Watermelon white inside. Growing watermelon with white pulp Are there pink watermelons

What do you associate with a ripe watermelon? With fragrant sweet red pulp. But it turns out that white watermelon can be just as tasty. If only an unusual color is a sign of a variety, and not a product of unscrupulous sellers.

Unusual variety

“White Miracle” - this is the name of the variety with an unusual color for watermelon pulp. His ancestors lived in South Africa, in the dry Kalahari Desert. There they were wild, small and tasteless, sometimes even bitter. But to find even such a fruit in an arid area, travelers considered happiness - often it was the only source of moisture.
Today it is a large berry with a thin skin. Inside, it has a sweet, sugary flesh that is white in color and has an unusually fresh aroma of strawberries and cucumbers.
Other unusual varieties of watermelon are also known. Who knows what other color the miracle breeders will want to paint the pulp of watermelon?

unripe berry

But most often, the purchase of a watermelon with white pulp entails not admiration, but disappointment. Why? Because these are unripe fruits, stuffed with chemicals. How to recognize them?

signs

You can distinguish them by the following features:

• white coating on the surface;
• the flesh is unevenly colored, in places it is white, pink, intense red or even purple;
• the fibers inside the pulp are not white, but yellow and coarse;
• the middle is loose, with grains, cracks and voids;
• inside are not dark brown, but white seeds surrounded by mucus;
• yellow and white streaks, spots are visible to the naked eye.

Usually such a fruit is not at all sweet and fermented. It has a thick peel, on which you will surely see rotted spots.

Having found the listed signs inside the watermelon, refuse to use it. Otherwise, you can get severe poisoning.

Causes

You can get ready-made fruit already in June-July in several ways, some of which are unsafe for human health:

1.Safe way.
The plant is covered with a film under which it grows and sings faster. On such a watermelon you will not find a speck from the sun.

2. Unsafe way.
The juicy middle accumulates toxic nitrates. The most common growth stimulant is nitrogen. By increasing its dose, melon growers successfully accelerate its growth and reduce the growing season by almost a month. And they do not think at all about the sad consequences of using such an agricultural product.

3. Another unsafe way.
You can turn a safe watermelon into a dangerous one after it has been removed from the melon - unripe and with white pulp. The presentation is given by injecting a solution of potassium permanganate or nitrate inside.

Press on the surface of the berry. In no case do not buy it if pink water has come out.

But it’s better to wait until August and September, when high-quality fruits appear on the shelves.

Pleasant in taste, ripe and sweet watermelon with juicy pulp is liked by almost everyone without exception. The fruit makes it possible to quench your thirst, enjoy the unique aroma, feel the real taste of summer, provided that the watermelon was not sluggish or spoiled. How to choose a ripe and sweet watermelon and not make a mistake with the choice - let's try to figure it out.

Smooth thin rind and velvety pulp and juiciness of watermelon is one of the signs of ripeness and freshness of the fruit. Although watermelon is commonly called the largest berry. It contains many valuable elements and vitamins - for example, vitamin C. Watermelon contains potassium, iron and folic acid, a lot of fiber, pectin, and magnesium. It is a storehouse of nutrients for our body. It has long been noticed that eating watermelon has become a kind of tradition.

A few rules: how to choose a ripe and sweet watermelon

A large fruit is beautifully cut into slices, the whole family sits down at the table. Many are familiar with the process of slicing watermelon with a familiar crunch since childhood. True, there are also disappointments when the berry inside turns out to be pale pink, and the flesh is tasteless. What is it connected with? The first conclusion suggests itself - the watermelon was specially plucked unripe for long-term transportation. And if the contents inside after tasting cause nausea, then the product is clearly intentionally spoiled. This happens during artificial ripening, when the fruit is pumped with flavor enhancers and stimulants for growth and maturation. Knowing this, you need to try to find a trusted supplier of the product, and already on the spot try to choose the right and naturally ripened watermelon, taking into account the basic rules. So where to start checking!

1. Timing. It is important. Watermelons are seasonal berries. A tasty fruit should go through a natural ripening path until almost mid-August. Watermelons sold earlier than this period (for example, even at the end of June) can be “stuffed” with nitrates. Dishonest manufacturers and suppliers seek to get the maximum benefit from the sale of goods long before the ripening date. Or they are simply trying to artificially increase the sales season. In this case, gourds are fertilized with nitrogen fertilization and various growth stimulants. The result becomes obvious after eating such a watermelon, even if it looked beautiful and neat. Therefore, it is important to wait for the season and not experiment with your health.
2. Place of sale of goods. Watermelons are sold everywhere along the tracks. This is convenient for those passing by, no need to specifically look for points of sale. Sellers also do not really bother looking for a buyer. All in sight! However, it must be remembered that watermelons cannot be in the sun for a long time. In addition, toxic substances, during long-term storage of fruits in open areas near highways, can seep into the fruit, even if it is in small quantities. This is especially true for cut watermelons “for testing”. Accordingly, for a watermelon it is better to go to a store or market, where watermelons lie in the shade under an awning and on special floorings, and not on the ground. At the same time, it must be remembered that even a ripened ripe watermelon can carry a threat. For example, if the crust is slightly cracked, but this is not visible. In this case, microorganisms (microbes) can get inside the pulp along with dust and dirt, which will quickly and safely multiply in a humid environment, which will lead to poisoning.
3. Type of watermelon. It is important to run your hand around the entire circumference of the fetus. The rind of the watermelon should be intact, without cracks or scratches, without dents or chips. Conscientious sellers very carefully shift the goods. The shape of a watermelon can be either perfectly round or very oblong, depending on the variety. Coloring also varies - from juicy green to sandy with stripes. The place where watermelon is grown plays a role. Many people prefer to choose a watermelon with a classic look - not a perfect spherical shape with a uniform green color in a wide strip. These stripes should be more intense and darker, indicating the ripeness of the fruit. The crust should shine, be very dense. Moreover, it is easy to scratch, but it is not pierced with a fingernail. And it is also worth remembering that a ripe watermelon does not sink in water.
   
4. Tail. This little detail will tell the inexperienced buyer how to choose a ripe and sweet watermelon. So, the ripeness of the fruit is determined by the dried stalk. The fact is that a ripened watermelon no longer needs to receive moisture from the soil, and the tail dries up by itself. A green or yellow tail indicates that the watermelon was picked unripe. In a naturally ripe fruit, the tail breaks off easily. The immature fruit usually has a flaccid, but not dry, tail. Its complete absence is a sign that the seller most likely does not want to leave "evidence".
5. What does spotting indicate. Yellow spots on the rind of a watermelon indicate that the fruit has lain on the ground for a long time. It turns out such a "cheek". The lighter and larger it is, the more it should be alarming. It is also worth paying attention to the unnatural color of the fetus. When it's weird green color, gourds are clearly colored. Ripe watermelon can have relatively small spots - this is a sign of the end of chlorophyll production.
6. Size and loudness. Large fruits are brought from the South Asian region. Small watermelons are grown on local melons. Both of them can be juicy, ripe and tasty. As already mentioned, it all depends on the variety. A characteristic ringing sound when tapped or clicked on the surface of a watermelon indicates a ripe fruit. Many have heard about this since childhood. A dull sound is a sign of immaturity. And if you try to squeeze the watermelon between the palms, then the ripe watermelon should crackle slightly. The main thing is not to overdo it.
7. "Gender" and certification. It turns out that watermelons differ in "gender" characteristics. So, “girls” are considered the most delicious and juicy, in which the bottom is slightly beveled or flat, has a light shade. Absolute bulge and dark color - a "male" sign. Having determined all these above-mentioned qualities of a real watermelon on your own, you should ask the seller for a product quality certificate. So you can find out the "homeland" of watermelon, ripening period, delivery time. Important fruit characteristics are confirmed by color printing.

So, we figured out how to choose a ripe and sweet watermelon. Choosing a fruit is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. You don't need to be a guru to determine the quality of a product by external signs: the absence of stains, signs of decay, unpleasant odors, and mechanical damage. The shape and size of the watermelon do not affect the taste qualities. This is more about personal taste preferences. It is important not to make a mistake and get a ripe, sugary and fragrant watermelon to the delight of all family and friends.

“Itself is scarlet, sugary” - this part of the riddle about watermelon gives a clear definition of what this huge berry should be. There are already watermelons on sale, but is it worth eating them?

A few years ago, watermelons appeared on store shelves and markets in August-September. Now, with a strong desire, watermelon can also be found in January - on the counter of a large hypermarket. This, as a rule, will be a berry brought from a distant country, for example, from Egypt. Many people are afraid to eat such fruits and vegetables, and there are reasons for this. But those watermelons that appear on the shelves in June grew much closer: in Central Asia. Some of them, according to the assurances of the sellers, even come from the Astrakhan region, which is famous throughout the country for the quality and sweetness of watermelons.

Should we believe the sellers who assure that watermelons are "sweet, ripe and almost crack"? Should I buy watermelon now or wait at least until the beginning of August?

Experts say that those watermelons that are already on sale are early-ripening varieties, and most often they come from Central Asia. However, when buying a watermelon on the market, you have no idea where it came from and how it was grown, so there is a risk of buying a berry that is specially pumped with nitrates so that it ripens much faster, rather than a special "early" variety was brought in. The health risk from such a watermelon is colossal, poisoning can be very serious, up to hospitalization. If you really want a watermelon and wait for August - too long, a pocket nitrate meter will be the way out. It is easy to use, household nitrate meters cost from 700 rubles. With this device, you can easily determine whether you can treat yourself to a huge red berry, or is it better to wait a bit. Remember that all gourds are heat-loving crops, and even in the southern Central Asian countries, watermelons and melons do not ripen until the second half of summer. If you are guaranteed not to want to eat the “Spark” watermelon grown in a greenhouse, wait until mid-August.

There are a few tips to help you choose the perfect watermelon - ripe, juicy, sugary, fragrant. The main ones lead "Arguments and Facts".

1. We buy in the right places

Photos of travelers from Turkmenistan, where watermelons lie in huge piles right on the ground, it is better to forget. In the Turkmen hinterland, there are fewer cars and cleaner dust. In the Russian metropolis, it will be right to buy watermelon from special trays, in melon pavilions equipped for storage and in supermarkets. After all, watermelons lying on a shelf in a store, and the same ones sold by an Uzbek in the market, come to our cities from the same places, but the sanitary storage conditions in stores are much better than in the markets, and it is right to choose watermelons there.

2. Cleanliness is the key to health

Do not think that a thick peel completely protects the entire watermelon. Dust, of course, will not get to the pulp, but microorganisms through microcracks may well get to the edible part. Therefore, it is better not to choose the fruits rolled in roadside dust, but to leave them to the sellers.

3. The more - the riper

This is the absolute truth. Only representatives of certain varieties reach more than 10 kilograms of weight. And even in them, only extremely ripe and liquid-filled fruits reach such sizes. Therefore, when thinking about how to choose a delicious watermelon, choose fruits of the maximum size. The more likely it will be very mature and juicy.

4. Look at the ponytail...

Each fruit, having reached a certain age and filled with moisture and nutrients, ceases to be fed from the bush. And the bush gradually begins to dry out and fade. As a result, the need for communication with the bush disappears, and the place of articulation - the tail - begins to dry. A ripe watermelon will be completely dry.

When buying, it is very easy to distinguish a cut off green tail from a broken off dry one. Even if the first of them dried up during transportation, an even cut mark will be clearly visible on it. A watermelon with such a tail is very likely to be unripe.

5. ... and on the color of the "cheeks"

The cheek is the same speck without coloring that remains on the watermelon in the place on which it lay. That's right, if the "cheek" becomes yellow and even a little orange, this is typical for extremely ripe watermelons, while in young and unripe it is most often white.

6. Sound is an old fashioned way

And although this method is only possible for strong men, it is the most effective for calculating a truly mature fetus. Its essence: a watermelon is taken in the middle (in the plane that is farthest from the tail) with two hands, brought to the ear and compressed. At the same time, a ripe watermelon will begin to crackle slowly. Unripe - will remain silent. You can also choose a watermelon by knocking. A deaf sound will report ripeness, and a sonorous sound will indicate a large amount of water and the "youth" of the fetus.

7. Try

As a rule, hospitable sellers in the markets boldly carve a red pyramid out of watermelons in order to demonstrate the quality of the fruit. This is worth using if you are in doubt when choosing a watermelon on the market. But in the store they are allowed to check it in a different way, they simply cut the watermelon in half, wrapping each half in a separate piece of cling film. All the flaws in such a film can be seen almost under a microscope.

However, remember that sanitary doctors forbid both sellers in the market and in the store to cut watermelons. Never buy a watermelon that has been cut or cut not just in front of you - it can be dirty, which, again, threatens with poisoning.

8. Natural watermelon should be grainy

The structure of the pulp of a watermelon can also be seen on the tenderloin on the market. If the pulp at the cut point is smooth and even, the watermelon is nitrate. That's right, if it has an obvious granular structure, this means that there are few nitrates in the fetus. It is important not to overdo it and not choose an overly grainy fruit. Such are overripe fruits, and their core is not juicy, but fibrous.

9. Watermelon should be pink

And only some especially northern varieties are red. But these same red varieties are usually not large. If you have a ten-kilogram handsome man with scarlet flesh in front of you, this is almost certainly the brainchild of nitrates. If the red color gives off lilac, you can not even doubt that the fruit contains a lot of nitrates.

Modern technologies: applications for choosing watermelons

At the same time, many residents of the country know all the listed methods (well, or some of them). But few have heard that there are even special applications for smartphones that help determine the ripeness of a watermelon.

For example, iWatermelone is an iPhone application that will help you choose the right watermelon. It costs 99 cents, requires the 4th version of the phone's firmware and higher.

How it works?

1. Run the application, choose the size and color of the watermelon.

2. After that, put the iPhone on the watermelon and gently tap on the berry three times. After that, the application issues its verdict about the watermelon you bought.

There is a similar application for Android OS, this is Watermelon Prober. All you need to do to determine if the fruit is ripe is to point the microphone of the phone at the fruit and tap on its peel several times. The Watermelon Prober app will analyze the sound and make a judgment about the maturity of a particular watermelon instance.

Remember that watermelon is a very useful berry that helps to regulate the water-salt balance of the body, fill it with vitamins and microelements. Well, those who want to lose weight can try the watermelon diet.

Watermelon diet (5 days)

Like the Chocolate Diet and the Apple Diet, the Watermelon Diet is a mono-food diet, which indicates a mandatory predisposition to this product in the diet and the absence of negative reactions of your body to watermelons. As well as the lemon-honey diet and the cabbage diet, the watermelon diet is a very rigid diet - which is the reason for its short duration in its pure form.

It should be noted that even if you eat watermelon with pleasure in combination with other foods, it is possible that on the second day of the watermelon diet there will be pain - then stop this diet immediately - watermelon has a strong diuretic effect and this has to be considered - the first day -two main weight loss will occur due to the loss of excess water-salt deposits.

The main requirement of the menu is the restriction on the number of watermelons eaten per day: 1 kilogram of watermelon per 10 kg of body weight. All other products are prohibited. There are no restrictions regarding the time of eating - you can eat watermelon at any time of the day. You can drink unlimited watermelon diet for 5 days only ordinary water (preferably non-carbonated and non-mineralized - it does not aggravate the feeling of hunger) or green tea. As in the Japanese diet in any form, alcohol should be excluded.

The main advantage of the watermelon diet is due to its easy tolerance without the feeling of hunger inherent in many restrictive diets. The second plus of the watermelon diet is its high efficiency in a relatively short time (partly due to the loss of excess fluid). The third plus is the normalization of metabolism, cleansing the body of toxins, toxins and deposits throughout the diet. Weight loss in 5 days of such a diet reaches 7 kg.

Ripe watermelon flesh is red, juicy and tasty. In unusual varieties, it may have a shade of butter. But why does a watermelon turn white both outside and inside? Such a fruit is unripe, contains chemicals. Producers of agricultural products, using compositions harmful to the human body, sell goods that have artificially gained weight before others. To protect yourself from low-quality products, you need to carefully check them.

How to distinguish an unsuitable watermelon?

Fruits that are unevenly colored, which have spots and cracks, should be rejected. If there are no external signs, then small cracks may appear inside, separating the pulp, and seeds covered with mucus.
The problem with buying low-quality watermelon is that it can be detected before serving. In no case should you eat a berry - there are several reasons for this.

Yellow-white veins with a rough texture

Finding them inside a watermelon, know that the melon was poisoned with saltpeter. The veins are formed under the influence of the chemical, as the fruit and lash develop at an accelerated rate. Underripe vessels feed the berry, which grows rapidly due to nitrates. With rapid vegetation, watermelons turn yellow or brownish. Once in the human body, nitrogen compounds disrupt metabolism, depress the central and autonomic nervous system, and lower immunity.

Sluggish, loose interior

Nitrates accelerate cellular processes in watermelons. Moreover, this happens even after the harvest. If you purchased a watermelon, finding friability in combination with white, low-juicy pulp, there is all the risk of poisoning.

Uneven flesh color

When cut, it is clear that there are various spots inside the berry - white, pink, rich red and purple. Areas with a diameter of 2-50 mm are compacted, and thin yellow veins pass through them. Eating the fruit will lead to diarrhea, vomiting and metabolic disorders.
When the signs of nitrate damage on and inside the watermelon are invisible, you should pay attention to the thick skin. If it is uncharacteristic for the variety, refuse to buy. The reason to throw away the berry will be the lack of sweet taste and the taste of a fermented product.

The reasons why the pulp turns white

To find out why the harvest is harvested early and quickly sold, the recommendations of experts will help. Experienced agronomists divide ways to accelerate the growth of watermelons into safe and unsafe.

1. Organization of film shelters. Under agrofibre or plastic film, the growth of planting material is accelerated. On the surface of the berry, a speck from the sun's rays does not form.
2. The use of nitrogen growth promoters. Due to additives, nitrates accumulate in the core of the fruit. Melon cultivators increase the dose of additives randomly, speeding up the growing season by a month. The product turns out to be of poor quality, but it can be quickly implemented.
3. Fetal injections. To give a marketable appearance to an unripe watermelon, injections of a solution of manganese or saltpeter are made inside. With the beauty of the surface, the pulp can cause poisoning.

In order to avoid the negative consequences of eating early fruits, it is better to buy them in August or September. Melons are not recommended to be stored open at room temperature.

Diseases of watermelon that cause white spots

In addition to the impact of the human factor, watermelons are affected by diseases. White areas on the surface of the fruit indicate fungal bacteriosis or infection.

sclerotinia

A fungus that results in a plaque on the surface of the berry. The disease occurs in conditions of waterlogging or cold snaps. Due to white rot, not only fruits, but also stems with leaves become unusable.

bacteriosis

Angular spotting is a consequence of the impact of insects on watermelons. At first, the leaves become whitish with a grayish tint, then the branches and stems fall off. The growth of fruits during bacteriosis stops, they become soft and transparent. The last stage - the watermelon becomes completely white inside. It is recommended to eliminate the entire bush, since there are risks of seed damage.

powdery mildew

Fungal pathology affects leaves and berries. The structure of the spots resemble flour. If the leaves are sick, then with the development of the disease they fall off. Watermelon fruits are deformed, subsequently rot and lose their sugar content.
Diseases are fought by digging up the soil, removing and burning the affected melons.

Risks of nitrate poisoning

Plant products with nitrates are dangerous to human health. When 3.5 g of potassium nitrate enters digestive system death is possible. Nitrogen compounds disrupt blood and tissue metabolism, which is detrimental to the heart and blood vessels. Due to the ability of nitrates to expand the walls of arteries, capillaries and veins, pressure drops and hypoxia occurs.

Signs of melon poisoning

Food poisoning is accompanied by a headache with an increased amount of nitrates. A person has a fever, vomiting and diarrhea, blue lips, nails and mucous membranes. In difficult cases, there are risks of allergies or skin rashes, disorders of the central nervous system. A person feels pain in the back of the head, dizziness, causeless drowsiness occurs, coordination of movements is upset, convulsions occur.
The patient is hospitalized, but before the doctor arrives, it is recommended to take potassium permanganate, sorbents, and do a gastric lavage.

Checking watermelon for nitrates at home

To know the difference between a berry containing nitrates and an edible watermelon, the following tricks will help:

1. When tapping on a ripe, high-quality fruit, you can hear ringing sound. The nitrate berry will make a dull sound, similar to a deflated ball.
2. A healthy and good watermelon cracks a little when squeezed, this does not happen with nitrate.
3. The surface of the culture, not exposed to nitrates, has a bright color and a clear pattern.
4. The injection sites for stimulants are a few rotted points.
5. A good tasty fruit has a sugar textured red pulp, and a nitrate pink has a glossy hue.
6. A piece of nitrate berry colors the water. If you put a slice of a healthy watermelon in a glass of water, the water will become cloudy.

To avoid poisoning, do not buy cut fruits, especially if you can see that the watermelon is on the counter with white, ugly flesh. Avoid cracked berries with white patches.