crack the fruit, the fruit is oblong, the peel is dark black-green, and there are inconspicuous color stripes. The flesh is red and juicy, with a sugar content of about 14-15 degrees. This variety is cultivated in many places in the mainland, among which Yinchuan, Ningxia, Nanning, Nanning, Hainan, Weinan, Shaanxi and Fujian are more concentrated.
Kirin watermelon: a new variety of scientific research that has been cultivated, and has relatively high requirements for the growing environment, soil and sunshine. It only takes about 60 days from planting to flowering, from flowering to harvesting, which has the characteristics of short cycle, good taste and high efficiency. The fruit is round, the green stripes on the surface are relatively light, a knife cut can hear the sound of "tearing", the watermelon will naturally crack, the skin is very brittle, the flesh is bright red and dense, and the sugar content is about 11%-13%. This variety is mainly produced in Hainan Province and Wenzhou region of Zhejiang Province in mainland China.
Zhongwei selenium gourd: named because the product is rich in the healthy element "selenium". Known as "Gobi watermelon" and "watermelon in the cracks of stones", it is a special product of Zhongwei City, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, and a national geographical indication of agricultural products. The fruit is oval, the background color of the peel is light green, the dark green strip is clothed, the fruit landing place has a sand and gravel pad pressure brand, and the weight of a single melon is more than 5 kg. The flesh is bright red, the flesh is sweet and crisp, the seeds are black-brown, the skin is tough, the thickness is 1015 mm, and it is resistant to storage and transportation.
Shanxi Xia Le watermelon: also known as Xia County watermelon, produced in Xia County, Yuncheng, Shanxi. This variety of watermelon melon is upright and full, bright in color, thin and sandy, rich in nutrition, crispy and sweet in taste, high sugar content and large moisture.
Zaojia 8424 watermelon: It is an early-maturing variety, about 28 to 45 days from flowering to fruit ripening, with medium growth potential and good fruit setting. The fruit is round, the green skin is covered with dark green narrow bands, the appearance is beautiful, the red flesh is red, the quality is crisp and the taste is excellent, and the sugar content in the center is 11-12 degrees.
Pure sweet king watermelon: It is a kind of unicorn melon and is a popular watermelon variety in recent years. The authentic sweet king is short oval, its taste is crisp and sweet, the sugar content in the center is about 14 degrees, the weight of a single melon is about 812 kilograms, the skin is thin, crack-resistant and resistant to storage and transportation.
When we cut the watermelon we bought home, if we put it directly in the refrigerator, it is very easy to get mixed smells and peculiar smells. This is because there are various foods stored in the refrigerator, and the smell emitted by different foods will affect each other. In addition, placing it directly in the refrigerator can also cause bacteria to grow on the surface of the watermelon, affecting its quality and shelf life.
To better preserve the cut watermelon, we can wrap the watermelon tightly with plastic wrap. Plastic wrap can form a barrier between the watermelon and the outside environment, preventing the watermelon from coming into contact with bacteria.
Next, prepare a basin of water and add some table salt to the water. Table salt has a certain bactericidal and inhibition of bacterial growth. Put the watermelon wrapped in plastic wrap into this basin with table salt, the brine can provide a relatively antibacterial environment for the watermelon, further slow down the reproduction of bacteria, help maintain the freshness of the watermelon, and the height of the brine should not be lower than the edge of the watermelon.
Then, fill the mineral water bottle with clean water and freeze it into ice cubes. Place the frozen ice cubes in a basin of water. The presence of ice cubes can reduce the temperature of the water in the basin, creating a low temperature environment for the watermelon. Low temperatures can delay the chemical reactions inside the watermelon and the growth of microorganisms, thereby extending the shelf life of the watermelon.
The comprehensive application of this preservation method not only makes use of the isolation effect of plastic wrap, but also gives full play to the antibacterial properties of salt water and the low temperature effect brought by ice cubes, which can maintain the taste and quality of watermelon to a certain extent, prolong its edible time, and do not have to worry about contamination with miscellaneous odors like putting it in the refrigerator.
The tips for picking watermelons are shared here, according to my method, I am sure to buy a big, sweet and sandy watermelon, such a practical tip to share with your family to know, if you also have tips for picking melons, welcome to leave a message in the comment area to share, so that more friends can learn and benefit it.
#头条创作挑战赛#