Do you want to surprise your loved ones with fresh watermelon in winter? Of course, he will make a real sensation. Who refuses to eat a scarlet slice when there are snowdrifts outside the window. Today we'll talk about before the New Year. Everyone has their own recipe for serving. Some pump berries with alcohol to make a delicious tincture. Others keep it as a treat for children. But in both cases, the number one task is to extend the life of the striped berry. Since not everyone knows how to store watermelons until the New Year, today we’ll talk about this in more detail.
At home or in the cellar
Everyone likes the warmth of the hearth, but not melons. Despite the presence of a hard skin, they quickly begin to rot during storage. Therefore, starting a conversation about how to store watermelons until the New Year, it is worth noting the main rule. Be sure to arrange them in a cool, dry place. It could be a cellar or basement. Make sure that mice do not get to the sweet berry. They will enjoy the juicy pulp with great pleasure, and you will be left with only an empty crust.
Conditions
If you know how to store watermelons until the New Year, you can save them until March 8th. Bright striped berries will tolerate long-term storage well, if you can create suitable conditions for them. Just imagine how happy the children will be when they see them on the table in winter. So, to ensure the safety of the fetus, you will need to take into account two main points:
How to buy the best fruits
The answer to the question "is it possible to store a watermelon until the New Year" is what kind of berry in question. If it was torn off a long time ago, lay on the shelves for a long time, experienced shaking, then most likely it will not lie for a long time. This is especially true for fruits that have damage to the peel.
It is best if you find where to buy fruits directly from the field. Try to choose fruits of medium size, strong and round. It is very important not to crush or scratch the green peel. It should not have cracks, dents or wet areas. With such a minke whale, you can go home and prepare it for moving to the cellar.
Varietal affiliation
At first glance, there is no difference between them. Some watermelons are thin-skinned, while others are thick-skinned. In this case, the second option is preferable, especially if you choose a late-ripening berry. Of course, where to store watermelon until the New Year is of great importance. But the variety should not be overlooked either. Thick-skinned representatives of late ripening perfectly retain moisture and retain elasticity. These include the Volga, Caucasian and Central Asian watermelons.
For example, "Astrakhan striped" will lie perfectly until spring with minimal effort on the part of the owner. A more thin-skinned "Astrakhan marble" can be preserved under strict observance of all recommended conditions.
The essence of proper storage
Now let's go directly to how to store watermelons until the New Year correctly. It is important to take into account absolutely everything - from temperature and humidity to the neighborhood with other vegetables and fruits. Moreover, experienced melon growers recommend not relying on chance, but be sure to follow the recommendations, and do it very accurately. Any violation of technology will lead to the fact that instead of sugar fruits, only the peel will remain for the New Year holidays.
Rules
The collected fruits should not be immediately lowered into the basement for storage. Experts recommend first dehydrating the peel. For this, the berries are covered with tops for a day and left to sweat. Since it is not too difficult to keep a watermelon until the New Year at home, you may well try to do it today.
But there are other rules to follow. The final result depends on how carefully they are observed.
- A gentle attitude is something watermelons love a lot. Any contact with them should take place only with soft gloves.
- A place to store the crop is also not suitable for everyone. Best of all - a rack with straw. It is extremely important that the berries do not touch the floor, walls and each other. If you just put them in a pile, then they will not lie for more than two weeks.
- Air temperature is a very important indicator. The ideal numbers are +1, +3. If it is warmer, this will lead to the souring of the berries. In this case, the juicy pulp turns into a cotton porridge.
- The humidity of the room also needs to be assessed. A damp basement is not the best choice; the berries will most likely rot in it. But too dry air is also harmful for them. Therefore, 60-85% is just what you need.
- Neighbors in the storage for watermelons are completely redundant. It is advisable to keep them separate from any vegetables and fruits. Especially bad they coexist with potatoes.
In order to prevent rotting processes, you need to regularly inspect watermelons and turn them from one side to the other. Let's now look at the best ways to save watermelon until the New Year.
Choosing the best option
Above, the method of laying striped berries on racks with hay is considered. But this is far from the only option. Inveterate gardeners invent new tricks that allow you to keep the berries safe and sound. The most affordable and simple is laying in vats of water. In a cool basement room, they will easily lie until the middle of winter. Water protects the berries from injury, as well as from damage by rodents.
Some gardeners note that it is very convenient to stack watermelons in grain. With their weight, they push through a comfortable bed, in which they will freely wait in the wings. In addition, ash, clay, paraffin are used. They are needed in order to create an additional protective film on the berries, which will not let water and air through, and hence bacteria. This increases the likelihood of success of the idea. But most often, watermelons are simply laid out on hay, moss, sawdust or straw. A very important condition is that the watermelons should lie at a distance from each other. Be sure to inspect them for signs of decay.
If you want to keep the berry for 3-4 weeks
For example, the season is soon leaving, and you want to leave a couple of berries for a special occasion. In this case, experts recommend burying them in a box of sand. That is, a watermelon is simply placed in a container, covered with sand and put away in the cellar. There is a significant disadvantage - you will not be able to monitor the condition of the watermelon. Therefore, this method is used only if storage is known to not last long.
In an apartment setting
But if in a private house there are basements and cellars, sheds where you can put a large number of fruits, then in an apartment there are much fewer opportunities for this. Of course, in this case, it makes no sense to talk about real crop reserves. But a couple of minke whales can still be bought for future use. How to store watermelons at home in winter? Hanging will be a simple and affordable way. To do this, the fruit is wrapped with a natural cloth and placed in a soft net. This design is suspended from the ceiling in any dark corner of the room.
You can also equip a place on the balcony, but only if it is glazed. Otherwise, the berries will simply freeze. To do this, lay a wooden frame and fill it with hay. Place berries carefully. In severe cold, cover the frame with a thick blanket. In addition, a refrigerator, bathroom, pantry or mezzanine is suitable for long-term storage. Of course, you can just leave it under the kitchen table. Remember that at room temperature, the shelf life of watermelon is reduced to 1.5 months.
cut fruit
This is almost all the information on how to save a watermelon until the New Year. The shelf life depends on the observance of the temperature regime and the level of humidity, but under favorable conditions, striped beauties can lie until spring. But what if the cut berry could not be eaten immediately? It can be put in the refrigerator. In this case, the optimal storage period is one day, and the maximum is three.
In order for the watermelon to retain all the moisture and juiciness, it is recommended to put it on a plate cut down or cover it with cling film. And in the event that you understand that a cut watermelon cannot be saved in any way, then preserve it. Of course, pickled watermelons are not exactly a dessert, but they are also very tasty. Therefore, feel free to cut into pieces and pour the marinade. In just a few weeks, amazingly delicious spicy watermelons will be ready.
Instead of a conclusion
Watermelon is a symbol of the outgoing summer. The peak season falls just in mid-August. Therefore, attempts to save the outgoing summer for the upcoming cold season are understandable. Watermelon is not only a delicacy, but also a huge benefit for the body, since it contains a huge amount of vitamins and minerals, sugars and amino acids. Basically, it's food and drink, as well as a multivitamin supplement. It is not for nothing that neither a dog nor a rabbit will refuse a watermelon. Cats also enjoy eating juicy pulp. It is liked by children and adults and has practically no contraindications. But if in the fall it is another option to diversify the dessert, then in winter the watermelon acquires special value and incredible magnetism. Cakes and pastries are very boring compared to him.
Getting a good harvest of vegetables, fruits or berries is only half the battle, because certain knowledge and skills are required to save it.
After all, not everyone knows how to store watermelons without losing their taste, useful properties and attractive appearance. Adhering to certain rules and recommendations, this is not difficult to achieve and does not require a significant investment of time and effort.
If you are not aware of how to properly and how much to store watermelon, our article is just for you.
The right choice of watermelons for storage
When choosing a watermelon for long-term storage, follow these recommendations:
- Buy late-ripening varieties that do not have nitrates. The optimal time for purchasing watermelons is the end of September.
- A long shelf life is typical for late-ripening, thick-skinned watermelons. In particular, for "Dessert", "Astrakhan", "Icarus" and others.
- Pay attention to the peel of the berry: it should not be damaged, the surface of the fruit is shiny, bright green and elastic.
- Buy slightly unripe fruits. They will ripen during storage. Unripe berries are easily identified by their characteristic sound - by tapping lightly, you will hear a ringing sound. According to long-term observations, unripe watermelons store best.
- Pay attention to the size of watermelons: the maximum weight of the fruit is not more than 5 kilograms.
- Buy berries in specialized stores and stalls. Avoid buying watermelons on roadsides and in non-equipped outlets. It is simply not possible to achieve their long-term preservation.
- When choosing a watermelon, carefully study the documents, paying special attention to printing. When presenting not the original, but a photocopy, the print must be in color. Otherwise, there is a high probability that the documents are fake, and the quality of the watermelons is in question.
When growing late-ripening watermelons in a summer cottage or garden plot, harvest 5-7 days before it ripens. Cut and deliver fruits to the storage place without damaging them. Do not leave cut watermelons in direct sunlight.
The ideal place to store watermelons is a dark, cool cellar. If you live in an apartment, do not be discouraged by following some rules, watermelons can also be stored in an apartment.
- Air humidity - not less than 70%. With less humidity, watermelons will dry out.
- Temperature - from +1 to +30 degrees. At higher temperatures, the shelf life of watermelons will decrease significantly.
- We do not allow sun exposure to the fruits.
- We store berries on sand, straw, sawdust and other soft surfaces.
- From time to time we turn the watermelons from side to side.
We store watermelons in the apartment
There are many ways to store watermelon in an apartment.
- For the winter, put it in the pantry, bathroom or mezzanine. The fruits should not come into contact with each other, otherwise they will deteriorate and become unfit for food.
- To extend the shelf life, apply a layer of liquid alabaster or clay to the watermelon peel, 5 millimeters thick. You can buy clay and alabaster in any specialized store.
- The shelf life of watermelons increases when their peel is covered with a layer of paraffin or wax 1 centimeter thick. They prevent the fruit from coming into contact with air, significantly increasing the shelf life.
- Remember to keep an eye on humidity and temperature.
The methods listed above have been used to store watermelons for many years. Reviews about them are only positive. Their effectiveness and guarantee of the suitability of fruits for food, even after a few months, is noted.
Storing watermelon in the refrigerator
A great place to store watermelons in the apartment is the refrigerator. It allows you to significantly increase their shelf life. Additionally, watermelon slices can be frozen for the subsequent preparation of various cocktails and compotes.
- Wash and dry the watermelon. Wipe the berry with a damp paper towel or towel.
Attention! Wet fruit is not placed in the refrigerator.
- Then, wrap the fruit in regular newspapers (do not wrap the watermelon in glossy magazines).
- Line the bottom of the fruit and vegetable drawer with a thick, heavy cloth, and then place a berry.
- Turn the watermelon over from time to time.
You can store watermelon in the refrigerator for a long time if it is whole. The cut berry is not stored in the refrigerator for more than 2 days.
Frozen watermelon pulp loses its natural structure and is used to make jelly, cocktail and similar drinks. Unmelted slices can be eaten.
To freeze and store watermelons in the freezer, use:
- Granulated sugar;
- Fructose;
- Syrup.
We dip watermelon slices in one of the above ingredients, pack and send for dry freezing.
Sliced frozen watermelon at a constant negative temperature can be stored for up to a year. The taste, appearance and aroma of thawed berries remain unchanged.
A first-class watermelon storage place in a private house is a dark, cool cellar. There are several ways to store watermelons in it.
Method 1
Put watermelons wrapped in natural fabric or paper in ordinary vegetable nets and hang them from the ceiling of the cellar. So you will achieve long-term storage of fruits, saving free space.
Method 2
If you decide to store watermelons on shelves or in boxes, use ordinary forest moss. Moss collected in dry weather, put on a shelf. Put watermelons on a shelf or in boxes, additionally covering the fruit with moss on the sides.
In the absence of moss, straw can replace it. Lay it in a thick layer in a box or on a shelf, put the fruits on it, additionally covering them with straw on top. When stored on a shelf, watermelons should not touch.
Method 3
For better preservation of watermelons, cover their peel with a layer of paraffin or wax, about 1 centimeter thick. Clay, applied to the peel of the fruit with an ordinary brush, is capable of replacing them.
The duration of storage of watermelons in the cellar depends on the method chosen.
- Fruits stacked on shelves or hung in nets have a shelf life of approximately 2 months.
- The use of wax, forest moss or straw increases the shelf life up to 4 months.
In addition, the temperature, humidity and light levels in the basement should be regularly monitored.
A fairly common question is whether it is possible to store watermelon next to other fruits and vegetables? The answer is unequivocal - it is impossible, otherwise the berries will absorb a foreign smell, which will worsen their taste. Stack the watermelons so that there are no food nearby.
Having considered how to store watermelons at home, we can conclude that, following all the rules and recommendations, a watermelon can be stored for several months without losing its taste. The shelf life depends on the correct choice of watermelon, its integrity. The ideal place to store watermelon in a private house is the cellar (basement).
Long-term storage of watermelons is not a myth, but a reality!
Watermelon- everyone's favorite fresh delicacy that nature gives us. It is rich in microelements, vitamins and other substances useful for the body. How to properly store watermelons so that they do not become unusable and retain their unique properties as much as possible? This article brings to your attention a systematic material on this topic.
How to choose a watermelon
To ensure long-term storage, follow our rules:
- Do not buy fruits at the beginning of the season. The end of September is the best time to stock up on watermelons.
- If you grow watermelons yourself, let the fruits ripen naturally, do not abuse fertilizers that speed up ripening. After all, watermelon pulp absorbs all harmful elements very quickly. Also note that too rainy summers and lack of sun can cause a significant amount of nitrates in the pulp of watermelons;
- Do not buy berries at spontaneous points of sale near roads and if the fruits are placed directly on the ground without appropriate flooring or trays, and without a canopy (exposure to direct sunlight leads to rapid overripening). Microcracks in the peel of a watermelon allow microbes to quickly penetrate into the pulp if the plucked fruit is stored directly on the ground, and heavy metals from exhaust gases are absorbed into the fruits offered at roadside sales points, literally within a couple of hours;
- Ask the seller for a certificate for the product and a sanitary book;
- Do not buy watermelons in large supermarkets - as a rule, unripe fruits are delivered there;
- For long-term storage, try to choose medium-sized watermelons weighing four to five kilograms;
- A ripe watermelon is distinguished by a dry tail and a keratinized halo under it. Keep in mind that the ponytail itself can dry out already during storage, so be sure to pay attention to the condition of the halo;
- The spot from contact with the ground should be small and yellow in color. The white color of the spot indicates the presence of nitrates in the watermelon;
- If the fruit variety suggests the presence of stripes, pay attention to their clarity and contrast - blurry stripes also indicate the presence of nitrates in the pulp;
- Choose watermelons without external damage - cracks, scratches and other defects;
- Pay attention to the peel, it should be glossy. Matte peel, again, indicates the presence of nitrates;
- Choose a ripe watermelon: the peel of a ripe fruit is not pierced with a fingernail, and when rubbing against the peel of such a watermelon, the smell of freshly cut grass should not be present. The presence of such an odor indicates the immaturity of the fetus. Ripeness can also be determined by tapping, while a ripe watermelon makes a dull resonating sound, and when squeezed by hands, such a fruit cracks slightly;
- Of two watermelons of the same size, the one with the lighter weight is sweeter. Also, on the opposite side of the tail, a halo of a wider diameter indicates the “female sex” of the fetus - such a watermelon is sweeter and contains fewer seeds.
Conditions and terms of storage of watermelon
own berries
- If you are growing melons yourself, then storage watermelons should be removed from the lashes about five days before normal maturity. Try to do this carefully so as not to damage the fruit.
- Use soft-lined boxes for transportation to storage.
- It is strongly not recommended to transport watermelons in a shaft in several layers.
Purchased berries
watermelon photo:
If you purchase watermelons from distributors, we recommend that you first conduct a so-called home examination in order to establish the quality of the fruit. To do this, evaluate the appearance of the pulp.
normal fetus has white streaks, diverging from the center to the crust. Yellow streaks indicate that the fruit is old or overripe or treated with nitrates.
normal appearance of pulp suggests a grainy structure, while a perfectly even cut indicates an excess amount of nitrates. This is also indicated by the too saturated color of the pulp. In addition, you can pour a slice of watermelon with water - if it just becomes cloudy, then everything is in order with the pulp. If the water turns red or pink, be careful! These fruits contain chemicals.
- Before storage, each watermelon must be thoroughly washed, dried and placed in a soft net.
- Hanging storage is the best option. A plus will also be high humidity in the storage room for watermelons, since such an environment prevents the fruit from losing moisture.
- The optimum storage temperature is plus six degrees.
If you follow these recommendations, you will be able to keep watermelons in excellent condition until the New Year.
In fact, proper storage is to comply with three basic rules:
- the right choice of fruits;
- the right time to harvest;
- optimal storage conditions.
For long-term storage of watermelons, the following recommendations are used:
- stable temperature of 6-8 degrees of heat;
- relative air humidity 60-80%;
- suitable varieties:
- the most preferred and resistant to long “laying” varieties are “Popovka” and “Astrakhan striped”;
- slightly less suitable for storage are "Melitopol 143", "Astrakhan marble" and "Bykovsky 15".
How long can watermelon be stored?
On average, the shelf life of suitable fruits under proper conditions is three months.
Other varieties are also suitable for storage, which correspond to the slow transformation of sugars. These are fruits that are characterized by late ripening and a high content of pectins in the pulp. They retain a significant amount of moisture for a long time and retain the elasticity of the fruit. Good in this regard Volga, Central Asian and late Caucasian varieties of watermelons.
Long-term storage of watermelons involves not only hanging them.
They can also be stored on shelves or in drawers using dry bedding. Fruits are strictly not recommended to be stored in the same room with potatoes or other vegetables. It is better to equip a separate dry room with good ventilation. Before storing watermelons, it is recommended to cover them with tops or straw for a day for "effusion", that is, dehydration of the bark.
Immediately before storage, the fruits should be pollinated with 2% lime. Indoors, we recommend placing the most common thermometer and hygrometer. During storage, fruits need daily inspection: if you find that some fruit is much lighter than others, you should immediately remove it from storage. It is also necessary to regularly examine watermelons for fungi and rot.
How to store watermelon at home?
Do you live in a city apartment and think about how to save a watermelon?
- In a refrigerator;
- on the balcony;
- in the mezzanine;
- In bathroom;
- in any dark room;
- in the pantry - all these options are perfect for a city apartment or for a private house.
The desired temperature for storing watermelons at home is from five to eight degrees Celsius. It will also keep the watermelons for three months if at least part of the rules described above are followed. When stored at higher temperatures or temperatures below specified criteria, watermelons should be consumed within one to one and a half months. Even if the fruits in this case do not deteriorate, their taste and appearance of the pulp will leave the best.
When storing fruits at home, it should be borne in mind that seedless varieties of watermelons are stored longer and better. This is due to the fact that the dissolution of the intercellular substance (maceration) begins with the seed chambers. This is especially true for seeds that have not had time to ripen.
How to store ripe watermelon?
Moderately ripe fruits are recommended for storage. But if you purchased an overripe fruit, then it should be stored in the refrigerator for no more than three days. When buying a watermelon, be sure to tap on the surface of the peel: the duller the sound, the riper the berry will be, and, conversely, the louder the sound when tapped, the more likely it is that you are getting an unripe fruit.
Do watermelons ripen in storage? When purchasing a watermelon, remember that the fruit does not ripen during storage. Therefore, it is recommended to purchase exclusively ripe berries for storage. An unripe watermelon can wither and rot much faster than its ripe counterpart.
A prerequisite for such storage is a perfectly clean and uniform surface of the fruit peel without signs of damage, as well as the need to replace water once or twice a month. Thus, you can keep the watermelon in the refrigerator for a long time.
Storage of processed watermelons
The method of storing fresh watermelons with a cut does not involve periods of more than three days in the refrigerator. In addition, we advise you not to purchase a cut product, as the sweet, tasty and juicy pulp is very attractive to bacteria. It is unlikely that you can absolutely guarantee that in supermarkets offering a similar product, hygiene requirements are strictly observed in the process of cutting watermelons.
How to store salted watermelons?
Salted watermelon is an interesting dish in terms of taste. Many gourmets prefer salted watermelon to all other snacks. If you do not have the opportunity to save fresh watermelon at home, then pickling or pickling is just what you are looking for! Canned watermelon can be prepared in jars and stored for up to a year. Pickled watermelons are stored for a very long time, but in principle, it is not recommended to store homemade preserves prepared with marinades for more than a year and a half.
You are unlikely to be able to save salted watermelons in a barrel until spring. And this is due not only to conditional storage periods - watermelons will simply be eaten with pleasure long before the deadlines. For salting watermelons, use a cellar or refrigerator. Salting in cellar storage conditions involves the use of wooden barrels. Salted watermelons in jars (without the use of vinegar!) Should be stored exclusively in the refrigerator or in the cellar.
pickled watermelons
Their storage also implies the presence of a cellar or refrigerator (similar to salting). Fruits can be fermented both in barrels and in jars. In fact, fermentation of watermelons is no different from salting, but only involves the addition of spices, for example, herbs, ginger. Shelf life - similar - until spring, pickled watermelons must be eaten.
How to save a watermelon for the New Year's table?
Is it possible to save a watermelon until the New Year? Of course you can, if you use the recommendations given here related to the selection of a suitable fruit and the correct storage conditions. If your goal is a watermelon on the New Year's table, we recommend that you purchase several fruits from different suppliers. When buying, be sure to ask about the variety of berries and choose only late varieties.
How to save a watermelon until the New Year?
You can place watermelons on the balcony, in the refrigerator or in the pantry, carefully observing the recommended temperature regime. Storing watermelons in winter at home raises enough questions, since the temperature in the apartment is far from meeting the required parameters. The easiest way to save a purchased watermelon until the winter holiday is to put it in the refrigerator.
Video: How to properly store watermelon before the main winter holiday
However, there are other methods:
- straw storage;
- in wax or paraffin;
- in the ashes;
- in clay or alabaster;
- in sand.
If you plan to save fresh watermelon for the New Year's table, carefully study our recommendations and do not hesitate to use them. When storing watermelons on the balcony, remember that an uninsulated cold balcony is not suitable for this. A frozen watermelon will not bring you any pleasure either in taste or in aesthetic terms.
Storage of watermelons at their summer cottage
How to store watermelons in the cellar?
To store watermelons in a cellar, it is necessary to monitor the temperature regime. The most suitable temperature is 6-8 degrees Celsius. When storing fruits on racks, it is recommended to stack them in one layer, placing straw, chaff, needles or dry peat under them. Periodically, watermelons must be turned over and inspected to avoid bedsores. Storage at higher temperatures is fraught with various diseases, such as anthracnose and gray rot.
To keep a watermelon in a vegetable pit, it is necessary to layer it with wood shavings or straw. To this end, a ten-centimeter layer of straw (or shavings) alternates with a thirty-centimeter layer of earth. Before laying watermelons in a pit, it is recommended to treat the fruits with twenty-five percent milk of lime. This will protect watermelons from disease.
And another video about storing watermelons
The term and method of storage of watermelon depends on the state in which the fruit is - whole or cut. In the second case, it is more difficult to maintain juiciness and freshness. In general, watermelon can be stored for several months, but subject to certain rules. If, when buying a fruit, it is known that in the near future it will not be eaten, then the seller should be asked about the variety. Watermelons of late-ripening varieties have the longest shelf life.
The nuances of storing watermelon:
- for long-term storage, watermelons with a thick skin are ideal, without dents and mechanical damage, not beaten;
- the main condition for storing watermelon (in addition to creating the necessary temperature conditions) is to exclude its contact with a hard surface or other fruits, therefore it is recommended to place it on a dense fabric;
- during storage, the watermelon must be periodically turned over without changing the temperature regime (temperature drops have a negative effect on any vegetables, fruits and berries);
- cut watermelon cannot be stored at room temperature (it is better to use a refrigerator for this);
- the moisture in the watermelon rises, therefore, when storing a cut watermelon, it must be placed with the cut down;
- watermelon must be wrapped in cling film in a special way - along with a plate on which it is placed cut down (if you wrap a slice or half of a watermelon in a film, then when it comes into contact with it, the flesh will become slippery and acquire an unpleasant appearance with secretions similar to mucus);
- if you put a watermelon in a bucket or pan, and then close the lid and put it in a dark, cool place, then such conditions can be equated to the atmosphere in the cellar (you do not need to put the container in the refrigerator);
- if it is possible to create temperature conditions for watermelon + 2- + 3 degrees, then you can extend its shelf life (in not cut form) with the help of moss bedding;
- one of the main conditions for storing watermelon is the exclusion of light (the fruit will be stored longer when in absolute darkness);
- to preserve the appearance of the watermelon, you can use melted wax (paraffin is applied to the surface of the watermelon, and after it hardens, the fruit is sent to a cool and dark place);
- it is especially not recommended to store watermelon near potatoes (the shelf life under such conditions can be reduced several times);
- air humidity during storage of watermelons should be in the range from 80 to 85%;
- watermelons are well stored in a suspended state (the fruit is placed in a net or cloth, and then hung in a dark and fairly cool place).
The ideal places for storing watermelon at home are (with the obligatory creation of dark conditions):
- bathroom;
- pantry;
- mezzanine;
- balcony;
- fridge.
How much and at what temperature to store watermelon
The optimum storage temperature for watermelon is +1 to +3 degrees. Under such conditions, the fruit is able to maintain freshness for 3-4 months without violating its taste properties.
Cut watermelon should not be stored at room temperature.. In such conditions, it can be kept for 2-3 hours (if the weather is sunny or the season is warm, then the pulp may begin to deteriorate in an hour). This nuance plays a special role. The fact is that stale watermelon can be poisoned. Bacteria that rapidly appear and multiply on the juicy pulp are dangerous to health. These processes are accelerated by exposure to heat. Cut watermelon should be stored at a temperature of -10 degrees.
It is recommended to store cut watermelon in the refrigerator for no more than a day. During this time, the taste properties of the pulp are preserved, and the risk of harmful bacteria is eliminated. Changes become noticeable on the second day. Watermelon becomes less saturated in taste and aroma, but is still suitable for consumption. After 2-3 days of storing it in the refrigerator, it should be discarded due to the loss of taste properties and the onset of the oxidation process.
The maximum storage temperature for watermelon is +6 degrees. At higher temperatures, the fruit will begin to deteriorate faster. In addition, a prerequisite for storage is the provision of sufficient humidity. There is a lot of liquid in the watermelon, therefore, the more humidified the air, the longer the shelf life of the striped fruit will be.
Watermelon pulp can be frozen. It will need to be consumed within a few months. When defrosted, its consistency will change, so these watermelons are more suitable for making desserts or drinks.
Many of us want to keep a piece of the warm summer, which can be enjoyed in the winter cold. Such a fragrant and sweet memory can be the storage of watermelons, which will appear on the table as a delicious dessert during the autumn or winter holidays. If you do not know if you can save watermelon at home, then in this article we will tell you how to do it. And if you are also the proud owner of a basement or cellar, then from this article you will learn how to store watermelons in the cellar.
Naturally, the first question to ask yourself is: what is the shelf life of watermelons in general?
It all depends on the type of culture. Early-ripening varieties are the least suitable for long-term storage, but late-ripening fruits are the best. These varieties include Astrakhan marble, Peasant, Lezhky, Astrakhan striped, Kholodok and others, the ripening period of which falls on September. The peculiarity of late varieties is that the process of chemical synthesis of sugars in them is slower, and therefore the disintegration of chemical bonds takes more time. Therefore, late varieties can retain taste and elasticity for up to 5 months.
If you are interested in how long early varieties of berries can be stored, then their maturation period is very short and is calculated in days. At home, such a fruit is best eaten or processed immediately.
Which watermelon is suitable for long-term storage
As already mentioned, varieties that ripen in early or late September are best suited for storing watermelons for the winter. The likelihood that such a crop is grown on nitrates is extremely small, which makes the fruits not only tasty, but also healthy.
Next, pay attention to the appearance of the fruit. If, when buying, you notice cracks, dents or scratches on the watermelon, then it is better to use such a fruit immediately. Any damage becomes a potential source of bacterial infection.
The purchased watermelon must be ripe, the only way it will be stored at home for a long time. However, this maturity should be natural, not accelerated. Therefore, do not buy berries in supermarkets or along the highway. Firstly, the fruits there often do not have the best taste, and secondly, they are sold unripe.
If you decide to keep the berries from your own garden, then you can start picking them up to five days before the final ripening, doing this very carefully, without damaging the leg. Then the fruits are carefully transported to the storage place. In this case, transportation should not be carried out "encumbered". The culture is recommended to be placed in a vehicle in one layer on a soft bedding - in an amount sufficient so that the fruits do not hit each other during transportation.
Required temperature and humidity
How long the melon crop will be stored is directly affected by the humidity and temperature of the storage room. Where else to store watermelons, if not in the basement or cellar, where you can provide ideal conditions for berries! The best temperature for storing watermelons is + 2-6 degrees, and the humidity should be 75-85%.
Due to the high humidity, the fruit will lose less of its own moisture, so it will stay juicy and fragrant longer. And a stable temperature, close to a minimum, will allow even in winter to feast on crispy, but not frozen pulp.
At home, a pantry or refrigerator can be a good storage place if their capacity allows you to store the whole berry. In addition, at home you can store watermelon on the mezzanine, balcony, in the pantry.
How to keep fresh
In order for the fruit to remain fresh and tasty as long as possible, it is recommended to store it in a suspended state separately from other crops. Many home gardeners keep their crops underground, where the stored fruits are neatly stacked on a bed of straw or other plant material. In addition, in a private home, you can afford to store watermelons in special boxes with sand, where the fruits are dropped and sprinkled with sand or ash as a layer. In addition, you can make a layer between the berries with the help of moss.
Before putting the fruit in place, it must be washed, dried and covered with some kind of protective substance. Among these substances, wax, alabaster, clay and two percent lime are considered the best. The fruit is covered so that the dried substance forms a crust of 0.5–0.8 mm.
Freezing for the winter
If you do not have the opportunity to place gourds in a separate room, then you are probably interested in whether it is possible to store watermelons in the refrigerator and how long a watermelon is stored in a frozen state.
It is best to store the watermelon in the freezer, where it fits, pre-cut into pieces. To do this, it is recommended to remove the crust, cut the pulp into uniform medium-sized pieces and put it on a flat surface in one layer (for example, on a tray or baking sheet). The tray is then placed in the freezer where the pieces freeze evenly. After part of the fruit can be quickly transferred to containers or tight bags.
Such a berry can be stored for a very long time - until the next harvest. However, remember that defrosted pulp quickly loses moisture and volume, so be sure to consume fresh watermelon quickly. Also, do not forget to close the container tightly, otherwise the fruits will be saturated with the smells of the freezer.
Other storage methods
In addition to all of the above methods, there are two more - pickling and salting watermelons. These methods will keep the fruit well, but the taste of the pulp will change. Pickled and pickled watermelons can be stored for a whole year or longer, provided that the recipe and culinary processes are followed correctly.
Video "How long to store watermelon"
From this video you will learn how to properly store watermelon.
